The Tupelo journal., 1909-12-17
Her Unlucky
Day

The young wonlan WHO had been
away was the center Of an interested
group. She tipped her hat Thought
fully over one eye and then smiled at
those about her.
Il take it all back" she said cheer
fully, about my not being supersti-
tious. I've become terribly supersti-
tious! For instance, | believe firmly
that Wednesday, the 22d day of any
month, particularly September, is un-
lucky. How do / know that particular
day is unlucky? Well, I have. a tale
to unfold.
"You see, Anne Ridgeway, whom l
was visiting, and ] had an invitation
to a big evening reception which we
would not have missed for anything.
eve passed the whole day getting
ready for the evening. Anne's new
gown and my lace confection were
such dreams that we had them spread
out all afternoon Just SO we could
look at them and realize more for
chilly the tremendous sensation we
were going to create.
"Well, toward evening it began to
pour rain in a steady, business-like
way, but we had ordered a taxicab
anyhow.
when we were dressed Anne sug-
gested that we go down into the en-
trance of the. apartment building and
,--a.+ fo, 49,, ~ yiooh co yyn chNllldn't
waste any time that would be charged
UP to us at so much a tick. Presently
the machine whirred up and we made
a dash for it, the porter sheltering us
with umbrellas. Anne got in first and
when her skirts and wraps were adj
justed | climbed in. 1t took me a long
time to get fixed and then told the
driver the address.
'IIe did not move. I repeated the
address and he turned on me the most
surprised face l ever saw. | began to
wonder if he were a millionaire author
in disguise collecting material for a
book and wanted an introduction be-
fore he escorted us OF our way when
suddenly | realized that something was
pulling at my arm. l looked down
and on the pavement stood a small,
shrinking little woman.
What do you want?' cried sharp
ly, for she had frightened me.
Excuse me-I'm sorry she gasped
in a GREATNESS sort of way, "but you
know you're in my machine. / was
just coming out when you and your
friend dashed ahead of me and got
in. Tits my own, you know
"By this time I was cianbering out,
dragging Anne with me. l was so en-
ragged with the shrinking woman for
her delay that I forgot to be even
Apologize.
eff it hadn't been raining I should
have been tempted to Stay her on the
spot. As it was we dashed for our
entrance and stood huddled there till
our own machine arrived. We were
a trihe damp. but our spirits rose.
~|"Presently wearose, too-for the car
struck a pile of Spaving material and
after sailing through the air landed
with a crash that shook our carefully
arranged hair almost down and made
Us clutch each other in terror. Turn
ing the next corner we skidded into
a lamp post. 1t didn't hurt the lamp
post, but it effectually put an end to
the onward progress of that taxicab.
There we were sitting in that
wrecked machine on a lonely corner
in the pouring rain while the still
muttering driver went to telephone
for another machine. And time was
passing. Anne nearly wept.
''The light from the street lamp lit
us up and presently an electric cab
drew up alongside of us-and when
| saw the man who was in it | felt that
my lace dress was not wasted after
all. He wanted to know if he might
be of assistance and if we were at all
hurt and if he couldn't take us where
we were going. For, l suppose he
said, on second thought, you were 60
ing somewhere?
"'Oh, no!' l gurgled Historically.
I'VE put on. our evening gowns and
had our hair done up this way for the
express purpose of coming out to sit
under this street lamp in the RANT
Just as Anne began to explain that
/ was, not actually demented the fresh
taxicab came for us most inoppor-
timely. So we had to abandon the
lovely man with the electric and start
out for the third time in our machine.
/. felt depressed.
ITO cut my wonderful tale short,
this new driver took us six blocks in
the wrong direction and then by way
OF apology ran down a woman and
we all had to go to the police station.
Somehow a lace gown and a satin
wrap make one seem rather oyer
dressed in a police station. Anne's
puffs and hair waves. seemed to create
interest, too. We certainly couldn't
complain at not being the center of
attraction, but I was disappointed, for
I really had wanted to go to that re-
ception.
when we got out of the police sta
ton it was midnight and SO we had to
go home. If WI had gone to the re-
cention then people would have
thought we Just came for something
to eat. Nothing will ever convince