The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-09
THE EVENING STORY
Katrina's Fortune.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay. }

Katrina's Fortune.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)
| Katrina was a young girl, and she
was one of the fifty employees in
necktie factory. She was the only girl
in the place whose wages did not have
to go toward the support of the fam
ter dressed than the others. but she
| had superior education. There
were some girls who called her Miss
Highly and said she was setting her
| cap for big game, but would get left,
and there were others that said if she
would only have her fortune told she
would be sure of a happy future.
All the other girls in the factory had
| mad their fortunes told-Some of them
| four times overland all except one
ton was a girl named Ida. She had
! doubted the old woman's ability to
read the future. and in return had
been told that she would marry a leg
| less man who would turn on the gas
some night and both would be found
| dead in the morning. 1t was that one
particular thing that vexed the rest
of the girls-katrina would not go to
the old woman who told fortunes for
| fifteen cents. If girl had only ten
she could pay the balance on the in
| stalment plan, but she must pay or
expect bad luck.
|
tested Katrina. cit is all silly nom
sense. What is to come will come
| but maybe you are going to marry
a hero
at my mother. She has to bring the
| ice and coal Up five flights of stairs,
and there are times when father comes
home and beats her."
The old woman heard that Katrina
| was an unbeliever, and it worried her.
| She wanted that 15 cents, and she
wanted to keep the confidence of the
other girls. So, after waiting in vain
for the girl, she went to the boss of
| the shop and said:
you must prepare for disaster. You
have a girl who does not believe in
fortune telling. If you keep her here
something bad must happen
| But maybe I do not believe in it
myself he replied.
| "Then it is SO bad that you will be
ruined. Any night you may expect a
| fire"
rs Katrina the grip"
"She is the one"
| at do not want any trouble with
you, and so shall speak to her.
The next day he called the girl to
| him after she had eaten her lunch and
said to her:
| "You are never late and never SICK
and you do your work to please me,
but you do not believe in fortune tell
| ing. Because of that the old woman
|
| Do you wish me ill?"
"Oh, no, no. but how can I believe
| in such nonsene?''
| "You must go to her or 1 shall have
to let you go. I can not have my bust
Then viii go. but I will believe
| In such nonsense ?"
| That afternoon it became known all
| through the shop that Katrina was to
| have her fortune told and at night a
score of girls accompanied her to the
| old woman's. The cards were shuf-
| fed, the lines of her palm examined,
and then she was told
I'm few days you will meet
young man. He will fall in love with
you. He will prove to be a hero, and
in time you will marry him. 1t is so
written in your palm, and the stars will
have it SO. 1t is better to marry hero
than a rich man. A hero can not lose
his money and bring his wife to pow
erty. That is all. Destiny has spoken"
Katrina went home believing not a
word of it, though she took care not 20
say so to the girls. Her mother. too,
said 1t was all nonsense, and her father
gave her a cuff on the ear.
Katrina" the boss said to her, the
next day, 81 thank you, and increase
saved me from ruin, and as long as
there is work you shall have some to
do. Even after you marry your hero
you can work here"
On the way home one night a few
days later, Katrina was accosted by a
young man who was searching the
streets for lost dog. He did not re-
move his cap, and he said ''youse'' for
you, and she knew that he could not be
the hero the old woman meant. She
told her mother and her mother said he
was probably some tough guy and
hadn't lost no dog" AS far as she
knew. heroes didn't go around looking
for lost dogs. They went around with
J-eIx g.. r,Ir-
women and children from fourth story
windows.
The next evening, at the same spot
the young man accoSted Katrina again.
He wanted to know if ''youse' had seen
a white bulldog wandering around, and
when the girl refused to answer him he
walked by her side and said:
TITS a case of love at first sight wild
me. It's the first time I ever knowed
what palpitation of the heart was
you go on or I'll call a COP" threat
ened the girl.
"If one comes I'll bust his head for
him. It took four of 'em the last time
to make me lay down.
Katrina stopped to look at him If
he had fought four policemen then he
was d hero-the hero the old woman
had told her about. Even her own
father, in fighting one cop. had got the
worst of it. He looked tough. but didn't
all heroes look that way? She had
never seen one and couldn't say.
"And I sassed one of the Toombs
judges said the young man as they
continued on their way.
Think Of the daring of it! Her father
had simply cried when arraigned.
And had pull that kept me out o
Sing Sing"
Katrina told her mother about it, and
her mother looked doubtful and replied:
Maybe the old woman was right. II
you have to marry a hero and go away
don't know what I shall do"
On the third evening the young man
introduced himself as Billy. On the
fourth he invited Katrina to go to a
moving picture show. On the fifth she
went On the sixth it was to a dance.
in walking home from the dance at I'll
o'clock in the morning Billy said
Use got fifty plunks laid away to