Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-08-11
AN EVENING WITH A FORTUNE
TELLER,

THE MYSTERY OF COFFEE GROUNDS-A
TWELVE FOOT HOLE DUG IN SEARCH
OF GoLD-FoRTUNE-TEL GIFT
OF PROvIDENCE-WHY sTAUNTON
GIRLS APPLY TO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
&C., &C.,, sc.
Staunton was seriously excited for sew
eral days last week by the report that
mysterious digging was going on Of nights
in a back lot near the corner of Beverly
and Church streets. The police were ap-
piled to, and on examining the spot, found
a hole nearly twelve feet deep, which had
been filled up with loose earth again. 1t
was in the lot of Mrs. Langfofd, and it
turned out that it was dug in search Of
gold, by two boys, who were acting on the
advice Of a fortune-teller named Jane
Fletcher, from Greenbrier CO., W. Va,
better known in Staunton, which is sta
ton on her regular circuit, as stAunt
Jane" Of course, such thing couldn
60 on in Staunton without the VINDICA-
TOR readers knowing all about it, and
our reporter was dispatched to hunt the
seeress up. For the same reason that
when woman goes to the dentist she is
accompanied by another woman, which
we suppose is to prevent mistakes, an
other man was secured to go along and
have his fortune told. There is no.
thing like being severely discreet.
THE sEEREss.
"The old girl is a little shook up about
that hole the boys dug, but if you shake q
quarter under her nose she'll come down."
said a smart-looking boy who came to the
door of large frame building near the
gas works, where tie seeress has apart
ments, and then he sung out in an irreve-
rent voice for .sAunt Jane" who answer
ed shr1lly from another apartment, and
soon made her appearance. She was a
woman nearly six feet high, with hooked
and Sibylline looking nose, which support
ed a pair of spectacles, alittle smaller than
dinner plates, with the stee-work securely
..nd profusely wrapped with string. She
was clad in Il calico robe, which look;.&
like the aged priestess had been lately of
ficiating at the altar of the kitchen fire.
She spoke in a high key, evidently undr
he impre sion that the visitors were two
nr three miles off. When informed that
the gentleman at our side, who, to be frank
.tbout it, had one or two pimples on his
nose, presenting a very dissipated appear
ance, wanted his fortune told, she looked
grave. "There amt no harm in it, is
there, gentlemen? You wouldn't git me
into any trouble, now, would you9 They
have been making fuss about that hole
the boys dug. But we told her that no.
thing could be further from the purpose of
the man with the pimples, and that he had
come to her for some relief for a broken
heart. The old lady called for a cup of
coffee grounds, and pouring off the liquid,
said, "Now, make wish, all to yourself"
The man with the nose promptly said,
''Ready," having doubtless wished for a
tod, all to himself, and the old lady pro-
ceeded, peering all the while intently into
the cup of grounds.
A MODEL FORTUNE.
'Mister, you are in love. It's girl
that's got money. (The nose shook his
head.) Well, her family's got money, or
there's money coming to 'em some way:
mind, tell you! There's been trouble be-
tween you that have come from messages
I that have been sent. A light haired man
man is in it, and he's your enemy, but
you'll be victorious. You'll get her in the
end. Why, mister" exclaimed the dame,
peering into the cup intently, ''there's a
big house right ahead of you both" The
nose sadly suggested that it might be the
poor-house. NO." said the old woman.
''it's q fine big house, and here-bless my
soul, mister! here's man running into it
with money and news" The heart-broken
lover stretched his neck to see the money
and the man, but the old woman told him
that it was only her gift that could recog-
nize it. ''That big spot you see is man
busting with money and news, and that's
good sign. Your enemy is a ight-hair-
ed man, and sometimes wears light clothes,
IA description of such deadly accuracy
that the lover exclaimed, ''you don't tell
me that it's that manly but you'll be con-
queror, and in a week he'll walk up and
extend his hand to you. Now, you'll for
give him. honey, won't you?" To which
appeal the nose said modify he supposed
he would haveto. eff there was more sun
light lit was rapidly becoming dark, 1
would tell you more. If you could get
her to come down here tomorrow, Pm
sure I could make it up between you, bet
ter than you can. just you bring her
down." The lover promised to bring her
down if she didn't in the meantime elope
with the Hght-haired man.
A SIDE ASSAULT,
Then turning to the newspaper man the
old lady remarked s'You are a married
man and you would like to find out some
thing about your wife," to which we re-
piled that we thought it far more impor-
tant that our wife shouldn't find out about
us. The seeress said that this was trans
parent self-depreciation as such an honest
face couldn't hide crooked paths." An
observation which did credit to her knowl-
edge of human nature.
THE FORTUNE TELLING BUSINESS IN
STAUNTON.
"You have pretty good business in
Staunton ?'' we remarked.
"Well, yes-among the ladies. They
patronize old Aunt Jane pretty we'll. They
know I wouldn't tell 'em lie Mister;
what good would it do for me to tell 'em a
lie?" .
"None in the world" we suggested,
''but perhaps you might be deceived your
self'' ..
''No it's a gift! The Almighty seen I
was poor nervous woman and couldn't
work and so he GIN me this gift to make
living. I side with two churches the