The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-14

upon himself but upon the innocent victim
of his affections. The young lady who had
won my heart was worthy of a better fate.
At first she did not look kindly upon me,
for my exterior is not calculated to charm
the eye. | am as graceful rs a ~two-weeks-
old calf, and have the same disar essing
habit of falling over my W feet. / saw
that | could never win her, and yet l did
not cease to regard her with respectful ten
derness, and a deep interest in her welfare.
l earnestly hoped that she would meet some
better man that | was, and learn to love
him. and be happy.
just here was where the hoodoo began to
take hold. The reader must understand
that this baleful influence is exerted only
over those for whom its pOssessor has
kindly feelings. and the more anxious he is
that good should befall them, the more per-
sistently are they haunted by the specter of
hard luck. Thus in my love affairs. as soon
rs | reached that pinnacle of unselish de-
votion whore | could sincerely hope that
she would escape the misfortune of loving
me, the hoodoo began to do its melancholy
office, and her heart warmed to me. For her
own good, / endeavored to discourage this
growing affection, and, of course, the fate
which always thwarts my designs was
against me here. In a few short weeks I
could not help seeing that her heart was
wholly mine. All, my dear sir, you have nc
idea of the bitterness of winning a girl by
the simple force of an inherited hoodoo. I
could not stand it: l fled from her-fed
to the west, and joined the Chicago COM
mittee on the Worlds fair.
During these years my small patrimony
had been slowly melting away. My own
efforts had largely contributed to lessen it,
and l saw poverty staring me in the face.
My own expectations were centered in an
aged relative who lived in New Jersey, but
who, i'll other matte 8. WAS reputed to be
we'll off. He had made a will in my favor,
as an induce1nent to longevity. Insthis
document l was made the sole heir on the
condition that | should inherit the New
Jersey homestead. had been told that 1t
was a comfortable place. and while had
help rejecting that he was over 10 years of
age, and in feeble health. However, he
lived persistently during the years while I
waited for his estate. But one day | went
over and looked at the place whore / he'd
agreed to abide when my relative should
nent | prayed that he might live to be II
hundred or even more if it should be nee
essay. Anything was preferable to living
in the desolate wilderness where he had
made his home.
From the day when this change of senti-
ment took place III my mind my relatives
health rapidly declined. and within three
weeks he had passed to his reward.
4 he will was read, and nothing remained
but for me to take possession of my New
Jersey estate. | boarded the boat with u
heart SO heavy that the captain had to shift
the ballast whenever l moved from ono
side to the other.
"Why," Thought I. "should | calmly SUBJ
init to this? The Hudson rolls beneath me,
calm, and COOL. and yellow. A plunge, and
all is over. | shall Inconvenience nobody,
FOR they never stop IA ferryboat for such a
little matter us Il man overheard"
| stood by the rail rejecting deeply.
Slowly | drew II nickel from my pocket aud
prepared to make nv final decision. Tails.
n watery gave: heads. New Jersey. !
turned the nickel over and over in my
hands, and finally laid it on the rail. The
suspense was awful. Slowly l removed my
hand, and cast my eyes upon the coin.
Just my internal luck again, Heads, New
Jersey!
The really important portion of the man
IiScrilt GllS lArn u:na aaaaL atlas4al L.