The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-01
SUCH A THING AS LUCK

Other passengers were disem bark
ing. They streamed out the front
door while the Incoming ones charged
on the vacated seats from the rear.
At the conductors watning cry Al
drich got up, still rubbing his eye.
and hastened down the aisle.
On the door 1t occurred to him
that he had forgotten hts overcoat.
which would never have happened
had II not been for the cinder. He
turned back TO get IT, He did not
know that his seat had already been
pre-empted by a young man who had
dropped suit case and bag into
1t and placed strikingiy pretty
young woman beside them with tho
words;
Keep watch of the truck, sis, while
see II there's parlor car"
Aldrieh almost forgot the hurt in
his eye as he reached for the over
coat and said: Il beg your pardon
He got no further The gioved
hands of the girl closed on the
whisking garment What are you
doing with my brothers coat" she
asked. coldly.
But it isn't" replied the surprised
lawyer It's mine, please" he added
as thee ngine bell tolled.
The girl simply frightened her grip.
II suppose those are yours indicat-
Ing the bags which had rested
against the coat.
No. have my bag. But I forgot
the coat"
He jerked gently. The train had
started to move.
His antagonist, who was more than
twenty. braeed herself and ierked in
turn. Aldrich. caught unawares,
banged against the metal arm of the
seat Other passengers began TO mo-
tice the controversy The lawyer was
hotiy aware that amused faces were
turned iii his direction.
Strange you should forget your
coat and not your bag" said the girl
with meaning scorn. Her cheeks
we're glowing and she was handsomer
than ever. And equally strange
that Ii should be black. siik-lined and
silk faced, just like my brothers."
Aldrieh looked out of the window
despairingly. The train was, well
under way: the snow covered land
scape was slipping by rapidly. He
( had missed his connection at the
| junction: but he wanted to get away.
\ II he could but SECURE the coat and
escape into the smoker! II rode from
the city in this seat he explained
patiently. II can prove it's any coat:
there's pair Of brown Kid gloves in
the pocket"
The girl looked down. A brown
lid glove was protruding from the
fuppermost pocket Another coinci-
dence.' she commented. My brother
also wears brown gloves, as you see!"
Hello; what's att thfs7'' said a
voice behind.
TT Il
George" she said. this gentleman" -
/ the accent on the word made Aldrich
winee-~"has mistaken Your coat for
his. And he's trying to take IL away
/ from met
/ We'll, welli' Georges voice shook
strangely. Funny ! hadn't noticed
/ it-seeing I'm wearing my own coat,
And the robber is Aldrich, naughty
three. Brink. you old. pirate"
! Aidrich sat at his desk Monday
morning. engaged in a day dream,
despite the fact that the outer office
was fun of clients. his feet rested
among scattered papers on the SUR
face of the mahogany; his hands
were clasped behind his head.
/ Thus ran his musings: She's a
darlingl And to think she's old
! George Mellodys sister. Dorothy
Enthusiastically Mellody--Dorothy!
| Mighty pretty name. that"
His eyes became more alert,
/ ''princevilie isn't any farther from
tho city than Cornwall. I can go up
there for the week end occasionally
If they'll ask me. must make Up to
old George. And to think that II II
hadn't been for that blessed cinder
l wouldn't have met her! If that Isn't
luck the greatest of luck
lie stopped and glanced over his
shoulder guiitily: but there were no
grubby hands rustling his papers. no
shrifi whistle in the outer office.
/ Ills feet came dawn oft the, desk;
He reached for sheet of paper and
/ n pen. and wrote rapidly. With an
honest, siafie farad grim he read
what he had written, Dear Wad--
Come back To work. have changed
my mind: there Is such thing as
luck. after an" lie signed his name,
sealed the note, and rang for mes
senger.
! "Theret' he said. squaring his
shoulders. And then: Dorothy Mel
lads. By joye. that's a pretty name"