El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-02
OUR FAMILY OPAL,
By K. K. Munkittrick.


he engaged himself to my old Aunt Cor
gagement ring.
AS soon as he had given her the ring he
began to regret his engagement. Aunt
Cornelia concluded that the old man was
cooling off in his attentions, but she
didn't blame him. She regarded it all as
ill luck, which she attributed to the opal.
Now, another curious feature of the
case was that my great-grandfather's
eyes, from looking long and fondly into
Aunt Cornelia's, had suddenly acquired a
peculiar habit of necessarily whirling, her
only inirmity.
A day or two later she noticed that my
great-grandfather's were whirling and
thought that he was mimicking her and
making light of her optical popularity.
She would listen to no word of explana-
ton, but broke the engagement on the
spot and handed him back the opal ring.
That night he made a misstep on the
way up stairs and sprained his ankle.
and on the following day railroad was
wrecked, and the stock he held in it drop
ped from 100 to 60. He then had the
opal set in a scarfpin and gave it to one
of his nephews for birthday present.
Suddenly Bills salary was cut down in
the fullness of its bloom. His hair began
to fall out, and the doctor, not knowing
just what the matter was, ordered a sea
voyage on general principles. Fearing
shipwreck, Bill gave the opal scarfpin to
his brother before sailing. Bill went to
sea and returned with full head of hair
and his salary restored.
After Bill had sailed his brother who
went to the wharf to bid him goodby,
started up the street, when his hat blew
off and went spinning along so fast that
he could not overtake it, and a street ur-
chin started the cry. stop thief
Others took up the shout, and finally a
crowd followed in hot pursuit, until he
was overtaken and arrested. His ex
PLANTATION was laughed at, the police the
DRY being that he had fed from the scene
of his crime without his hat.
So Bills brother was locked up over
night and had the mortiicat ton of seeing
his name in print in the morning, when
he was discharged
So he gave, the opal to Tom. and Tom
was very glad to have it and lost no time
in sticking it in his scarf. Bills brother
on the way home picked up $40 bill on
the sidewalk and when he arrived home
found a man waiting to make arrange
ments to mortgage his property to him
for $1,000 at per cent, a gilt edged in
vestment, which made him believe that
an opal.
Tom bought a turkey on the way
home and left it in the train rack when
he stepped off. And when he went into
the house he was Mortified to learn that
his wife had been cajoled into purchas-
ing 81 worth of glee club tickets.
Il am surprised that you should yield
to the arguments of those ticket iends.
Indeed, you are a jewel of consistency"
he said, with biting sarcasm
Talking about Jewels" she replied,
with vim equal to his own, 81 believe
That opal you have there has changed
our luck. Where did you get it?''
Cousin Luke gave it to me-"
'That explains it. Luke would never
give you or any one else anything of any
value to himself. What time did he give
it to your" asked his wife.
"At O'Clock this afternoon
"And it was at 3 that 1 bought those |
tickets. L didn't want them at all, be- |
cause 1 needed the 50 they cost to buy |
some velvet and other things to cover my |
Did hat and make it do for winter and !
thus save the price of a new one and |
give you chance to buy an overcoat. !
But couldn't resist. Have you had any |
bad luck today?''
Il left a turkey on the train," said |
Tom.
"Of course you did," snapped his wife,
and suppose you had counterfeit mon
~ palmed off on you in change. Just take
put your money and see.''
He fished some silver out of the pocket
n which he carried his small change, and,
sure enough, there was a lead so cent
piece.
THAT about cancels my purchase of |
he glee club tickets, doesn't t?'' she said,
With an air of triumph seldom equaled in
l battle picture. Now look at your
pills.
He thrust his hand into his vest pocket
md found that it had been cut out-sto-
en-moneF and all.
She buried her face in her hands and
;obbed:
''Oh, Tom, why did you buy me those
tickets? ~
81 didn't" Tom protested
eyes, you did, and no one else did,
lnd''-
She was interrupted by a crash. The
ook appeared, frightened out of her wits,
md shouted Historically:
"The boilers burst, and all the hair is
calded off poor Fido.''
So Tom rushed out and met me.
Here's a beautiful opal scarfpin," he
aid. "Wouldn't you like to have it?"
L thought of the ill luck it had brought
ny poor great-grandfather and Aunt Cor
leila, the antique virgin with the whirl-
ng eyes. l was almost afraid to accept
he proffered bauble. 1 did summon up
ourage and took it, however, determined1
o dispose of it in such a way that it
would not be likely to cause any more
rouble in the family.
So entered a jewelry shop and, tossing
he opal carelessly on the velvet pad that
ay on the glass case, said: 'Will you
indy appraise this so called precious I
tone, this opal? You as dealer don
hare the superstition that possesses me.
nd will therefore probably purchase it {
t a fair valuation. 1t has made trouble
nnuoh for me and mine and I 1xan to