The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-26
THE BLACK CAT.
By LOUISE OLIVER.

Jack Morrow returned late one night
from the office. He had walked all the
way home in vain to find a way out OF
very embarrassing dilemma
Betty HOLSTER and he were TO be mar
ried within the month and he had just
discovered that he was almost without a
cent in the world. Donald. his younger
brother at college. had got into trouble
and there was no one else to help him
The check he had mailed in the after
moo. had Just about cleaned him out
Oniess r1rne miracle happened, there was
nothing left in the suocking TO pay for a
wedding trip. three new suits, t-aaal
MOWERS and furniture for the bungaIo -
they had rented.
There was no way he could think of to
postponing the wedding without breaking
Settys heart All of her arrangements
were complete and he had heard her saw
once that she would rather die than
change the date OF her wedding
les. tnere was possible way-just a
mere chance as slim as a spiders thread,
Jim Barlow had dropped in that day and
advised him TO invest In Cascade Steel
Jack never played the market, but Jim
did with more or less luck, and when
Jack had replied that he couldn't AFFORD
II. Jim had offered to lend him the where
withaL
NO. thanks. old fellow Jack had re-
piled. Il may have to start married life
even with the board-but I might lose
your money. and couldn't ask Betty TO
start with a handicap like that
Jim's offer now seemed to be the only
<raW mat could save him. He had
thought over every other possible way,
but there Sas none
He took out his latchkey and unlocked
the front door as a nearby clock started
TO strike l. As he turned the knob. some
thihs sort rubbed against his legs. He
opened the door and the hall light re-
contentedly - it turned for another rub
against his trousers.
Midnight and a black catI
JACK looked cautiously around. He
mao come from New England town
and was as full Of superstItions as n
cantaloupe Is Of seeds. Surely this was
a lucky sign. He must keep the cat,
Nothing could be more hazardous to luck
than TO turn 1t loose now. But
His landlsdy hated cats. and, be-
SIDES, she was a relative of Betty. Betty
must never know about the cat because
the one thing they ever disagreed about
was Jacks superstition" as practical
Betty put IT,
But this lucky sign meant that he
was almost sure to win IL he took I'M
Inns offer of the morning. It had 10
be done! He picked up the cat and
neid u under his coat as he slipped
stealthfly up to his room.
Early the next morning Betty. Look
ng pale and hollow eyed, met Jack at
he front door on his way to work. !
She eyed the travelling bag he carried !
,uriousiy. but he explained hastily that |
ie was carrying papers to the office
He had been up since dawn -trying
o devise methods OF feeding and hid
ne his new pet For two hours he
lad looked out OF the window In vain
or a milkman. The trunk. the cup-
board and each bureau drawer had
licited only dismal yowls Of lonesome
less. There was nothing for II but to
AIRY his good luck fetish back and
orth with him to the ONCE, where he
ould feed 1t and keep and eye on II
through the day. Better the jeers of
he boys than the wrath Of Betty and
he risk Of having the cat driven from
he house. Nothing on earth could make
i'm part with It now until the deal was
yer which was to replace. his lost for
une.
A few days passed-days of more
han one kind Of anxiety for Jack. First
here was Cascade Steel, which couldn't
eclde whether to 20 up or down. Then
here was the cat, which made hs.n the
utt OF a thousand jokes at the office
nd miserable at the house nightly for
ear Of discovery. But. last Of all. Betty
ad taken a notion to droop.
She was as sweetly alluring as ever,
ut there was something indefinable
bout her he could not understand.
he protested that she was well-yet
he was pale and distracted and her
loughts seemed to be miles away.
he started at every sound and flew
, the door every time she heard
n unusual noise.
Jack was worried. Their wedding day