Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-21
ROSE MELVILLE BELIEVES
IN MAGIC CHARMS.

The press agent sat in the mana
gers Office with his feet hoisted up
on the managers desk. The manager
was frowning a little for he was a
practical sort of a man and although
he was in the show business he dis
claimed any tendency toward super
stition, and the press agent and the
rival advance man who had dropped
in casually had been talking about
signs" and dream-books and other
uncanny things. The manager was
MT bit superstitious. but he did ad-
NIT that he wouldn't walk under a
ladder and that every time he met a
cross.eyed man he turned his hat
around three times before he began
any business. Also he found 1t in
convenient TO go anywhere on a Fri
day and he was always careful not
to break mirror.
I'm not much on the superstitious
business myself as personal matter"
said the press agent retrospectively
rolling a cigarette. but there did
something happen over in Buffalo dur
ingAhe Pan American that kind of
gave me hunch on the sign business.
broke into that burg on the Niagara
frontier with a couple of hundred dol
lars in my pocket and a swelled idea
of having about two weeks of comfort
and | got it. for | knew lot of fel-
lows there and out at the Pan show
| found some of the boys boosting
along the Midway shows, so things
were easy. One afternoon In the
Streets of Cairo where LIE Belle Rose
and Fatima and lot of other fairies
were wriggling. there was d little two
by-four stand bossed by an Arab who
looked as If he might have been guilty
of stealing Charley Ross or hitting
Billy Patterson. He sold trinkets and
charms and hoodoo things generally
and he had capper there who broke
his English all up into little bits when
he talked. He told the people that
this old fellow was wizard and could
do things and that he had charms
which would make you spell Fate with
a little f. Oh, yes; | bought one;
love charm which was guaranteed to
make any woman leave her happy,
happy home. got interested in the
old fellow and hung around there
quite bit One day he pulled out
dirty bag and offered me the bum
miest looking turquois you ever saw
1t was about the size of my little fin
ger nail and was the deadest dead
turquois will die just like people and
they get dull and dirty looking then.
Well, this old child of the desert told
me that this turquois was charmed,
that 1t had belonged to some old-time
Egyptian who was king wizard and
did stunts with the stars and that he
had put spell on the stone so that
1t would protect It's owner, provided
the owner was the right sort of a per-
son. He offered 1t to me on easy
terms and said that II after three days
1t did not brighten up that | wasn't
the right one and must bring 1t back
to him and he would return the mon
ey. Wasn't that good' Well, had
been to country fairs before once or
twice and | never participate in shell
games. 30 l passed up the ancient
Arab much 10 his distinguished dis
gust. That same afternoon Rose Mel
Vile came into the Street, and, to
make long story short. went up
against their charm agent and he
showed her the turquois. She was
little backward at first but he told |
her Its story and assured her she
would get her money back II the stone
did not come to life In three days, and |
she bought 1t. Besides what did Rose |
care for few dollars when |
she had such a good thing as isis
Hopkins" to draw ON, anyway Well.