Daily camera., 1901-01-09
CATS BROUGHT ILL LUCK.
Thiags Seemed to BE Coming His
Way Hat T!rrc .!~t Ea,e Been
One Cat iDu Many.

1--WE are more or less suspicious
when it comes to !tck ctas," SD Il
well-known youna ..ali aaout wn
to WASHINGTON stir =; .er. 'ai,I
l was one of the ii: mes %. iicvc il
the black cat tood ltieIt suV -. n
in Washington una few " 40.
IL had gotten tired of doing the
same thing in my department oNcr
and over every day in the year. and,
being a member of cfne of he learned
professions, | decided 10 attemp, 10
secure Il transfer 10 another de \ l.
ment. where my training could l. ut
to advantage to myself and incidental
ly to the government.
81 am from state where the senior
senator is a power in state and ma
tional politics: man almost unnp-
proachable by reason of his = =
incnce. but who is personally OIL af
the stanchcst of friends to his lends.
and whose recommendation usually
carries, as it is seldom given. | hap
pen to be one of his friends.
Next to myself, the person most
interested in my ambition was !,
sweetheart. One night al on: m nh
ago. on our return from the llfcg er.
on her doorstep sat jet b'a K cat
with a white star on its breast The
cat followed MS in the honse in The
most friendly manner. refused tc
out until il was time for m,
M rti nd fA1I
sidewalk. My best girl. in a RIM 81
Of delight. declared that it was or
dained by the stars that | was to get
my appointment.
1.-Two or three days later, on the
eve of my departure for the great and
wicked city which is my home. |
stepped into a restaurant on Eleventh
street for lunch. A ca. as black rs
ink. with "A white star on its breast.
came in the door walked right W 10
my table, and remained there uu.il |
finished my meal. When | told ny
sweetheart about the cats visit On
saw her that evening. she lad ar
other spasm of delight ;. ng that
defeat for me was imposs..
II left for home about two wefk ks
ago. and on the very first night nr
my arrival, as ! was leaving the Gtsl.
a big black cat with a white star on
its breast came out of the cafe ard
rubbed its arched back against IN,
shins. ! returned al once TO the "rit-
ing-room and wrote my girl abort il.
/ received by return mail letter cf
is closely written pages expla,ri
that with the third black cat ius
thrust in my pathway my appoint
ment was inevitable. and that She
could hardly contain her joy
"On the day before | was TO see II.
senator | stopped at Shanley's. On
Broadway. for lunch. I was paralvzed
with delight when the fourth black
cat suddenly came up to my table and
Purred about my feet in the most
friendly manner.
Need tell you that the senator
was kindness and gracousness itself.
and lauded my ambition to get up in
the line of my chosen profession
Need | say that the Endorsements Of
my district leader and congressional
candidates and those of nv profes-
sional friends were literally thrown
At my head? Need ! say that nv
sweetheart wrote me an is -ave
double-lined letter every dav. reii =
me that ! couldn't lose? Need ! :,
that everything in the big city I
wanted came my way? Is il not Id'e
TO tell YOU that one of the grea: men
who directs the councils of his party.
and who is a power therein united
With the senator in an indorsemeu.
which. had it been al he beginning of
the administration, ought to have
given me an assistant secretar, ship,
and perhaps wished me luck?
"And need tell you that the cabinet
officer to whom | presented my pa
pers frankly told me that having no
places vacant he could not give me
one? That ! had my trouble for nv
pains. and that the four black cats
threw me down hard? That my sweet
hearts nose and eyes were 80 red
from weeping that she could not 90 to
the theater. and that I have for dis
posal the strongest set Of indorse-
ments which can be picked up on
Pennsylvania avenue In an hours
walk ?"