The Red Cloud chief., 1901-09-13

destined for. TIE instant possession
OF either of these Ivy the person cursed
would mean immediate destruction.
Nor was this all-thc coins might
not come to us as brass cash they
might come to us us n kopeck piece,
or as Il roublc: as marks or pfennigs,
as francs or confines. as anything.
wherever we might he. We should
never know when they were coming:
We should take them in the ordinary
way: we should handle them, but only
for II moment; the next moment
we should he dead
One day Tom sent for me. and Il
was To tell me that he was going to
he married. This struck me as some
thing peculiar, for | had thought Tom
Morton was one of the last men likely
To fail in love. The wedding duly
came off, everybody was pleased. and
Tom and his bride went way to the
south of France. A few more weeks
rolled by and Tom returned. There
was TO he Il reception ut their Lon
don house. and the invitation which
was sent me was one which l could
not well refuse.
In the evening I had the opportun-
lty of n chat with Tom. We had
gone out Oh he balcony, which over
looked the garden, and there ! pur-
pOscly made reference to the super
stiiion when he had for the Liama's
coin.
Perhaps" said 7. "now that you
have gone unscathed all these years.
you are beginning TO lose faith I'm the
potency of that prophecy"
well to tell the truth" said Tom,
II am getting n little shaky about
II, aud when one begins TO reason.
superstition on any subject is likely
To get Knocked out. 1t has struck
me TINT after all 1t may he but mere
foolcry."
We entered the room once more.
hut | was dying for n smoke. and.
making some cxcuse. l slipped away
tn the smoke room. had been sit
ting 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 everybody about II. and. of
curse, they are all laughing, and the
worst Of It all Is that she is laugh
ing with them ut me. But come.
come. old fellow, I want to show you
something"
l rose. threw my cigarette end away.
and followed him. We went along
the corridor to the drawing-room,
which was crowded. and v as we
entered ! heard Mrs. MOrton's voice.
Il really do believe 1t will be such
fun" she was saying. Here comes
Tom, and now we will try. A coin.
II you please. from each OF you. Let
me see-how many are there here?-
twenty-six. good! then I wan twenty
six coins"
"NOw, Tom" she said. take OFF
that wrctched glove ana let us DEM
Onstratc that you can touch money
with your ungloved hand"
Tom was pale, and I saw his brow
shining with p~erspiratlon. lie NUT
tered something, but what 1t was was
lost In the laughter and banter which
went around the room. With n quick,
impulsive movement, lie drew Off his
right glove.
well" he said, md I saw his lips
wreathe into a hard, unmlrthful
smile, II will take the coins just
to show you that / nm 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 that?"
He looked ut me. and I saw how
He said nothing to me, but merely
turned to his wife with the whisper:
eco on
"Twenty-one, twenty-five. twenty
three, twcnty-four. twenty-five, twen-
iy-six, twenty-seven-"
''Twenty-seven." l cried. what Is
that. there are only twenty.six peO-
pie here, there Is u mis-" But I
could get no further. Iom had stag
gcred back. his body shrunken In size.
He fell to the floor. A death-llke
silence fell over the assemblage. l
strobe Yer TO my friends PROSTATE
form.
Tom was dead ana cold. and in his
right hand there We're twenty seven
was n German piece, value twenty
marks. l took II to the light and
gazed upon It,. Across the profile of
Emperor william II. l saw a mark
which described a true square, and
then I knew that I.lama's curse at
length had had cffect.-Penny Pic