Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-09-20

Iamiy who moved into Is Damas Re
gas. nearly 2o years ago There were
slN sons and the Same number of
hacghtcrS. hcusegul. you'll say. but
the house OF the colonial period one I'm
which many viccrOys and their cour-
tiers had danced. was spacious. and the
grand Sala was room running the full
length Of t.ic street front. Things went
well with the family till. two years aft
er their occupancy Of the house. a son
was born. the thirteenth child, Then
all that was sinister in the fatal mum
Der began 10 manifest itself Don Ig-
nacio shaved himself every day I'm the
English mauuer-that is. by himself
diSliking To call I'm barber. and one
morning while making his toilet ne
heard noise in the courtyard and
stepped out on the corridor to listen
forgetting that IL was chilly and that
ne was in mis- stocking feet He caught
cold. as il was supposed. and there
Followed an cmboliSm. something chok-
ing "A vein or artery in a leg Many
painful symptoms followed. I'm rcsun-
idas cu"ntas. hc took to his bed. and
the foremost surgeons or the CITY in
consultation decided that biS leg must
be amputai"d 90 say" bi~ liic lie was
81 biz. strong. fun hloodcA man. and II
was not i'ua-. Lat hc might not
survive tli' 'r sion. Bun ten days
after %, ri,j of thc shock. and IL was
a marvel how wasted hc had become.
This was thr most tragic event during
generations in ga" history OF the Nallcs
dc Miranda
Nv hen other events. sinister and sor-
rowful. la3 occurred ian that once haD-
by family. Leonidas looked up tie date
of the death of D1n I,nucio II was
the 18th. This was but the beginning.
for ON the 18TH of the following MAY
Maria. the wife. died OF typhuS. and
thea came losses OF property. the mines
failed to pay. aa Interest IN hau ns
houS. Wa- lo-' tl:ou-h most uncx-
pectcd fai!N.. ana when Wc heard that
the hankiuS house VA. al Is street
W" ShudderoG. My father went to- sec
youn" Julio Vale dc Miranda tu coun-
sci him to move ont OF IL Dama> Re
giaS. tut Julio said that il was all a Sc
ricS of comcidcnccs and that. even If il
were that hc had no money to spend
I'm fitting up new house. II seems in
credible. but i'm the space Of three Years
every member of that family exccpt
Julio and sister. Trinidad. haI died.
and each death took place on a 18Th or
26th. People all over the city had
come 60 talk Of the Vale de Miranda
family aud It's awful luck. Most neo-
pie were confirmed i'm their prejudice
against the number 13. Timid persons
moved ont OF No. 13S or changed the
number 10 u bis anything To break
the spell
Ton years went 10y. and Julio re-
maincd bachelor. while his sister.
Trinidad. u splendid looking girl. tall.
Of lovely figure and with great dark
eyes. who had been carefully educated
NJ the Sacred Heart. remained with
him. Julio had managed To retain the
house. for a copper mine. which no one
had thought worth considering and
which the creditors of the family had
left in Il doubtfully generous way to
Julio and his sister, had turned out of
much value and had been sold to
Frenchmcn. don't know how il hap
pcncd. 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 toe happy in any other
house. even i'm modern mansion in
the newer part of the city.
1T was about 1892 when young
man Of excellent family, Rafael del
Monte. began 10 pay court To Trinidad.
standing under her balcony at night.
Following her everywhere in short the
utmost devotion. Rafael had a large
fortune in houses and lands and lived
the life of Il young clubman. and. bein~
fond of horses. was always driving.
trying Il new carriage or going on
horseback excursions about the valley.
He was an immense favorite in socie-
~, and all the mammaS were Scheming
To set Rafael for their daughters. lie
could play the piano. sing. speak we'll.
both in French and English. had traV-
cled. dressed i'm perfect taste and was
not only 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 tragic fate At
all events. fortune seemed to have re
Tented. and Trinidad was rs happy Il
girl rs one could wish 10 see. Wherev-
er we met her at social reunions she
was radiant picture of youth and
beauty. and her wonderfully diStin-
guiShed bearing and perfect ease drew
every eye. She was girl of whom no
one said mean things. Society here is
sharp tOngucd sometimes, but as if 10y
common consent all the world seemed
to wish good fortune for this last of the
daughters Of an i'll fated house"
LeonidaS looked meditatively at Clio
tides lovely hands and murmured,
Trinidad was perfection itself. an an
gel from heaven" n speech well befit-
ting that gallant old gentleman.
Indeed. she was perfection. and
when women fall in love with wo-