Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-14

gested that it be put in the safe over
night and photographed at an early hour
the next day. In burst of friendly con-
fidence l told the story of its life with
the result that my propositpu was re-
jected with gentle firmness. 4ly false friend
absolutely refused to be connected with
the enterprise in any way. My relations
with the next photographer were of
purely business nature, and 1 called at the
appointed time for the pictures. The clerk
who waited on me apologized for the re-
suits, which he said for some reason were
not satisfactory, although several negatives
had been made. In fact, they were utterly
useless for illustrative purposes. and I was
forced to try elsewhere. The third artist
was sure he could satisfy me, and asked
me to call the day after tomorrow" l
did. The proprietor had been under the
weather since my first visit but hoped to
have my pictures in a day or So l al
lowed a days grace and called again. The
proprietor was in and greeted me with a
wan smile of apology: he was pale and ap-
peared upset AS he tied up my bundle
saw that his left hand was bandaged. Had
little fire last night in the chemical ROOM"
he said, noticing my look. Am sorry to
have disappointed YOU he continued. but
l was laid up for few days, and my dog
has required considerable attention; in fact
she had a fit the day you came In and
has had one every day since. An entirely
new turn for her"
The dog, a silky brown spaniel was ly-
ing on sunny spot near the window and
looked up on nearing It's name in q way
that only a sick dog can. | left the place
with feeling of personal responsibility.
However, l had the photographs, and had
tried 1t on the dog. The firm to whom
intrusted the manuscript of this nara tive
to be typewriter had a difference with
member of the force who did the work
the exact nature Of the trouble | do not
know. and the next day he was open for
an engagement I understand he is on his
way to Cuba at the present writing, where
/ | hope he does not finale with fever.
took the hoodoo to the Chinesaslegatio
in Washington to have the inscription
translated The gentlemanIy Interpreter
did so with pleasure. He looked at 1t for
moment and L awaited the fateful words
with Impotence. Then he smiled politely
and begged that / would excuse him. He
opened his desk and after a few minutes
| handed me formal statement duly seal
ed, to the effect that the inscription relat ed
10 "a special brand Of tea that is presented
to the emperor. Which proves nothing.
Everybody Afraid of 1t.
A humorous writer whose work is extern
sively copied said he knew I hadn't meant
any harm but he would have given So If 1
had not put the thing on his desk. He
| didn't believe in it, but it just gave him
something unpleasant to think about and
| would probably upset a story, which would
| be bad luck enough. 1t was just case of
! nerves with him. Another representative
! newspaper man wouldn't even look at the
| image. Theater managers We're unfavor-
| ably impressed by it, and one of them very
! seriously told me a long story of how p
| horseshoe brought bad luck to his family .
and l finally disposed of the whole matter
| by presenting the image to the National
| Museum, where IT now rests in an obscure
corner with fetiches and objects of super
stition.
| 1t is a notable fact that those who were
willing to receive the image, without an
| exception, did with an air of bravado
and something of the spirit that when I
| was a boy would possess enc of the more
| valiant of our number to take a short cut
| in the twilight through the country church
| yard on a dare" AS 1 said before, only
| about three out of ten We're apparently
| inclined to smile at the whole idea away
and to belittle my experiment you can put
| yourself down as being one of them