The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-31
THE BLACK CAT
BY LOUISE OLIVER,

JtCk 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
married within the month and he had
just discovered that he was almost
without 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 afternoon had just about
cleaned him out. Unless some miracle
happened, there was nothing left in
the stocking.
There was no way he could think
of to postponing the wedding without
breaking Betty's heart All of her
arrangements were complete and he
had heard her say once that she
would rather die than change the date
of her wedding.
Yes, there was a possible way-just
mere chance as slim as 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 it. Jim had offered
to lend him the wherewithal.
He took out his latchkey and un.
locked the front door as nearby
=, clock started to strike II. AS he
turned the knob. something soft
rubbed against his legs. He opened
the door and the hall light revealed a
jet black cat that started to pur con-
tentedly as it turned for another rub
against his trousers.
Midnight and black cat!
Jack looked cautiously around. He
| had come from a New England town
| and was as full of superstitions as a
cantaloupe is of seeds Surely this
was lucky sign. He must keep the
cat! Nothing could be more hazardous
to luck than to turn it loose now.
But
| His landlady hated cats, and, be.
sides, she was relative of Betty.
Betty must never know about the cat
because the one thing they ever dis
| agreed about was Jacks "supersti-
tion,' as practical Betty put it.
But this lucky sign meant that he
was almost sure to win if he took up
Jim's offer of the morning. It had to
be done! He picked up the cat and
held it under his coat as he slipped
stealthily up to his room.
Early the next morning Betty, look
ing pale and hollow eyed, met Jack at
the front door on his way to work
She eyed the travelling bag he carried
curiously, but he explained hastily
that he was carrying papers to the
office.
He had been up since dawn trying
to devise methods of feeding and hid,
ing his new pet. For two hours he
had looked out of the window in vain
for a milkman. The trunk. the cup
board and each bureau drawer had
elected only dismal yowls of lonesome
ness There was nothing for it but to
carry his good luck fetish back and
forth with him to the office, where he
could feed it and keep an eye on it
, through the day. Better the jeers of
the boys than the wrath of Betty.
A few days passed-days of more
than one kind of anxiety for Jack
+ First, there was Cascade Steel, which
: couldn't decide whether to go up or
9 down. Then there was the cat, which
t made him the butt of thousand jokes
t at the office and miserable at the
house nightly for fear of discovery
+ But. last of ALL Betty had taken a no
ton to droop.
a She was as sweetly alluring as ever
a but there was something indeiinable
about her he could not understand
e She protested that she was well-yet
e she was pale and distracted and her
: thoughts seemed to be miles away
a She started at every sound and flew
/ to the door every time she heard an
e unusual noise.
e Jack was worried. Their wedding
l day was approaching and Betty got
worse instead of better.
e One thing however-Cascade Steel
+ was doing well and in couple of days
he hoped to clear all he had lost and
!, pay back Jim's loan.
Il Then the cat could go wither II
), would. In the meantime he watched
ii with renewed vigilance.
+ Bit the cat got away, One night
d Jacf woke up with feeling of dis
aster. His first thought was for pus
n sy. Sure enough-its bed in the oper
war irobe drawer was empty. A thor
| ough search of the room proved futile
and the transom solved the riddle.
n He slipped into few clothes ant
| peered cautiously out into the hall
q then felt his way slowly downstairs
t The parlor, by the light of a match
Y was catless, Then he started Tor tn,
/ dining room and stopped, hearing {
d feminine voice. The door stood opel
It just enough for him to see Betty il
= the middle of the floor hugging hi!
= black cat and rubbing her cheek!
" again its sleek head. He didn't ever
know she was in the house.
;. "Oh, Niggy. dear. I'm so glad
u found you." she crooned. I've looked
(, for you for a week, ever since til,
r night lost you over here. And it
suth bad luck to have a black ca
y come to you and then lose it, espe
cially before your wedding. / jus
pretty nearly decided not to MARI.
Jack at all until found you. Blu
. how you came to me here | don
: krow"