The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-01
ALL SIGNS FAILED.

|
1--WE are more or less superstitious
| when 1t comes to black CATS said a
| well known young man about town. land
/ | was one of the firmest believers in the
/ black cat and good luck superstition in
| Washington until few days ago
Il had gotten tired of doing the same
| ting in my department over and over
! every day in the year, and, being MEM
Der of one of the learned professions,
decided to attempt to secure a transfer
| to another department, where my train
/ ing could be put to advantage to myself
| and incidentally to the government.
am from a state where the senior
| senator is a power in state and national
! po,.,ics; man almost unapproachable by
reason of his prominence but who is per-
sonally one of the stanchest of friends to
] his friends, and whose recommendation
| usually carries, as it is seldom given. /
| happen to be one of his friends.
Next to myself, the person most in
I terested in my ambition was my sweet
| heart. One night about a month ago, on
| our return from the theater, on her door
step sat jet-black cat with white star
on its breast. The cat followed us into
the house in the most friendly manner.
refused to go out until it was time for
my departure, and then followed me to
the sidewalk. My best girl, in a rhapso-
ly of delight, declared that it was ordain-
ed by the stars that [ was to get my APP
pointment.
Two or three days later, on the eve
of my departure from the great and
wicked CITY WHICH Is my NOME, L step
ped into a restaurant on Eleventh street
for a lunch. A cat black as ink,
| with white star on it's breast, came in
at the door, walked right up to my table
and remained there until | had finished
my meal When 1 told my sweetheart
about the cats visit when | saw her
| that evening, she had another spasm OF
delight. saying that defeat for ME was
impossible.
81 left my home about two weeks ago,
and on the very first night of my arrival
as l was leaving the hotel big black
cat with a white star on its breast came
back against my shins. I returned at
once to the writing room and wrote my
girl about it. received by return mail
letter of eighteen closely written pages
explaining that with the third black cat
thus thrust in my pathway my appoint,
ment was inevitable, and that she could
hardly contain her joy.
ION the day before ] was to see the
senator L stopped Broadway for a
lunch l was almost paralyzed with de-
| light when a fourth black cat came up to
my table and purred about my feet in
| the most friendly manner.
Need l tell you that the senator was
| kindness and graciousness itself, and
| lauded my ambition to get up in the line
! of my chosen profession? Need l say
| that the Endorsements of my district lead
| er and congressional candidate ard those
| of my professional friends were literally
| thrown at my head? Need [ say that
| my sweetheart wrote me an eighteen
| page, double-lined letter every day, tell
| ing me that 1 couldn't lose? Need I add
| that everything in the big city wanted
came my way? Is it not idle to tell you
| that one of the great men who directs
| the councils of his party and who is a
power therein united with the senator in
| an Endorsement which, had it been at the
| beginning of the administration, ought
| to have given me an assistant secretary
| ship, and personally. wished me luck?
And need l tell you that the cabinet
| officer to whom | presented my papers
| frankly told me that having no places
| vacant, he could not give me one? That
! / had my trouble for my pains, and that
| the four black cats threw me down hard?
| That my sweetheart's nose and eyes were
so red from weeping that she couldn't
| go to the theater. and that l have for
| disposal the strongest set of Endorsements
| which can be picked up on Pennsylvania
avenue in an hours walk ?'-W ashington
| Star.