Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-10-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
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5 The Llama's Curse. !
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


destined for. The instant possession of
elthef OF these by the person cursed
would mean immediate destruction.
Nor was this all-the coins might
not come to us as brass cash they
ihlSht come to us as a kOpeck piece, or
as rouDle; as marks or pfennigs, as
francs or centimeS, as anything, wher-
ever we might be. We should never
know when they were coming: we
should take them in the ordinary way;
we should handle them, but only for
one moment; the next moment we
should be dead"
one day Tom sent for me, and it was
to tell me that he was going to be mar
rleu' Ihls struck me as something Pc
cullar' for | had thought Tom Morton
was one of the last men likely to fall
III love. The wedding duly came off,
everybody was pleased, and Tom and
his bride went away to the south of
france. a few more weeks rolled by
and Tom returned. There was TO be a
reception at their London house, and
the invitation which was sent me was
one which could not well refuse.
In the evening had the opportunity
OF chat with Tom. We had gone out
on the balcony, which overlooked the
garden, and there l purposely made
reference to the superstition which he
had for the Llamas coin.
Ferhaps,' SAID 1, now that YOU
nave gone unscathed all these years,
you are beginning to lose faith in the
potency Of that prophecyY
well, to tell you the truth" said
Tom, Il am getting little shaky about
1t, and when one begins to reason. su-
perstition on any subject is likely to
get Knocked out. 1t has struck me that
after all it may be but mere foolery."
we entered the room once more, but
was dying for II smoke, and, making
some excuse, slipped away to the
smoking room. | had been sitting there
about five minutes when Tom Morton
came In.
What do you Think he said. My
wife has got this Mongolian story into
her head so much that she is perfectly
ridiculous. She has been telling every
body about it, and, of course, they are
all laughing, and the worst of it all is
that she is laughing with them at me.
But come, come, old fellow, | want to
show you something"
l rose, threw my cigarette end away.
nj I'm
corridor to the drawing room, which
was crowded and even as we entered
heard Mrs. Morton's voice.
Il really do believe it will be such
fun she was saying. Here comes
Tom, and now we will try. A coin. IL
you please, from each of you. Let me
see--how many are there here?-twen-
ty-six, good. then l want twenty-six
coins"
Now, Tom" she said, take off that
wretched glove and let us demonstrate
that you can touch money with your
ungloved hand"
Tom was pale, and saw his brow
shining with perspiration. He mutter-
ed something, but what it was was lost
in the laughter and banter which went
around the room. With quick. i'm
rulsive movement, he drew off his right
glove.
Well he said, and l saw his lips
wreathe into a hard, unmirthful smile.
Il will take the coins just to show you
that | am not afraid"
Then, one by one his wife counted
out the coins into his hand. Twenty
were already there, when, unable to
control the impulse which came over
me, l started up, and cried: Drop it.
Tom. Why challenge such a thing as
thatY
He looked at me, and saw how pale
and how stern was his face. He said
nothing TO me, but merely turned to his
wife with the whisper: 60 OH"
"Twenty-one, twenty-five, twenty
three, twenty-four. twenty five, twenty
six, twenty-seven-"
"Twenty-seven," cried, "what Is
that, there are only twenty-six people
here, there is Il mis- But could get
no further. Tom had staggered back
his body shrunken in size. He fell to
the floor. A death-like silence fell over
the assemblage. | strobe over to my
friends PROSTATE form.
Tom was dead and cold and in his
right hand there were twenty-seven
coins. | looked at the top one; it was Il
German piece, value twenty marks. l
took 1t TO the light and gazed upon it.
Across the profile OF Emperor William
III. | saw a mark which described true
square, and then | knew that the
Llama's curse at length had had effect.
Penny Pictorial Mapazine