Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1913-09-19
THE 1T|ALlSMAN
OF GOOD LUCK
A Peripatet:c Painter Trifles5
With Fate. u.

XIV
Blackboards of the right kind Were
getting scarcer and scarcer. and the
November air had a way of nippingl
the ears and nose which was not pleas
ant. Hannigan was IL wandering
painter. He had once been proficient
as a despoiIer Of scenery. as many of
the legends which now adorn the
Buckeye landscape and proclaim the
merits OF pink pellets and condition
powders Will testify. Rum had got the
upper hand of HanMigan. His hand
was no longer steady enough to follow
the conEguration of letters. even when
they were chalked out By steadier fin.
gers, but Hannigan could still pail,t
black boards.
MIR. Hannigan rs lie strobe along the
tracks was m:lttering to himself about
the perverSity Of fortune He had
spent nearly his last cent for material.
He had been to three schoolhouses. and
i'll each he had been confronted with
slabs of smoothly polished slate which
covered the plastered wall The agent
OLA Chicago school supply company
had preceded Hannigan and had done
him much Injury. At the last school
house the teacher had smiled pityingly
q when the decorator talked of the evil
which had come upon him. She had
unclaSped from a long chain which she
wore !, silver mounted ahbits foot and
had insisted upon the astoniShed paint
er accepting it. 4s'# # H.. IA
Now that Hannigan was alone again
his thoughts went back to the little
schoolhouSe. and the more he thought
about the dupiicity Of the trustees mnG
the slate b!ackhoardS the more angry
he became. He drew from his pocket
the fuzzy fetch which the 4teachrr
had given him and in the half dark
ness contemplated it With Il look of
fine scorn. Hanilignn was walking OH
the railroad track with the measured
tread common TT the wandprer.
Luck mlttered HanniSan lin
Hannigan walking the track with not
thing in his pocket but u rabbit $
foot has a run of luck. hasn't he:
/! Where's that fool thing 81
+; Hannigan took the taIiSman from
: his pocket and threw it on the track
-, 1t dropped near IL rail, where the g!in,
! from its mounting revealed its pres
ence. Hannigan stopped as though t.
: pick it up again. Then he reconsidered
No said he: don't want it: wont
! have it Let some fellow find it who
wasn't born to be unlucky.''. .5
~ Hannigan heard a shrill whistle anG
Z: the rumble of wheels SHe ssteppes
aside in mechanical way Just in time
!, to evadea train. He stood for It mo
/, ment contemplating the two fiery eyes
/ of red which We're diminishing in sfron'
of him. Then he looked around him.
!. Il was. crossing the long treStle. ant
: | didn't know it, said Hannigan
"Now. by gum that is what Il cal
Embarrassing the treStle with liz
chance in the world to get off it. ant
1 spikes on the sides of the track t.
I make it uncomfortable for lis hOinps
!; crossing ttle$trestle. by ling. fiji hat
jumped. q would have been drowned
4 in twenty feet Of water. and If 4 has
4 stayed. they would never have rec0:.
! nized me except for this can Of saw
4 dust cocktails. Jim Hannigan. ~,
Z are, an ungrateful cuss That rabbit
foot saved yotl. and you threw#it8away
J. This Is where You see Il cr:,y0n On
largement OF lin Hannigan going hazel
Ito find the only thing which eve
brought him luck. = :s q s...,
4 the spikes. looking for the rabbit.
Il foot. He could see no trace Of it. Fl
!. glanced up in time to see two bulgif
eyes of red which were growing biggs
n with every second. James Hannig;,l
jumped and shrieked. The Campo
L Ball. was backing down on him. an
It he was in the middle of the trestlp fl
+ threw himself on the track. rolled I'VE,
clasped the end of a tie in his arulsal
i swung himself off just ;,s the rx,,t,ss
IL WliiZzed over his, head Above lin, w:l
y the roar of the ttr,in.$;nd beneath I'll
u the waters, of the Hoeking were. g,esn
lily 5ilrpin. the wOOden piles s5#j1
&. Talk about hard luck. riuttprr
ii the trembling painter Of bJackbrart's
]. 'Qneered for life by i r;,i,bit's fnot;sp
4 n sciloolnrii1fis smile 5.3 ss53.
Y The trestle was vil,riting t,ens:lt
the weight @Of the train Hanniga,
& with his right arm Witliin2six inches |.
!, the rail over which were rushing II,
4 wheels Of the f,arnoii Ball 81 felt@s
!, shiyer through every LeI:yt.nf hi y intt,.
& He yelled curses. ana the rails .:ls
q back 81 knocking sound # Fl e felt i III
i dull pain of we;riness in his arms. ss5
d z5 a; & Twenty feet Of water l,elp,yi
Eaaned HanIiisall.3 ard I can I s,vi,,
conldn'f dr., ". nlysel + q I, even If Il,
train wasn't here. Well. 50 iong. eyer,
4 body. Here III the end of James Hai
I nigan, born 4 scenic artist. died
bum. -
He dropped, n he cold waters close
I about the form Of the knight af i til
road Then a moment of silence. an
Il James Hannigan aWole. He though
he was sitting on doWny cushions an
around him was poured cooling Al,
e a crystal food Hannigan sat bolt iii
n right In the dark mud Of the Hockin
river bottom. and about him fowe