Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-28
OUR FAMILY OPAL.

/ cannot remember how the opal
came into the family. because so many
conflicting stories have been told by
various ancestors concerning this part
of its history. But long ago | regis
tered the vow that if it ever should
become mine | would either destroy
or dispose of it forever, and rid the
family of its balcful influence.
My great-grandfather was the first
one Of the family to become a posses
sor of the opal. He was then a Wild
over for the third time, and it was
the desire of all his connections that
he should remain in this state to keep
his worldly goods from slipping OUT
Of the family.
l suppose the opal must have been
aware Of all this, because it immedi-
ately set about to indulge its proven
bal weakness.
At this time, and to the astonish-
ment of all who knew, him. he fell in
love with one of his old second cousins,
whose white hair and corrugated face
were sufficient to make such hap
pening seem altogether impossible.
And when she accepted him what did
he do but have the opal set for an en-
gagement ring and placed upon the
finger of his smiling relative, my old
Aunt Cornela.
After he had given her the opal en-
gagement ring he suddenly rallied
from a recent indisposition, and was
told by the doctor that he might stop
his long walks and resume his pipe
and the glass of punch before retiring.
When this change took place my
great-grandfather was so happy and
contented that he wondered why he
should ever have engaged himself to
Aunt Cornela, or to anyone else, for
that matter. And the more he thought
the matter over the more he was puz-
zled. 3
1t was then that Aunt Cornelia con-,
cluded 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 ac-
quired peculiar habit of necessarily
only infrmty.
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 explanation, but broke the en-
gagement on the spot and handed him
back the opal ring.
That night he made a mistep on the
way upstairs and sprained his ankle,
and on the following day railroad
was wrecked, and the stock he held in
II dropped from 100 to 60. He then
had the opal set in scarfpin and gave
1t to one of his nephews for a birth
lay present.
Suddenly Bills salary was cut down
IN the fullness of its boom His hair
began to fall out. and the doctor, not
knowing just what the matter was, or
Tered sea voyage on general princi-
pies. 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
'estored.
After Bill had sailed his brother,
who went to the wharf to bid him
goodbye, started up the street, when
lis hat blew off and went spinning
llong so fast that he could not over
AXE it, and a street urchin started the
ry, "Stop thief"
Others took up the shout, and finally
crowd followed in hot pursuit, un-
II he was overtaken and arrested. His
xplanation was laughed at, the police
heory being that he had fled from
he scene of his crime without his hat.
So Bills brother was locked up over
light, and had the modification of
eeing his name in print in the morn
ng, when he was discharged.
So he gave the opal to Tom. and
ON was glad to have it, and lost no
ime in sticking it in his scarf. Bills
on the way home, picked up a
10 bill on the sidewalk, and when he
rived at home found a man waiting
make arrangements to mortgage hfs
property to him for $1,000 at per
ent.-a gilt-edged Investment, which
lade him believe, that the other man
ad been presented with an opal.
Tom bought turkey on the way
ONE, and left it in the train rack
'hen he stepped off. And when he
'ent into the house he was Mortified
learn that his wife had been caioled
ito purchasing 50 worth Of glee-club
ckets.
VI am surprised that you should
ield to the arguments OF those fiends.
indeed, you are a jewel of conssten-
y" he said with biting sarcasm.
Walking about Jewels" she replied
18th vim equal to his own, 81 be-
eve that opal you have there has
hanged our luck. Where did you get
%
"Cousin Luke gave it to me-"
"That explains it; Luke would !
ever give you or anyone else any, !
ling of any value to himself. What !
me did he give 1t to you?" asked his '
lie.
"At Q o'clopk this affernonn