THE DAILY CAPITAL JOU UN'AL. SALEM. OREOOV SATURDAY. APRIL 1. 1016. Vl.-Phoebe By O. HENRY P'opyrtght by DouMwlay, Page & Co. 00 are a man of many adven tures and va ried enter prlsos," I said to Captain Pa tricio Malouft "Do you be lieve that the possible ele- incut of good luck or bad luck If there U such a thlug as luck lias Inllueueed y iiir career or persisted fur or against you to such an extent that you were ftieed to attribute results to the op eration of the aforesaid good luck or bud luck?" 'I his question (of almost the dull In dolence of legal phraseology) was put while we snt lu Itousselln's little red tiled cufu neur Congo square, lu New Orleaus. Itrown faced, while hailed, finger ringed captains of adventure runic of ten to Itousseliu'a for the cognac. 'I dey rame from sea and liuul and wore chary of relating the things they had seon-not hecause they were wore wonderful than the fantasies of the Ananlases of print, but because they were ho different. And I was a per petual wedding guest, always striving M cast uiy buttonhole over the finger of one of these mariners of fortune. This Captain Malono was a Hlberno Ilterlan creole who had gone to and fro In the earth and walked up and down In It. lie looked like any oilier well dressed man of thirty-five whom you might meet except that lie was hopelessly weather tanned and wore On his chain an ancient Ivory and gold iVnivlan charm against evil, which Ins nothing at all to do with his Hiocy. "My answer to your question," said captain, .smiling, "will be to (ell ywi the story of Hud I.uck Kearny, 'licit Is, if you don't mind hearing It." My reply was to pound on the table for Uoussellu. "Strolling along Tchoupllouhis street oho night," begun Captain M:ilonf "1 noticed, without especially taxing my interest, a small man walking .rapidly toward me. He stepped upon a wood en cellar door, crashed through It and disappeared. I rescued hlui from a heiip of soft coal below. He dusted himself briskly, swearing fluently In n iicvliaiiif.il tone, as an underpaid ac tor recites Hut gypsy's curse. Grutl tod,, and the dust In his throat seoui ! to call for fluids to clear them away. I lis desire for liquidation was ex pressed so heartily that 1 went with liim lo a eufiS dowu Hie street, where we had some vile vermouth and bit t-m. ' Looking across that Utile table 1 hid my first clear sight of Francis Kearny, lie was about live feet sev eo, hut as tough as a cypress knee. Ids hair was darkest roil, his mouth Hin li a mere slit that you wondered how the flood of his words came rush ing from It. His eyes were tho bright rat, and lightest blue and Hie liopeful .nl that I ever saw. Ho gave (he dou M! Impression that he was at bay and tlt.il you hail belter not crowd him fur ther. " '.lust In from a gold hunting expe dition on the coast of Costa ltlca,' he ophilncil. 'Second mate of a banana isleanier told ine the native were pan ning out enough from tho beach sands to buy all the rum, red calico and par lor uielikleous In (ho world. The day I got there a syndicate named Incor porated Jones gets a govenimeut con cession to all minerals from a given point. For a next choice I take coast fever and count green and blue lizards for six weeks lu a grass hut. I had to be nolliled when 1 was well, for the l 'Idllcs were actually there. ' 'Then I shipped back as third cook on a Norwegian tramp that blew up tier boiler two miles below quarantine. 1 was duo lo bust through that cellar d'Mir here tonight, so I hurried the rest of the way up Hie river, roustubuutlng on a lower coast packet that made n binding for every llshernian that want ed a plug of tobacco. And now I'm hero for what conies next. And It'll be along, it'll be uloug,' said this queer Mr. Kearny; it'll be along on the b-anis of my bright but not very par ticular star.' "From the (list the personality of Kcuruy charmed me. I saw In him the bold heart, the restless nature and the valiant front against the buffets of fate that make bis countrymen niicIi valuable comrades lu risk and adven ture. And Just then 1 was wautlug (oiiii men. Moored at a fruit compa ny's pier 1 had a 0H) (oil steamer rciuly lo sail the next day with a cargo of sugar, lumber and corrugated Iron for a port In well, lei us call the conu try llsperaudo - It has not been long n.i. and the name of I'atrlclo Mnliuie Is still spoken (hern when Its unset (I'd politics are discussed. Iteneuth the sugar and Iron were packed a thousand' repenting rltles. In Aguas I'lins. the capital, Pmi Rafael Valde vlii, minister of war, F.spornndo's greatest , hearted and most able pa triot, awaited my coming. No doubt y mi have heard, with a smile, of t! iii.iiigntlVutit wars and uprisings In, those little tropic republics. They make but a faint clamor against the din of great nations' battles. But down (here, under all the ridiculous uniforms and petty diplomacy and c:;.selcss countermarching and in trigue, are to be found statesmen anil patriots. Don Rafael Valdevia was one. Ills great ambition was to raise Esperando Into peace and honest pros perity and the respect of the serious nations. So he waited for my rifles lu Aguas Fiius. But one would think I am trying to win a recruit In you! Xo; It was Francis Kearny I wanted. And so I told li i in. speaking long over our execrable vermouth, breathing the stilling odor from garlic and tarpau lins, which, os you know. Is the dis tinctive flavor of cafes lu the lower ilant of our city. "I apoke of the tyrant President Cruz uul the burdens (hat his greed and In lolcnt cruelly laid upon the people. And at that Kearny's tears flowed. And (hen I dried (hem with a picture f the fat rewurds that would be ours .vhen the oppressor should be over drawn and t lie wise and generous Val levla In his seat. Then Kearny leap ed to his feet and wrung uiy hand with ho strength of a roustabout. He was in Inc. he said, till the' last minion of die hated despot was hurled from the ilghost peaks of tho Cordilleras Into the sea. "I paid the score aud we went out. Sear the door Kearny's elbow over turned an upright glass showcase, smashing It Into little bits. I paid the storekeeper the price lie asked. " 'Come to my hotel for the night,' I laid to Kearny. 'We sail tomorrow at noon.' "Ho agreed, but on (he sidewalk he Tell (o cursing again lu the dull, monot onous, glib way that he had done when I pulled him out of the coal cellar. "'Captain,' said he, 'before we go my further It's no more than fair to ell you that I'm known from Baflln's bay to Tlerra del Fuego as "Bad Luck" Kearny. And I'm It. Everything I get 'nto goes up in Hie air except a balloon. Kvery bet I ever niado I lost except when I coppered It. Kvery boat I ever wiled on sank except the submarines. Kverythlng I was ever Interested in went lo pieces except a patent bomb shell that I Invented. Everything I jver took hold of and tried to run 1 ran Into the ground except when 1 tried lo plow. And that's why they all me "Bad I.uck" Kearny.' I thought I'd tell you.' "'Hud luck,' said I, 'or what goes by he name, may now and then tangle the ilia Irs of nny man. But If It persist beyond the estimate of what we may all the "averages" there must be a .ause for It.' "'There Is,' said Kearny emphatical ly, 'and when we walk another square I will show It to you.' "Surprised, I kept by his side until wo came .to Canal street and out Into the middle of Its great width. "Kearny seized me by an arm and pointed a tragic forellnger at a rather brilliant star Hint shone steadily about thirty degrees above (bo horizon. '"That's Saturn,' said he, 'the star that presides over bad luck and evil mil disappointment and nothing doing aud trouble. I was born under that star. Kvery move I make up hobs Saturn and blocks It. He's the hoodoo planet of the heavens. They say he's r:'.,(KX) miles In diameter and no sulkier if body than spilt pea soup, and he's got us many disreputable and malig nant rings as a big. city. Now, what kind of a star Is that (o be boru un der?' "1 asked Kearny where he had ob tained all this astonishing knowledge. "'From Azralb, the great astrologer, of Clevelaud, 0.,' said he. 'That man looked at a glass bull and told me my name before I'd taken a chair. , Ho prophesied the date of my birth aud death before I'd said a word. And then he cast my horoscope, and the sidereal system socked tue In the solar plexus. It was bad luck for Francis Kearny from A lo Izard and for his friends Hint were Implicated with him. For Hint I gave up $10. This Azrnth was sorry, but ho respected his profes sion too much (o read (he heavens wrong for any man. It was night time, and ho took mo out on a balcony and gavo me a free view of the sky. And ho showed me which 'Saturn was and how to find It lu different balco nies and longitudes. "'But Saturn wasn't all. He was only the man higher up. He furnishes so much bad luck (hat they allow him a gang of deputy sparklers lo help hand It out. They're circulating and revolving and hanging around the main supply all the time, each ono throwing the hoodoo on his particular district. " 'You see that ugly Utile red star shout tight Inches above and to the right of Saturn?' Kearny asked me. 'Well, that's her. That's Phoebe. She's got me lu charge. "By the day of your birth," says Azrath to me, "your life Is subjected to the Influence of Saturn. H.v flie hour and minute of It you must dwell under Hie sway and direct au thority of Phoebe, the ninth satellite." So said (his Azrath.' Kearny shook Ills list viciously skyward. 'Curse her, lie's itono Hit wort well,' said he. Ever since I was astrologlze.1 bad luck has followed me like my shadow, as I told you. And for many years be fore. Now, captain, I've told you my handicap as a nuiu should. If you're afraid this evil star of mine might crip. pl your scheme leave tue out of It.' "I reassured Kearny as well as 1 could. I told htm (hat for the time we would banish both astrology and astronomy from our heads. The maul fest valor and enthusiasm of the rami drew me, 'I.et us see what a little courage and diligence will do against had luck,' I said. 'We will sail tomor row for Esperando.' "Fifty miles down Hie Mississippi our uteamer broke her rudder. We sent for a tug to tow us back and lost three days. When we struck the blue waters if the gult ail tue siurin clouds of tue Vtlantic seemed to have concentrated ibove us. We thought surely to sweet en those leaping waves with our sugar uul to stack our arms and lumber on he floor of (he Mexican gulf. "Kearny did not seek to cast off one lota of file burden of our danger from the shoulders of his fatal horoscope, do weathered every storm on dock, smoking n black pipe, to keep which alight rain and sea water seemed bill is oil. And he shook his fist at the black clouds behind which his baleful star winked Its unseen eye. When the skies cleared one evening he reviled his malignant guardian with grim humor. " 'On watch, aren't you, you red headed vixen? Out making It hot for little Francis Kearny and his friends, according to Hoyle. Twinkle, twinkle, tittle devil! You're n lady, aren't you dogging a man with bad luck Just be cause he happened to be born while your boss was floorwalker. Get busy and sink the ship, you one eyed banshee! Phoebe! Il'm! Sounds as mild ns a milkmaid. Yo:i can't Judge n woman by her n n m e. Why couldn't I have had a man star? I can't make the remarks to Phoe be, you be blast ed '.' "For eight days gales and squalls and waterspouts beat us from our course. Five days only should have landed us lu Es- 'Get busy, you one ayed bansheel" perando. Our Jonah swallowed the bad credit of It with appealing frank ness, but that scarcely lessened the hardships our cause was made to suf fer. "At luM one afternoon we steamed Into the culm estuary of the little ISlo Escondldo. Three miles up this we crept, feeling for the shallow channel between the low banks that were crowded to the edge with gigantic trees and riotous vegetation. Then our whis tle gave a little toot, and in five min utes we heard a shout, and Carlos my brave Carlos Qulntana crashed through the (angled vines waving his cap madly for Joy. "A hundred yards away was his camp, where oOO chosen patriots of Es perando were awaiting our coming. For a month Carlos bad been drilling them there lu the tactics of war and (illlng them with the spirit of revolu tion and liberty. "'Sly captain compadre mio!" shout ed Carlos, while yet my boat was be ing lowered. 'You should see them in (he drill by companies In the column wheel in the march by four they are superb! Also lu the manual of arms -but, alas, performed only with sticks of bamboo. The guns, captain -say that you have brought the guns!' " 'A thousand good rltles, Carlos,' ( called to him. 'And two Catlings.' " 'Vulgame Dlos!' lie cried, throwing his cap In the air. 'We shall sweep the world!' "At that moment Kearny tumbled from the steamer's side Into the river, lie could not swim, so (he crew threw him a rope and drew him back aboard. I caught his eye and his look of pa thetic but still bright and undaunted consciousness of his guilty luck. I told myself that, although he might be a man to shun, he was also one to be admired. "I gave orders to the sailing master that the arms, ammunition and provi sions were to bo landed at once. That was easy lu the steamer's boats, ex cept for the two Gatllng guns. For their transportation ashore we carried a stout tla (boat. "In tho meantime I walked with Car los to the camp and made tho soldiers a little speech In Spanish, which they received with enthusiasm, aud then 1 had some wine and n cigarette lu Car los' tent "The small arms and provisions were already ashore, and (he petty ollicers had squads of men conveying them (o camp. One Galling had been safely landed. The other was Just being hoisted over the side of the vessel as we arrived. I noticed Kearny darting about on board, eenilng to have the ambition of ten men and to be doing the work of live. I think his zeal bub bled over when lie saw Carlos and me. A rope's end was swinging loose from some purl of the tackle. Kearny leap ed Impetuously ami caught It. There was a crackle and a hiss and a smoke of scorching beuip. and the Gatllng dropped straight us n plummet through the bottom of the (hi (boat and buried Itself In twenty feet of water and tlve tcet of river mud. "I turned my back i the scene. I heard Carlos' loud cries as if from some extreme grief too poignant for words. I heard (he complaining mur mur of the crew and the maledlctlous of Torres, the sailing muster. I could not bear to look. "By night s mie degree of order had been restored in camp. Military rules were not drawn strictly, and (he men were grouped about the tires of their several messes, playing games of chance, hinging their native songs r discussing with voluble animation the contingencies of our march upon the capital. "To my tent, .which had been pitch ed for me close to that of my chief lieutenant, came Kearny, Indomitable, smiling, bright eyed. Iteming no traces of the buffets of his evil star. Bather was his aspect that of a heroic mar tyr whose tribulation' were so high soutved nnd glorious tint he even took a splendor and a prestige from (hem. '"Well, captain," said he, 'I guess 4ft you realize that Bud Luck Kearny in still on deck. It was a shame, now, about that gun. She only needed to be slewed two Inches to clear the rail, and that's why I grabbed that rope's end. Who'd have thought that a sail or, even a Sicilian lubber on a banana coaster, would have fastened a line In a bowknot Don't think I'm trying to dodge the responsibility, captain. It's my luck.' " 'There are men, Kearny,' said I gravely, 'who pass through life blam ing upon luck and chance the mistakes that result from their own faults and Incompetency. I do not say that yoi? are such a man. But if all your mis haps are traceable to (hat tiny star the sooner we endow our colleges with chairs of moral astronomy tho better.' " 'It isn't the size of the star that counts," said Kearny, it's the quality, .lust the way It Is with women. That's why they gave the biggest planets masculine names and the little stars feminine ones to even things up when It comes to getting their work In. Suppose they had called my star Againeuiiiou or Bill McCarty or some thing like that Instead of Phoebe. Every time one of those old boys touched their calamity button and sent me down one of their wireless pieces of bad luck I could talk back nnd tell 'em what I thought of 'em in suitable terms. But you can't address such re marks to n Phoebe.' "'It pleases you to make a Joke of It, Kearny," said I without smiling. 'But It Is no Joke to mo to think of my Catling mired In the river ooze." " 'As to that," said Kearny, abandon ing his light mood at once, 'I have al ready doue what I could. I have had some experience In hoisting stone In quarries. Torres nnd I have already spliced three hawsers and stretched them from the steamer's stern to a tree on shore. We will rig n tackle and have the gun on lerra firma be fore noon tomorrow.' "One could not remain long at outs with Bad Luck Kearny. " 'Once more.' said I to him. 'we will waive this question of luck. Have you ever had experience in drilling raw troops?" " 'I was first sergeant nnd drill mas ter," said Kenrny. 'in the Chilean army for ono year and captain of artillery for another' "'What became of your command?' I nsked. "'Shot down to n man," said Kearny, 'during the revolution against Bnlma ceda.' "Somehow the misfortunes of the evil starred one seemed to turn to me their comedy side. I lay back upon my goat's hide cot and laughed until the woods echoed. Kearny grinned. 'I told you how It was,' he said. "'Tomorrow,' I said, 'I shall detail 100 men under your command for man ual of arms drill and company evolu tions. You will tank as lieutenant. Now. for God's sake, Kearny,' I urged him, 'try to combat tills superstition If It Is one. Bad luck may be like any other visitor preferring to stop where It is expected. Get your mind off stars. Look upon Esperando ns your planet of good fortune.' "'I thank you, captain,' said Kearny quietly. 'I will try to make it the best handicap I ever ran.' "By noon (he next day the submerg ed Catling was rescued, as Kearny had promised. Then Carlos and Manuel Ortiz nnd Kearny (my lieutenants) dis tributed Hie titles among the troops and put them through an Incessant rifle drill. We fired no shots, blnuk or solid, for of all coasts Esperando Is tho stillest, aud we bad no desire to sound any warnings In tho car of that corrupt government until they should carry with them the message of liber ty and the downfall ot oppression. "In tho afternoon came a mule rider bearing a written message to me from Don Itafael Valdevia lu the capital, Aguas Fiias. "Whenever that man's name comes to my lits words of tribute to his greatness, his noblo simplicity and his conspicuous genius follow Irrepresslbly He was a traveler, a student of peo ples nnd governments, a master of sci ences, a poet, an orator, a leader, a soldier, a critic ot the world's cam paigns and the Idol of (tie people of Esperando. I had been honored by his friendship for years. It was I who first turned his mind to the thought that he should leave for his monument a new Esperando a country freed from tho rule of unscrupulous tyrants aud a people made happy and prosper ous by wise and Impartial legislation. When he had consented he threw him self Into the cause wilh the undivided zeal with which he endowed all of his acts. The coffers of his great fortune were opened to (hose of us to whom were Intrusted the secret moves of the game. His popularity was already so great that he had practically forced President Cruz to offer htm the port folio of minister of war. "The time, Djii Rafael said In his let ter, was ripe. Success, he prophesied, was certain. The people were begin ning to clamor publicly against Cruz's misrule. Bands of citizens in the capi tal were even going about of nights hurling stones lit public buildings and expressing their dissatisfaction. A bronze statue of President Cruz In the botanical gardens had been lassoed about the neck nnd overthrown. II only remained for mo to arrive with my force and my thousand rilles and for hlmeslf lo come forward and pro claim himself the people's savior to overthrow Cruz In a single day. There would be but n half hearted resistance from the OtH) government troops sta tioned lu Hie capital. The country was ours. He presumed that by tills time my steamer had arrived at Qulntana s camp. He proposed the Ifth of July for the attack. That would give us six days In which to strike camp and inarch to Aguas Frlas. In the mean time Don Itafael remained my good friend and compadre en la causa de la libertad. "On the morning of the l lth we be gan our march toward the sea follow ing range of mountains, over the sixty mile trail to (he capital. Our small arms aud provisions were laden on pack mules. Twenty men harnessed to each Gatllng gun rolled them smoothly along the flat, alluvial lowlands. Our troops, well shod and well fed, moved with alacrity and heartiness. I and my three lieutenants were mounted on the tough mountain ponies of the coun try. "A utile out of camp one of the pack mules, becoming stubborn, broke away from the train aud plunged from the path Into (he (hlcket. The alert Kear ny spurred quickly after it and Inter cepted Its flight. Rising in bis stirrups, he released one foot and bestowed upon the mutinous animal a hearty kick. "The mule tottered and fell with n crash broadside upon the ground. As we gathered around It It walled Its great eyes almost humanly toward Kearny aud expired. That was bad, but worse to our minds was the con comitant disaster. Tart of the mule's burden hnd been 100 pounds of the finest coffee to be had In the tropics. The bag burst aud spilled the priceless brown mass of tho ground berries among the dense vines aud weeds of the swampy land. Main suerte! When you take away from an Esperandon his coffee y.ou abstract his patriotism and 50 per cent of his value as a sol dier. The men began to rake up the precious stuff, but I beckoned Kearny back along the trail where they would uot hear. The limit had been reached. "I took from my pocket a wallet of money and drew out some bills. " 'Mr. Kearny,' said I, 'here ure some funds belonging to Don Itnfnel Valde via, which I am expending In his cause. I know of no better service it can buy for him than this. Here Is $100. Luck or no luck, we part com pany here. Star or no star, calamity seems to travel by your side. You will return to the steamer. She touches at Amotapa to discharge her lumber and Iron and then puts back to New Or leans. Hand this note to the sailing master, who will give you pnssage." I wrote on a leaf torn from my book and placed It and the money In Kear ny's hnnd. " 'Goodby,' I said, extending my own. 'It Is not that I am displeased with you, but there Is no place In this ex pedition for let us sny, the- Senorita Phoebe.' 1 said this with a smile, trying to smooth tho thing for him. 'May you have better luck, compa nero.' "Kenrny took the money and the pa-PeI- "'It was just a little touch,' said he. Just a little lift with the toe' of my boot. But what's the odds? That blamed mule would have died If I had only dusted his ribs with a powder puff. It was my luck. Well, captain. I would have liked to be In that little fight with you over In Aguas Fiias. Success to the cause. Adlos!' "He turned around and set off down the trail without looking back. The unfortunate mule's puck saddle was transferred to Kearny's pony, nnd we again took up the march. "Four days we Journeyed over the foothills and mountains, fording Icy torrents, winding around the crumbling brows of ragged peaks, creeping along rocky flanges that overlooked awful precipices, crawling breathlessly over tottering bridges (hat crossed bottom less chasms. "Ou the evening of the 17th we camp ed by a little stream on the bare hills five miles from Aguas Frlas. At day break we were to take up march again. "At midnight I was standing outside my tent Inhaling the fresh cold air. The stars were shining bright In the cloudless sky, giving the heavens their proper aspect of Illimitable depth and distance when viewed from tho vague darkness of the blotted earth. Almost at Its zenith was the planet Saturn, and with a half smile I observed the sinister red sparkle of his malignant attendant the demon star of Kearny's III luck. And then my thoughts stray ed across the hills to the scene of our coming triumph, where the heroic and noble Don Itafael awaited our coming to set a new and shining star In the flrninment of nations. "I beard a slight rustling In the deep grass to my right. I turned nnd saw Kenrny coming toward me. ' He was ragged nnd dew drenched and limping. Ills lint nnd one boot were gone. About one foot he had tied some makeshift of cloth and grass. But his manner ns he approached was that of a man who knows his own virtues well enough to be superior to rebuff. "'Well, sir,' I said, staring at Mm coldly, if there la anything In persist ence I see no reason why you should not succeed In wrecking nnd ruining us yet.' " 'I kept half a day's Journey behind;' snid Kearny, fishing out n stone from the covering of bis lame foot, 'so the bad luck wouldn't touch you. 1 couldn't help It, captain. I wanted to be In on this game. It was a pretty tough trip, especially In the depart ment of the commissary. In the low grounds there were always bananas and oranges. Higher up it was worse, but your men left a good deal of goal meat hanging on the bushes In the camps. Here's your $100. You're nearly there now, captain. Let mo In on the scrapping tomorrow.' " 'Not for a hundred times a hundred would I have the tiniest thing go wrong with my plans now,' I said, 'whether cansisl by evil planets or the blunders of mere man. But yonder is Aguas Frlas, five miles away and a clear road. I am of the mind (o tlefy Saturn and all bis satellites to spoil our success now. At any rate, I will not turn away tonight as weary a trav eler and as 60od a soldier as you are. Lieutenant Kearny. Manuel Ortiz's tent Is there by the brightest fire. Bout hi m out and tell blur to supply you with food and blankets and clothes. We inarch again at daybreak.' "Kearny thanked uie briefly, but feelingly, and moved away. "He hud gone scarcely a dozen steps when a sudden flash of bright light Illumined the surrounding hills. A sin ister, growing, hissing sound like es caping steam filled ny ears. Then followed a roar as of distant thunder, which grew louder every Instant. This terrifying noise culminated In a tre mendous explosion which seemed to rock the hills as an earthquako would. The Illumination waxed to a glare so fierce that I clapped my hands to my eyes to save them. I thought the end of (he world hail come. I could think of no natural phenomenon that would explain It. My wits were staggering. "The deafening explosion trailed off iuto the heavy roar that had preceded It, and through this I heard the fright ened shouts of my troops as they stumbled from their resting places and rushed wildly about; also I heard the harsh tones of Kearny's voice crying, 'They'll blame It on me, ot course, and what the devil It Is, It's not Francis Kearny that can give you an answer!' "I opened my eyes. The hills were still there, dark and solid. It had not been, then, a volcano or an earthquake. I looked up at the sky and saw a comet-like trail crossing the zenith and ex tending westward, a fiery trail waning fainter and narrower each moment. " 'A meteor!' I called aloud. 'A me teor has fallen. There is no danger.' "And then all oilier sounds were drowned by a great shout from Kear ny's throat. He had raised both hands above his head and was standing tip toe. . " 'Phoebe's gone!' lie cried with all his lungs. 'She's busted and gone to h I! Look, cnptnln! Tho little red headed hoodoo has blown herself to smithereens. She found Kearny too tough to handle, and she puffed up with spite and meanness till her boiler blew up. It'll be "Bad Luck" Kearny no more. Oh, let us be Joyful! " 'Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty busted, and that'll be all!' " "I looked up, wondering, nnd picked out Satin n In his place. But the small red, twinkling luminary In his vicinity, "A fragment of a detonating meteor." which Kearny had pointed out to me as his evil star, had vanished. I had seen It there but half an hour before. There was no doubt that one of those awful and mysterious spasms of na ture had hurled It from the beavens. "I clapped Kenrny on the shoulder. " 'Little man,' said I, iet this clear the way for you. It appears that as trology has failed to subdue you. Your horoscope must be cast anew with pluck and loyalty for controlling stars. I play you to win. Now, get to your tent and sleep. Daybreak is the word.' "At 0 o'clock on the morning of the 18th of July I rode Into Aguas Frlas with Kearny at my side. In his clean linen suit and with his military poise and keen eye he was a model of a fighting adventurer. I had visions of him riding ns commander of President Valdevla's bodyguard when tho plums of the new republic should begin to fall. "Carlos followed with the troops and supplies. He was to halt In a wood, outside the town and remain concealed there until he received the word to ad vance. "Kearny and I rode down the Calle Ancha toward the resldeuela of Don Rafael at the other side ot the town. As we passed the superb white build ings of the University of Esperando I saw at an opeu window the gleaming spectacles and bald head of Ilerr Ber gowitz, professor of the natural sci ences nnd friend of Don Bnfael and of me anil of the cause. He waved his band to me with his broad, bland smile. "There was no excitement apparent In Aguas Frias. The people went about leisurely as at all times. Tho market wns thronged with bareheaded women buying fruit nnd carne. We beard the twang and tinkle of string bands In the patios of the camions. We could see that It was a 'ling game that Don Itafael was play.ug. "His resldencla wns a large but low building around a great courtyard In grounds crowded with ornamental trees and tropic shrubs. At his door an old woman who came Informed us that Don Rafael had not yet arisen. " Tell him.' said I, 'that Captain Ma ln and a friend wish to see him at once. Perhaps he has overslept.' ' "She came back looking frightened. " 'I have called,' she said, 'and runs his bell many times, but be does not answer." "I knew where his sleeping room wns. Kearny and I pushed by her and went to It I put my shoulder against the thin door and forced it open. "In an armchair by a great (able cov ered witli maps and books sat Don Ra fael witli his eyes closed. I touched his band. He hud been dead many hours. On his head above one ear was a wound caused by a heavy blow. It bad ceased to bleed long before. "I made the old woman call a inozo and dispatched him In haste, to fetch Herr Bergowltz. "He came, and we stood about as If we were half stunned by the awful shock. Thus can the letting of a few drops of blood from one man's veins, drain the life of a nation. "Presently Herr Bergowltz stooped and picked up a darkish stone the size of an orange which he saw under the table. He examined it closely through his great glasses with the eye of sci ence. " 'A fragment, said he, 'of a detonat ing meteor. The most remarkable one In twenty years exploded above this city a little after midnight this morn ing.' "The professor looked quickly up at the ceiling. We saw the blue sky through a hole the size of an orange nearly above Don Rafael's chair. - "I heard a familiar sound and turned. Kearny had thrown himself on the floor nnd wns babbling his compendium of bitter, blood freezing curses against the stnr of bis evil luck. "Undoubtedly Phoebe had been femi nine. Even when hurtling on Iter way to fiery dissolution and everlasting doom tue last word had been hers." Captain MalonO was nbt unskilled In narrative. He knew tho point where a story should end. I snt reveling lu his effective conclusion when he aroused me by continuing: "Of course," said he, "our schemes were at an end. There wns no ono to take Don Rafael's place. Our little army melted away like dew before the sun. "One day nfter I had returned to New Orleans I related this story to a friend who holds a professorship la Tulnne university. "When I hnd finished he laughed nnd asked whether I had any knowledge of Kearny's luck afterward. 1 told him no; that I had seen him no more, but that when he left me ho had ex pressed confidence that his future would be successful now that his un lucky star hnd been overthrown. ' " 'No doubt,' said the professor, 'he Is happier not to know one fact. If he derives his bad luck from Phoebe, the ninth satellite of Saturn, that ma licious Indy Is still engaged In over looking his career. The star close to Saturn that he Imagined to be her was near that planet simply by the chance of Its orbit. Frobnbly at different times he has regarded many other stars that happened to be In Saturn's neighborhood as his evil one. The real Phoebe is visible only through a very good telescope." "About a year afterward," continued Captain MnlonG, "I was walking down a street that crossed the Foydras mar ket. An Immensely stout, pink faced lady In black satin crowded me from the narrow sidewalk wilh a frown. Behind her trailed a little man laden to the gunwales with bundles hnd bag of goods nnd vegetables. ; "It was Kearny but changed. I stopped and shook one of his hands, which still clung to a bag of garlic and red peppers.' " 'How is the luck, old companero? I asked him. I had not the heart to tell him the truth about his star. " 'Well, said he, 'I am married, a yon may guess.' "'Francis,' called the big lady In deep tones, 'are you going to stop in the street talking all day?' " 'I am coming, Phoebe, dear,' said Kearny, hastening after her." Captain Malone ceased again. "After all, do you believe in luck?" I asked. "Do you?" answered the captain, with his ambiguous smile shaded by the brim of his soft straw hat. "English at She I Spoke." Writing In the Autocar, nn English publication, an English motorist seri ously advises his kind who contem plate visiting America to provide themselves with dictionaries so that they may be able to understand (he natives. As instances of outre Americanisms, he cites that Americans say they want to examine the "gasoline line" when they mean the "petrol tank." When we complain that the car "only hits on three" we Imply that It Is "possible only to make It fire on three cylin ders." We further confuse this critic when we say "hood" instead of "bon net" "Mudguards" should be called "scut tle dashes," and to use "cement" In stead of "tyre solution" Is also wrong. Nature and the Artiit. And when the evening mist clothes the riverside with poetry, ns with a veil, and the poor buildings lose them selves In the dim sky, and the tall chimneys become campanili, and the warehouses are palaces In the night, and the whole city hangs In the heav ens, nnd fnlrylaud Is before us, then the wayfarer hastens home. The work Ingman and the cultured one, the wise man nnd the one of pleasure, cease to understand, ns they have ceased to see, and nature, who, for once, has sung In tune, sings her exquisite sonjc to the artist alone, her son nnd her master her son In that he loves her, her master In that he knows bar. Whistler's "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies."