"I cay'? make one of a party of thirteen," he exclaimed; "ome of us will be sure to die within a week."
Thus spoke barber Jacob Gross, of Batavia, on the 12th of November last. The occasion. was a dinner party. When the guests were all seated Gross noticed that there were thirteen at table.
others tried to laugh him out of his superstition, but he insisted that he would not eat as one of the company of thirleun. A fourteenth guest was therefore udded to the number.
"Now we're safe," said Gross, and the festivities proceeded, Gross bourded at a hotel in Batavia, Ten days later the hotel was burned to the ground. The next morning the body of a man was found in the rains. It was the body of barber Gross.
Now, this is a curious thing to happen, certainly; but is it more than that? Do' you believe there is anything in the common notion that thirteen is an unlucky mimper? lay of the week 3th of the te, and on Friday as_on any other week day.' You wouldn't refuse to take thirteen eggs for a dozen if your grocer insisted on it, neither do you have more bad luck on Friday than on any other day of the seven, No, no, it's all humbug and nonsense. Barber Gross's superstition had nothing under the sun to do with his death. Besides, he dined as one of four-tee it persons, not thirteen, Don't be silly.
Understand this: Nature indulges in no senseless tricks. She kills ren without hesitation for violating the laws of life, but not
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.