The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-12-24
Her Unlucky
Day

away was the center OF all interested
group. She tipped her hat thought.
fully over one eye and then smiled at
those about her.
Il take 1t all back" she said cheer
July, about my not being supersti'
| tious I've become terribly supersti.
GUS, For instance, believe firmly
hat Wednesday. the I'D day of any
nunth, particularly September, is I'M
mcky How do know that particular
day is unlucky? Well, / have tale
| 10 unfold
You see, Anne Ridgeway. whom
was visiting, and had an Invitation
to big evening reception which we
would not have missed for anything
We passed the whole day getting
ready for the evening. Anne's new
gown and my lace confection were
such dreams that we had them sprea6
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, buslnessllke
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
wait for our taxicab so we shouldn't
waste any time that would be charged
up to us at so much a tick Presently
the machine whirred ZIP and we made
a dash for 1t. the porter sheltering us
with umbrellas. Anne got In first and
when her skirts and wraps were ad-
| justed I climbed in. 1t took me long
time to get rxed and then told the
driver the address.
He did not move. | repeated the
address and he turned on ME the most
surprised face ever saw. I'began to
| wonder n he were a millionaire author
In disguise collecting material for a
book and wanted an Introduction be.
| fore be escorted us on our way when
suddenly ] realized that something was
| pulling at my arm. looked down
and on the pavement stood 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 lifts my own, you know,
by this time was clnmbering out,
dragging Anne with me- Il was so en-.
ragged with the shrinking woman for
her delay that forgot to be even
Apologize, -ee
'''If II hadn't been raining I should
| have been tempted to slay her On the
spot AS 1t was we dashed for our
entrance and stood huddled there til
our own machine arrived. We were
a trtfe damp, but our spirits rose
Presently we rose. too-for the ear
struck a pile of paving material and
after sailing through the air landed
with crash that shock our carefully
arranged hair almost down and made
us clutch each other In terror. Turn.
ing the next corner we skidded into
lamp post 1t didn't hurt the lamp
post, but 1T effectuaily put an end to
the onward progress of that taxicab.
There we were sitting In that
wrecked machine on lonely corner
in the pouring rain while the still
muttering driver went to telephone
for another machine And time was
passing Anne nearly wep;.
The light from the street lamp 1T
us up and presently an electric cab
drew up alongside of us--and when
| saw the man who was In II Ifelt that
my lace dress was not wasted after
all He wanted to know II he might
be Of assistance and if we were at all
hart and II he couldn't take us where
We were going. For. suppose he
said, on second thought. Won we're go.
ing somewhere
"'Oh. no.! gurgled Historically
We put on our evening gowns and
had our hair done up this way for the
express purpose Of coming out to 81
under this street lamp In the rain'
Just As Anne began to explain that
was not actually deitented the fresh
taxicab came for us most inoppor.
timely SO we Mad 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 woman and
we all had to 60 to the police station.
Somehow a lace gown and satin
wrap make one seem rather over.
dressed in 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 was disappointed. Tor
I really had wanted to go to that re.
ception,
when we got out Of the police sta
ton 1t was midnight and so weshad' to