Show superstitious NOT A BIT carrying his usual evening burden of mutton chops for dinner and grass seed for the front lawn colonel george barry badry of penitence park embarked disembarked dis from his train just in time to see thad enterprising suburbs one borea cari car which runs whenever the horse too tired pulling out from the station A stern chase is a long chase but the colonel not being a one legged veteran of the war managed to overhaul the departing conveyance and projected himself inside with such force as to discompose seriously a small stranger who was in the act of cham changing cing his seat apologies being offered and accepted the two sat down together and the stranger opened conversation in abath a rath er unusual strain me sir but are you superstitious ious not particularly said the colonel starting a little do I 1 look as if X were oh no no quite the contrary axy is in fact I 1 perceive that you wear an opal ring on your left hand worn it tor for two years and it chasn t brought me any ill III luck yet ah yes sighed the little man we never can tell when evil is coming my brother bought an opal ring once onca and a week later had his hand cut off chance pure chance said colonel barry barrk glancing at his jewel with what might have been regarded as an uneasy had not his tone been so emphatic doubtless it would appear so to some people I 1 take it that youre entirely free from all concern in such matters 1 entirely all foolishness you dont mind walking under a ladder not unless its in th the e act of falling down dont you believe in the ill III luck ol 01 0 breaking a mirror well mirrors cost money a fact im not joking sir air said add the stranger mournfully are you one of those persons who would rush madly into inlo peril by crossing a funeral procession 1 I want to get run down by a hearse if what youre driving at does the howling of a dog at night cause yop no uneasiness you bet it does or of a mt cat either keetsie Ke epsie awake how about fridays are you strong strone on that question would wid you start an important enter enterprise pose on a friday it if there was money in it and the ship started that day id sail aj the klondike on friday well linvell sir said the stranger solemnly 1 I dont know who you are leit you look like a good man you tou may have buve a fall family aily loved oue onea 3 who look to you for or support and affect affection iop alq anflic while I 1 dont want to shake your sab I 1 I 1 m T fel hound boudo fa to tell you sir that you axe are in a to make the boldest tremble p here the stranger leaned forward abed gazed sadly at colonel barry bant and a warning hand on his knee with no thrilling an emphasis emph isis that the well known suburbanite felt his nerves jump quickly recovering himself he said look hare are you in the amulet business my interest is purely altruistic sir replied the small man my heart aches at bour peril I 1 once had a grandmother now pardon me interposed the colonel clonel ol onel firmly but I 1 decline to have your grandmothers fate dangled before doreme me if you want to explain what you vou mean by your extraordinary remarks why go ahead do you ride often on this line asked the stranger in a long career of commuting ad knitted the suburbanite this Is the first time ive ever seen a horse car within gunshot of an incoming train and this one was escaping as fast as it could then you doubtless failed to notice that the car to is no 18 no is it exclaimed colonel barry with very like discomposure and if count up the passengers continued the other find we are just IS 13 and I 1 was the last one on muttered dihe ate variant valiant colonel you were agreed the apostle of a moreover over today is friday well it the anyway 1 WO no taut but you must be aware amare that for a man to wear an opal on friday to is of itself flying in the aaice of Providen toe dont know anything of the hie sort 19 snapped napped colonel barry fid getting in his seat furthermore the horse Is a a white horse and is driven by a redheaded red ted headed driver which is sufficient clent to doom the entire load of passengers ive got company then said the colonel swallowed hard but the rest of us are not so ao badly off as you As for myself I 1 am the seventh son of a seventh son con and I 1 have my fingers crossed not no t to mention the matter of a rabbits foot and a dried horse chestnut which I 1 carry in nay pocket that insures me against harm ham but even at that I 1 think of wearing an opal ring on friday what are you trying ing to do with your fingers nothing said the colonel fiercely ive got a cramp in them I 1 oh I 1 thought perhaps you were taking precautions the middle finger should go over the first fingers yes yea very well quite interesting very remarked the suburbanite but there was not heartiness in his tone and he did not ago to 0 the trouble tro oble of unraveling hla his fro t ts tm to complete the count of your ill coincidences I 1 beg pardon barlou did you speak something in my throat go on theres a crow cross eyed girl on the corner chols been trying to look at you over ever since you got on the evil eye ebe is an ancient superstition but my ule not going to get off are you muttering something about the air in the car being close the colonel c clasped 1 a ped his packages to his bosom and belld j j out upon the platform followed by lift his informant yes ti that gargul gar person its very curious cur lotis how these things influence our live some mysterious iou 1 I attribute of matter or events brings to us ua or warns uis ii against evils emills Is 10 that a gravestone grav eatone by th tho way wayside sidel no tt it shouted colonel barry goad day vo you kad and I 1 hope never to meet you again i As ft a matter of fact the colonel was still some distance from his cross road but he preferred to walk the rest of the way perhaps he was a little shaken in neva and then chehad he had forgotten a curve in the track and just as he was swinging off the car jerked on the curve his foot slipped and he plunged at some length into one of those large puddles which furnish a basis for penitence parks claims to be considered a watering place out flew his mutton chops in one direction while his grass seed scattered the material for a lawn in the middle of the port chester pike colonel barry emerged very much of a wreck and it if he had had a gun he would have cheerfully stood trall trail for the murder of the stranger who from the rear platform of the car shouted 1 I warned you of it but you refused to believe it was the opal and as the car rattled away his diminishing accents prattled of death and destruction and disaster mingled with ISs and cross eyed girls and redheaded red headed men who drive white horses on friday trips having gathered up the mutton chops colonel barry proceeded a very sodden relic of the spruce commuter who had started out in the morning the dog of his neighbors the Tow To sers refused to recognize him and rushing out bit him on the calf of one leg and liked that so well that it bit him on the ankle of the other at the door mrs barry met him with ascending hands deorge Se orge she cried Some things happened to you youve fallen down and eyes of dismay no sald said colonel barry bitterly as he dripped mud on his own front porch what makes you think that and oh george are those the mutton chops what can I 1 ever do with them make mud pies out of them growled the colonel im so glad youve got home because ive been awfully worried about you today a bird flew right into the library and lighted on the bookcase about your picture it gave me such a chill I 1 know it was silly but I 1 help it arent you a little bit superstitious yourself just a little mrs barry was greatly surprised and grieved at the emphasis with which the colonel emitted one explosive monosyllable monosyllabic word then he went up to make himself presentable mrs barry now tells her friends that the colonel is the most man that ever lived and that even the mere gentl mention on of a superstition puts him completely out of patience but she know why new york sun |