The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lady Luck, by Hugh Wiley

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Title: Lady Luck

Author: Hugh Wiley

Release Date: August 1, 2008 [EBook #26165]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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LADY LUCK

_BOOKS BY HUGH WILEY_

JADE, and Other Stories
LADY LUCK
THE WILDCAT

LADY LUCK

By HUGH WILEY

NEW YORK
ALFRED . A . KNOPF
1921

COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY
ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO

MY FATHER

"When you 's travellin' heavy on de misery road
An' yo' back is breakin' wid de misery load,
Jes' figger dat yo' trouble 's boun' to end,
Cause Lady Luck is waitin' fo' you, 'roun de bend."

THE WILDCAT

LADY LUCK

CHAPTER I

Ah wuz a fiel' han' fo' Ah sailed de sea,
Wisht Ah wuz a fiel' han' now.
Dis konk'rin' hero business don' make no hit wid me--
Wisht Ah wuz a fiel' han' now.

"Gimme back a nickel! How come coffee ten cents? Gimme back 'at nickel
befo' bofe ob us is on de same side ob de lunch counter."

"You an' a policeman, you means. Ca'm yo'se'f. If dis wah keeps up,
coffee g'wine cost fifteen cents nex' week."

"How come wah? Wah finished a yeah back. Me an' Cap'n Jack wuz de fust
men in de wah. Wah's done. Ah knows. Gimme back 'at nickel."

"Mebbe de wah is done, but de Democrats ain't. Git out ob heah wid dat
goat, fo' you ruins mah trade."

The Wildcat picked up Captain Jack's bed-roll from the floor beside the
lunch counter in the Memphis station. He accumulated Lily from where
the travelworn mascot goat was tethered to an adjoining stool. Together
they walked from the lunch room in which he had sought refreshment
after an arduous ride from San Francisco to Memphis.

"Come on heah, Lily. Ol' Cap'n Jack an' de lady done went home in a
takes-a-grab. Boy takes a grab at yo' money, an' if deys any lef', you
gives it to a policeman fo' arrestin' him. Us rides a 'spress wagon."

On the street fronting the sta