Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-23
SHE BELIEVED IN SIGNS

The little librarian shivered as the black cat whose home was that partic- ular restaurant rubbed against her ankle.
 tious," said the engaged girl.
 Neither did I,'' said the little i- brarian nervously returning to her bouillon. That is to say, yes, I did, is, especially if it's born in the blood. Anyway, if you'd been through what I've been through in the past three weeks you'd be willing to believe in the potency of rabbits feet and fairies and portentS and omens and hoodoos and everything"
 "Is it as bad as that?" asked the en- gagged girl calmly. You do not look so terribly exhausted from your encount- CTS with the supernatural. Was it good luck or bad luck?''
 How can tell?" replied the little 1i- brarian. You see, had come across a book about peoples queer old beliefs in a dark corner of the library and it brought back to me the foolish yarns told me in my infancy.
 And besides, my mother really is superstitious, She has had 'em from babyhood and because they have tor tured her all her life lang she has tried to shield us children from their malign influence. My mother knows perfectly well that that sort of thing can't hurt you 1T you 0On't Inlnk aDOuC put It can hurt you if you allow silly fears to influence your actions. Just the same in the days of my childhood, I caught a few of 'em despite her care. And reading the old book in the library re- vived 'em in my brain. so to speak. Well, it happened that Aunt Agatha invited mother and grandfather and me to New York. For my part l accepted the invitation reather fearfully, be- cause I could see complications. My grandfather is no real relation to Aunt Agatha and she is the high f1ier of the family, and she is not used to my grandfather's simple, old fashioned manners.
 And then, owing to some malign conspiracy of fate, we had to start on Friday. My mother never let on she had heard that it was unlucky to start a Journey on Friday: but she used our departure on Thursday or Satur- day. But we simply could not get away on Thursday and there was a special reason why we would be late if we waited until Saturday. So we left on Friday
 Did anything unpleasant occur?" asked the engaged girl. Did the on1- inous day bring you any i'll luck?" ,.l I should he say it h did" replied nsa the the that mammals berth in the Pullman sleeper was lower 13. She almost had a fit and even when I tried to trade with her she was not mOiItHed, De- cause it would be all in the family, anyway. Finally the conductor, who was patient and long suffering got a fat travelling salesman to take lower 13 and mamma got the place the salesman vacated"
 Did anything else uncanny or hor- rid occur the engaged girl asked with interest.
 You are making fun of me, I know" said the little librarian. Just as if all that was not enough! Let me ex- plain that A unt Agatha is the arstocrat of our relatives and the very evening we landed in New York I saw the new moon over nay wrong shoulder"
 '1 don't see the connection
 There isn't any" said the little li- brarian except that the third night in New York Aunt Agatha was show ing us her new medicine chest with the gold labeled bottles and I saw my era ndfather looking tfirstily at them and remembered his habit of consum : ing the left over medicines in the bot ties at home. Of course I had to recollect at that instant having seen the new moon wrong and I just knew that grandfather would offer to drink up Aunt Agatha's left over medicines in order that there might be no waste. He has a theory that he might nip in the bud some incipient disease by this custom. It was a very horrible mo- snent. Aunt Agatha would have been shocked to death."