Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-22

Aaoalie Opnela dE5inOre, late OF BarlS ana
London, who has exhibited before all the crowned
heads OF Europe is prepared to tell fortunes,
cause love and give spirit seanees at her rooms
- Sacramento street. Everything in the strictest
confidence.
What do you think of paying her a
visit and having our fortunes told? 1t will
be amusing, and I am moping myself to
death with the blues"
81 scarcely like it," said Gertie, re-
luctantly, 81 think it is nonsense in the
first place, and if it is not it must be
wrong"
Sc can't see what there is wrong about
it, said Mrs. Harlay. "We can wear
thick walls, and nobody will recognize Us,
even if it were much frequented street,
which it is not, at least in that place, and,
then, she can't eat US. you know"
Perhaps she won't eat US, as you say,
but can't see what good it will do us.
Oh, do stop making your stupid OBJ
jections," broke in Mrs. Harlay, impa-
tiently. You are enough to drive one
crazy. Can't you see that I am tired to
death of the dullness of this place, and
want something TO stir my blood? Let us
go over there this afternoon"
% Very well, said Gertie. elf you viii
have it so but 1 don't half like it.
In the afternoon they started, equipped
so as to attract as little notice as possible,
and muffied in thick, Opaque walls. When
they arrived at the cave of the sorceress
Tor ghost mopger shall we call her? they
were shown into luxurious apartment,
heavily carpeted, with marble fountain in
the center, where gold fish played and the
crystal water fell with rhythmic cadence.
| Deep, soft couches lined the walls, and
thick blinds were ready to shut out the
vulgar daylight, in order to secure that
dim, religious light which modest spir-
I its love. There is no ole who would be
rude enough to expose their nakedness to
an unfeeling world, for they come from re.
gions where dry goods are not. After
sufficient delay to impress the visitors with
a sense of her Importance, Madame Ophelia,
ETC., entered. She was an ethereal-l looking
person, of slight build but symmetrical
figure, and considerable personal attrac.
tions for it is curious fact that the
spirits do not like ugly women, and to this
extent resemble imperfect mortals OF the
more earthly sex. Madame Ophelia (her real
name was said to be O'Phelan. but that is
nobody's business but her ownl scrutinized
them closely.
sit is madame who to the spirits has
recourse is it not ~" she said, to Mrs.
Harlay. She had picked up a smattering
of French in the course of her wanderings
and affected that idiom, or, when ignorant
of it, she inverted the natural construction
which sounded equally uncommon, and. ON
the whole, rather supernatural. Mrs,
Harlay assented, and the oracle proceeded
Madame, to unvail will please. The
spiritual essences anything will not reveal
to those who only half confidence give"
Mrs. Harlay submitted with a suffi-
GENTLY bad grace; she did not half like
revealing her identity to this person, but
then she reflected that the sorceress must
already know it, for was she not the bosom
friend of all the ghosts beyond the river
where walls are dispensed with because
they are useless. Unvailed, her identity
was apparent enough to the most earthly
mortal of us all, for her known liaison
with Charkup had given her certain
notoriety in San Francisco, and, as | have
tried to impress on my readers, she was
woman who, once seen, was not easily for
gotten. The bosom friend of the ghosts
seem satisfied, and with click the blinds
were closed, and they were left in what
seemed absolute darkness, at first, until
their eyes grew accustomed to it. Gertie
Blake was little frightened she was
always rather afraid of the dark, and,
when she heard = soft strain of music that
seemed to come from the corner of the
ceiling she thought she was unpleasantly
near the confines of the other world and
if spirit had come and tweaked her by
the nose, as is their playful habit,
she would have screamed aloud and
rushed to the door if she could
have found it. Presently, however,
they began to see little; the prophecies
had thrown herself on a couch in the cen.
ter Of the inner room, which communicated
with that in which they sat by folding
doors, permitting full view after their
eyes had become accustomed to the dark
ness. She began with graceful gestures to
draw her hands over her eyes alternately,
and seemed to yield gradually to the &C.
cult influence, with copious signs and SEN
suous contortions. Her voice came in gasps
and starts, as if the machinery wanted
grease or the devil was in a bad humor.
ga magnificent hall see," gasped the
unvailed prophecies. Around are bronzes
of the rarest and paintings of the most
costly. Liveried lackeys on deep carpets
glide to and fro. In the distance palace
of glass, where plants of the zone tropical
wave. Madame stands in the center of
the hall. Is it that it is the hall of
madame, for example? l think that, yes
but no, not yet. There is a gentleman
with madame. He turns the back to me.
He is tall, and strong and broad of shout
der. 1t arrives to monsieur to kneel him
self down to madame. He points to the
splendid hall, to the costly paintings, to the
palace of glass. to himself, and offers them
all to madame if only she viii be his
wife. He rises ; he clasps her in his arms
she consents"
This was very satisfactory ard fully as
much as could be expected for the money,
as the prophecies seemed to think, for she
woke up from her trance, and said that she
could see no more just then, but would be
happy to see madame ON some future occa-
sion, when the spirits might have more to
tell-for consideration. Spirits must live
as we'll as other people. As Mrs. Harlay
and Gertie Blake issued from the
hallowed precincts Of the spirit world,
two men were walking on the oppo-
site curb, one of whom said "Surely,
Jack. l know that figure; it must be Mrs.
Harlay ~
"And the other. my dear Charlie, is
your little friend Gertie Blake. | would
swear to her walk anywhere"
So it is What is that place they are
coming out of p
"Why, I thought you knew That is
the den of one of the most notorious
spi-itist women in town." answered Jack
Holmes.
''Let US go up and have our fortunes
told. 1t will be heaps OF fun !" said Charlie.
mot much p burst out Jack. ''Of all
the degrading forms of superstition, mar
ried to sensualism, that is the lowest"
How do you know? Have you ever
tried it %
'No, 1 am not an expert in juggling,
but believe those who have tested 1t. Be-
sides, the intolerable bosh they put in the
mouths OF illustrious dead men is enough
to convict them without more.
We'll, old man, l suppose you feel bet
ter, now you have spoken your piece"
g Well, suppose 'so." said Jack, "but
Charlie, have got little piece of advice
which l want to give you, even if it does
not do you any good.
$50 ahead, old man. Discharge your
grooming conscience of its precious load %
and Charlie bowed his head in preparation
for a moral showerbath
Well, it is about Dawlish. | don't ike
to see you so much with that man, Charlie.
He is bad lot. hope you are not mixed