The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-11
BY oPrE READ.

Dt 8ftS
Tom said he guessed Il would be ell
right when his luck changed. He was
most unIucky fellow. In the neizhb0rhood
was saying. las bad as Toms luck
Aad what philosopher an unlucky young
fellow is likely to be. ! know that some
men. and those. too. VINO profess to be
thinkers, have said that young fellows
belief in the ultimate change Of luck was
the leaping Of youth within him. but l
have known old men who. in resignation.
waited for change In the current Of
their fortunes. And the fact that a change
for the better Is one Of the rarest things
IN the world does not seem TO cool the
hope OF youth nor Of age Everybody
said that Toms case was hopeless And
to look at him you would never have
taken him to be so unlucky He was
handsome-there is no mistake on that
point-but the girls didn't take to him.
Once a grabbed woman reproached him
with It. and with his always flowing good
nature he replied: "Yes. that may be
true now-they don't seem to have auy
use for me. but II will be ali right when
my luck changes" The woman tossed
her contemptuous head: Luck change
{ y
uniucky and you never can change it,
How is the fine colt your uncle gave
your
''wen. don't know how 1t happened,
but he broke his leg and We had 10 kill
him"
The woman laughed. "And Il will al
ways be that way, Tom. My husband was
Just like you"
Don't you think" said Tom. with
twinkling eye, that he was still more
so?"
He was standing at the fence watching
the woman as she was sweeping the
yard. she lifted her broom and struck at
him. but il was q humorous blow. and did
him no harm. Take yourself Off she
commanded. You are enough TO provoke
saint"
This woman was getting ready for sum-
ner boarders. OF late years her luck had
undergone a change. When Pete Miller
that was her husband-when Pete died her
luck changed. and so did his. perhaps At
any rate the patronage of her Farm Home
began 10 improve, And this year her
boarders began to arrive early. and among
them was a stately woman with daugh-
ter. as handsome a creature as violet
ever leaned from behind rock to peep at
In envy. And her name was Violet OF
course II was Toms III luck TO meet her.
Men who had long ago forgotten how des-
perate Il is for a young fellow TO be stab
bed through the heart with a smear from
an eve. smiled when they saw HIM hang
ing about her. and particularly when they
saw that the mother gave him cold looks.
Tom stepped under a shed where a group
of men sat during a shower OF rain, ard
one fellow asked: How are you getting
along. Tom?'
Not very well. but 7 think II will be
all right whsn my luck changes. and
somehow am expecting it to change now
pretty soon"
II should think that Just about now is
when you would want q II change, said
a man. winking at q ncishbor
why. now more than at any other
timer" the neighbor asked. knowing full
well. and winking in his turn.
Tom turned upon him with an appealing
look. Gentlemen" said he, 81 know | In
nothing but a joke among you. but there
are some things little too sacred to be
joked about" He walked forth in the rain
and the men Uttered. all but one. a youth
in whose soul a candle was burning. and
ne followed Tom. and coming up beside
him. said:
I'm sorry Tom
Tom. without looking round. felt for his
hand, found it. and holding it, replied: "I
thank you. jim.
'Tom. I guess the trouble Hes IN the
fact that she's got money"
mo, it lies i'm the fact that my luck
hasn't changed yet
"But don't you believe il willf'
''Yes. when I forget her. that will be a
change. and it's the one that I'm praying
for Isn't il awful for man TO have been
born as / was, with everything against
| him-and then to have his own heart fin
| ish the matter by whitening up?''
Yes, it's as bad as anything could be.
| What are you going to do. Tom?"
81 have made up my mind TO go into the
army-to the Philippines
'AnG ! bet anything you come back a