The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-11-12
FouR BLACK CATS.

The Story of the Way They Threw
 Down a Loving Couple Who Trusted | Them.
 We are more or less superstitious
 when it comes to black cats,' said a
 Well-known young man about town to a reporter, and l was one of the firmest believers in the black cat good luck superstition in Washington until a few days ago.
 'I had gotten tired of doing the same
 thing in my department over and over
 every day in the year, and, being a member of one of the learned profess
 ions, I decided to attempt to secure a
 transfer to another department where
 my training could be put to advantage
 to myself and incidentally to the gov
 ernment.
 ! am from a state where the senior
 senator is power in state and nation
 al politics; man almost unapproach- able by reason of his prominence, but
 who is personally one of the stanchest of friends to his friends, and whose recommendation usually carries, as 1t is seldom given. l happen to be one of hs friends.
 Next to myself, the person most in- terested in my ambition was my sweet heart. One night, about a month ago, on our return from the theatre, on her doorstep sat a jet black eat with white star on it's breast The cat fol- lowed uB in the house in the most friendly manner refused to go out until if w a tit,o Fo, r+, J followed me to the sidewalk My best girl in rhapsody of delight declared that it was ordained by the stars that l was to get my appointwent.
 TWO or three days later, on the eve of my departure for the great and wicked city which is my home. I step ped into a restaurant on Eleventh street for lunch. A cat as black as ink, with a white star on its breast, came in the door, walked right up to my table and remained there until I finished my meal. When I told my sweetheart about the eats visit when saw her that evening she had another spasm of delight, saying that defeat for me was impossible.
 T left for home about two weeks ago, and on the very first night of my arriv- al as 1 was leaving the hotel q big black cat with a white star on it's breast came out of the cafe and rubbed it's arched back against my shlns. I returned at once to the writing room and wrote my girl about it. I received by return mail letter of eighteen closely written pages, explaining that with the third black cat thus thrust in my pathway my appointment was inevitable and that she could hardly contain her joy.
 One day before I was to see the sen ator I stopped In Shanley's on Broad way for lunch. l was almost paralyzed with delight when the fourth black eat . came up to my table and pur- 'ed about my feet in the most friendly . manner.
 Need tell you that the sem tor was slndness and gfaciousness itself and auded my ambition to get up in the inc of my chosen profession? Need I f ay that the indorsements of my dis tict leader and congressional andidate md those of my professional friends were literally thrown at my head? Need f
 say that my sweetheart wrote me an | lay, telling me that I couldn't lose? Need I add that everything in the big ity l wanted came my way? Is 1t not dle to tell you that one Of the great nen who directs the councils of his aity and who Is a power therein nited with the senator in an indorse- nent which, had it been at the begin- ing of the administration, ought to ave given me an assistant secretary hip, and personally wished me luck
 And need l tell you that the cabinet hicer to whom l presented my papers fankly tod me that having no place acant he could not give me one? That had my trouble for my pains and that he four black cats threw me down ard? That my sWeetheart's nose and yes were Sc red from weeping that she ouldn't go to the theatre and that I ave for disposal the strongest set of which can be picked up n Pennsylvania avenue in an hours ak k|'-W Washington Evening Star.