The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-23
THE NUMBER l5|
By Frederick z. Guernsey.
The Unlucky Number Pursued q
Mexican Family to tho
Bittor End.
Observation-Disclosures

,IfTIIITT1TllIIIf1TI1iIlIIllIIIInI IInIfTl1IllTH7lIi7
In country house on 4 recent Sun
day afternoon we were talking Of su-
pcrstitions. The charming Lolita, with
eyes inherited from some Moorish sui
.ana and lips which are two rubIes.
guardians or a mouth filled with pearls,
spoke of the coming wedding Of some
girl friends: II would never marry on
{. Tuesday. for l should be sure OF an
evil fate"
You would not marry even Antonio
On Il Tuesdny" asked q fair Spanish
girl fir there are enchanting blonds
even from Andalusia.
Lolita, whom everybody adores. grew
rosy red and. struggling her sculptur-
csque shoulders. replied, bit piQued
ut the maliciously put question, mot
oven Antonio on q Tuesday. though
whatever day you should marry him
would be for him the blackest Of black
luck!'
We all laughed at this sally. know
ing the rivalry Of the two senoritas.
Uncle Leonidas, who is n soldier and
quarrel. dear girls. There Is room
enough in the field OF love for both Of
you. and lucky the man who wins you
an any day of the week. Tuesday Is
our bad day in Mexico. but among the
americans it is Friday. the day Nues-
tro Senor was clu"-
But what good fortune for all Of
bsv' interrupted Lolita. piously.
Dom Clotilde, the hostess. h woman
VI great beauty. regally placed In a
carved chair OF colonial date. took up
the theme: IL nm. confess. supersti-
tious. would begin nothing on a
Tuesday. q day on which no one
should embark. marry or undertake
anything OF Importance; but. above all
things, shun a Tuesday when 1t falls
On the 18th OF the month. If you
young people will listen. will tell
you a true story, and Leonidas will
coniirm every word OF it. for feel tnai
used & 'testigo.' SO extraordinary is
the fate of the: family Of Vale de
]dirnndn."
Here the servants brought in ices
snd cakes, and there was IN Interrupt
lion. but we soon became quiet, and
ilotiide resumed: "In 1880, perhaps
year later. there lived at 13 Gale de
las Damas Regias an old man and his
wife called Segovla. They owned the
place aud had lived there many years
alone with their servants, al! elderly
PEOPLE, there being no children. can
not say, there was il1 luck attending
ttem''-
Excepting having no children"
commented Leonidas, who doses on
children and is always surrounded by
them.
"Exccntins having 10 children" con-
finued Clotilde. "But these old people
died on the same day. as well RECALL,
md 1t was the 18th Of November. and
when the piace was sold. shortly after,
the family Of Vale de Miranda bought
it and moved In. the date being the
10th OF the following February. q dou-
bic 10, you will notice. The Valles de
Miranda. had always had money; as far
ns any ones recollectioH goes. They
were originally from Guanajunto ana
were mine owners. Whatever they
touched turned to gold. My grandfa-
ther has told me time and again Of
their immense good fortune. It SEEM
ed sin, he said. to be 30 lucky in a
world where so many people can ney-
er succeed. strive rs they will. Eacl
generators Of this favored family pros.
Dered. Death was reluctant, II al.
most seemed. to knock Mt their door.
II the sons sought wives, they found
always beauty. good breeding and so.
cial position. If the daughters mar.
Fled, they got handsome and ador,nr
husbands. It was like fairy tals
dear girls. You have never read n
novel like IT,, .l'. rs.
Here our hostess, who is a bit ro.
mantle, sighed, slipped her melting lee
ana went on: DON Ygnacio vallc dc
Miranda was one OF the most distin.
suished looking men I have ever seen.
ana Maria Inclan. his wife, was even
IN Middle age elegant I'm figure, Of ir-
Teproachable taste and. although the
xa6sher Of nlany children. almost as
slender Of waist as lolita here.n q
we all. of course. fixed our eyes on
the charming form OF the young sui.
cana and then resnmed our attitude OF
listeners, the go0d natured ClotilYe
minding not cur pasd enable vfsuN: ax-
eursi0n Such were the parents Gf the
family who moved Into ID Damas Re-
gias, nearly 20 years ago, There were
six CONS and the sarna number OF
daughtera, D honseful, ycu'tl gay, but
the house OF the colonial period, one IN
which many viceroye end their c0ur-
tiers had danced. was spacious, md she
grand enlE :Wns Il room running the full
length OF tie street front. Things went
wen with the FAMILY Til. two years nft.
tnrs fhsser, !, xy y