The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-08
A BONE OF CONTENTION.

A BONE OF CONTENTION.
a pyramid of bones. and among them
one Of such manifest destiny that ii at
tracted the eye as If by magic. 4 wicked
looking bone with handy legs and two
iI-shaped feet, an instrument of fate
endowed with strange power in love at
fairs, half-sister TO the horseshoe, that
weird bit of social demonology, chick
ems wish bone.
The fact is always emphasized when the
modern black art is practiced that tho
bone must belong TO chicken but as no
other fowl-nOt excepting the bird Of
America, the turkey-possesse such an
appendix. this distinction seems unnecess-
airy.
The bone on the pyramid was rescued
from destruction by the white fingers OF a
girl, who dressed it and hung over the
outside door. When it had been lodged
there an hour a man came in. He was
tall and as he came under the 'conjure
he brushed it with his head and dislodg-
ed it
We'll. you're it, laughed the girl, as
ne stopped and picked IL from the floor.
That is the first time you ever came
under the wishbone
VIII you break il with me, Nell? You
know l believe in it as an omen. We viii
both wish and the one that gets the
wish piece must tell the other what wish
was made
oh let's tell beforehand. Health and
prosperity is all I wish for. Am not
moderator
I wish" said the man, that we are
married at Christmas and live happy
ever"
That sounds like the ending of a dime
novel love story. See that We are not
even engaged, it would take stronger force
than that of a wish bone to marry US
Christmas
Nell VIII you marry nle2'
She had waited seven years for this. and
now that it had come il was most welcome
and it angered her that miserable chick
en- bone could supply an opportunity for
this laggard in love. a panorama of war
flashed across her horizon. the CLINT Of
arms, the fiutter of flags, soldier pro-
NOTED for bravery. then forgetfulness and
silence. She looked at the serious, stolid
face of the man as he stood holding the
arbiter Of human destinies between thumb
and f0rfinger, and decided:
Yes, David but please do not give your
chicken bone too much credit-you may
not get your wish after all.
IL went apart with a snap and David
had the long piece, and his satisfaction
over ii was immense.
"Well. it worked didn't It? We will
keep the pieces and they will bring US
good luck 1 have always had the great
est faith in wishbone Omens.
Yet it was necessary that it SHOULD
fall and strike you before you accepted
its dictum," suggested Nell.
A supeTstitious man is far more rabid
in his beliefs than one of the opposite sex,
Just as a man IN love is very much more
engrOssed by the tender passion. David
Wilson wrapped the bone of fate in a
tissue paper covering and laid it away
carefully among his cherished possessions
Nell dropped hers into her glove box,
wished the chicken that owned it had
never been born, rated herself for fool
and sat down to have a good cry.
Engaged TO David Wilson. Why. l
might as well be engaged to father And
all I'm doing it for is TO show Ransom
Hale that 1 am not breaking my heart
for him, even il he is wearing fine. new
shoulder straps. The mean thing, never
to write a word Oh, David, you super
stitious, good old. stupid, how will I
get YOU off my hands? Seven years of
acquaintanceship ought to count for some
thing. Oh, chicken bone, engine of des-
tiny how 1 hate you
And the next day when Captain Hale
called on Nell and asked her TO marry
him she consigned her chicken bone
wishes to perdition, while she made a
clean breast of her affair with David.
And what the Captain meant by holding
her in his arms while he heard her story
can easily be guessed. Then they went
into session as a committee of ways and
means to circumvent the plans of destiny
set in motion by that wish bone.
a week later David presented himself /
i'm state of abject depression. I've !
lost my luck" he said in crepe-edged |
tones.
Lost on a business DEAL suggested /
Neil, warily.
No. Lost my wish bone. I put 1t away /
carefully and now it cannot be found 1
high or low. It has disappeared as if by /
ma gle
And you are sure no one was in your
room?"
NO one but my washerwomsn. and /
don know what she wanted there. But /
she would have no object in stealing a I
wishbone.'
NO, and there would be no magic in a +
wishbone that would let itself be stolen. /
Oh. David that is bad omen. We must (
cali our enga cement off until you find it. /
Bad luck will follow if we persist IN dis
obeying the omen. We are up against /
it now"
II know it. / feel it in my bones" said 4
poor, victimized David, mournfullv. Nell, /
dear DO you think it possible that the
No Nell was shaking with laughter.
which by a desperate effort she changed
into nervous agitation. Il feel that ii
may mean warning. and we must obey,
we cannot throw ourselves against an
oracle. You see It was not intended that
we should marry.
The envoy of fate was never found, as
the wicked girl knew quite well il never
would be. for by her own scheme it was
distracted. So cleverly did she play on
The superstitious nature Of David that he
not only forgave her for marrying Cap
tain Hale but was himself at the we'd
ding as best man. But every now and
then he goes on still hunt after the