The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-23

English manner-that IS, by himself
disliking 70 call in q barber, and one
morning while making his toilet he
heard q noise in the courtyard and
steppcd out on the corridor to listen.
forgetting that it was chilly and that
he was in his stocking feet. He caught
a cold, as it was supposed, and there
followed an embolism, something chok-
ing vein or artery in q leg. Many
painful symptoms followed. En- resum-
idas cuentas, he took to his bed, and
the foremost surgeons Of the city i'll
consultation decided that his leg must
be amputated to save his life. He was
a biz, strong, full blooded man, and it
was not imagined that he might not
survive the operation. But ten days
after he died of the shock, and it was
a marvel how wasted he had become.
This r-rs the most tragic event during
generations in the history Of the Wales
de Miranda.
"When other events, sinister and sor-
rowful. had occurred in that once hap
py family, Leonidas looked up the date
of the death of Don Ignacio. 1t was
the 18th. This was but the beginning.
for on the 18th Of the following May
Maria, the wife, died Of typhus, and
then came losses Of property, the mines
failed to pay, a.. interest in 4 banking
house was lost through q most unex-
pected failure, and when we heard that
the banking house was at Is - street
we shuddercd My father went to see
young Julio Yale de Miranda to cour-
sci him to move out Of Is Damas Re-
gias, but Julio said that it was all Sc
ries Of condolences and that, even if it
were that, he had no money to spend
in fitting up a new house. 1t seems in
credible, but in the space Of three years
every member Of that family except
Julio and sister, Trinidad, had died,
and each death took place on 18th or
a 2Gth! People all over the city had
come to talk of the Vaie de liiranda
family and it's awful luck. Most peo-
pie were confirmed in their prejudice
| against the number 13. Timid persons
moved out Of No. 13s or changed the
number to 10 bis anything to break
! the spell.
.aTen years went by, and Julio re-
mained a bachelor, while his sister,
Trinidad. splendid looking girl, tall,
Of lovely figure and with great dark
! eyes, who had been carefully educated
at the Sacred Heart, remained with
!, him. Julio had managed to retain the
house. for copper mine, which no one
had thought worth considering and
which the creditors Of the family had
left in a doubtfully generous way to
4 Julio and his sister, had turned out Of
much value and had been sold to
Frenchmen. l don't know how it hap
pened. but Julio seemed fascinated by
the old house. They were odd people,
that brother and sister, and declared
: that where their father and mother
had lived was dear to them and that
they could not be happy in any other
house. even In q modern mansion IN
the newer part OF the city.
''It was about 1892 when - young
man OF excellent family. Rafael del
Monte, began to pay court to Trinidad.
standing under her balcony ut night.
following her everywhere. in short the
utmost devotion. Rafael had large
fortune in houses and lands and lived
the life of young clubman, and, being
fond of horses. was always driving.
trying q new carriage or going on
horseback excursions about the valley.
He was an immense fayorite in socie-
ty. and oil the mammas were scheming
to get Rafael for their daughters. He
could play the piano, sing, speak well,
both in French and English, had trav-
eled. dressed in perfect taste and was
not only q handsome fellow, but moth
ing dissipated. Leonidas will be my
witness that we used to say, on talk
ing over the devotion Of Rafael for
Trinidad, that perhaps the evil fortune
of the family Of the Wales de Miranda
had taken wings. Youth and beauty,
wealth and distinction, madly in love.
Surely, we thought, the. leaf has been
turned in the book Of q tragic fate. At
all events, fortune seemed to have re-
Tented, and Trinidad was as happy q
girl as one could wish to sec. Whcrcv-
er we met her at social reunions she
was n radiant picture Of youth and
beauty, and her wonderfully distin-
guished bearing and perfect ease drew
every eye. She vas q girl Of whom no
one said mean things. Society here is
sharp tongued sometimes, but rs If by
common consent all the world seemed
to wish good fortune for this last OF the
daughters Of an ill fated house"
Leonidas looked meditatively at Clo-
tides lovely hands and murmured
.Trinidad was perfection itself, an an
gel from heaven" a speech we'll beht-
ting that gallant old gentleman.
ssIndeed, she was perfection, and
when women fall in love with q wo-
man you may be sure, girls, that she is
good and sweet and charming. al.
that was Trinidad Vale dc Miranda.
The very bullfghters on the street cor
ners forgot to pay her compliment.
Once one said. She is q holy image
from the altar. gone walking through
these streets of Cod But no rude
word ever reached her ears as she
went about the city. Heaven seemed
to have Yclented and to have showcrcd
Il ,s,,fr,