Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1882-01-07


'1m gypsy, I'm seventh child. l
see the future. III take any little bit |
OF ]ewelry if you haven't any money.
Have your fort 1ne told" But Violette |
shook her head and closed the door.
II cannot steal, and to beg I am
ashamed said she to herself. CATER |
it is dark tonight I'll go out and tell
fortunes
Then she took two hat-irons to the
Junk shop, bought loaf of bread and
pint Of milk, and fed her four children
she for whom nothing had once been
dainty enough and who had ridden in
her own carriage.
She put the children to bed and left
the key with the neighbor in case of fire,
dread that haunts these many storied
houses like ghost, and then, disguised
in veil, hood and shawl, went forth ON
her errand. 1t was crazy dream. She
had no courage to attempt fortune tel
ling It was worse than begging.
She wandered along the streets, leav-
ing the ill-smelling ones behind her,
and coming at last to the pure, sweet
homes of luxury. In the end she stood
before her mothers windows. There
was light in the basement, and through
the lace curtains she saw table spread,
and the shadow of figure she knew to
be her mothers on the curtain, and there,
| drawing down the shade was Martha,
| who had nursed her when q child.
Tears filled her eyes, It was para
disc which she never hoped to regain.
Had not her mother written
IA curse on you. Never darken my
| doors any more, unless you wish to hear
me utter it.
But here at least she had not the ter
ror of strangers upon her; she could
beg or tell fortunes. She would tell
fortunes. Martha was superstitious,
and always had dreams of matrimony,
and of the coming back of lover who
had gone to sea when she was in her
teens, aud had never been heard of since.
She crept up to the window, and
tapped on the panes. In moment
Martha opend the door.
The hooded figure drew near her. =
'.Let me tell your fortune ?" she said.
"Bother," said Martha. "I'm past for
tunes"
"What ?" said Violette. with a
lover gone to sea %
Lord save us !" cried Martha.
"And in one place twenty years, .
said Violette.
"You know more than is good" said
Martha "Stop bit. Are you one of
them clairvoyants %
"Yes," said Violctte.
"Could you see where people are,
what's come of them, and that ~ asked
Martha. "For instance, ga1~thats s
been gone eight years, could yed look
for her in dream like, as I've heard
they can, and find her?"
eyes, l think could, said Viplette.
) 'Sit here, then," Martha said, point
ing to chair in the hall, and hurried
into the dining room.
She came back in moment,
Come and speak to missus," she
said.
And Violette, trembling so she coull
scarcely stand, entered her mother's
presence.
No love is like mother S. Violette
had known that since she cast it off
She knew it now, looking on the pale
l face where wrinkles had come so thickly
ON the hair all turned gray now-o1
e the sad eyes, that were 50 bright ~heI
0 she last saw them.
She longed to kneel at her mother,
i feet and beg forgiveness, but she daret
not yet-had not she sinned too deepl,
|, to hope for pardon? She stood silen
r with her head bowed down.
"They tell me you are clairvoyant.
J, said Mrs. Lorrimer. Il have not mucl
" faith il such things, and if the powe
4 prospers its possessors so little it canno
:. he worth much ; but still have some
!. thing l should like to ask you. Yo,
i search for persons who are far away. IL
r you not-and for lost things 2"
q Violette bowed.
At IL you can find something hav
k lost, will repay YOU well, said Mrs
f Lorrimer Here, sit down. PERHAPS
/ if you have this knowledge, you can ,e
me what have lost
Violette sat dovp.
1t should be darker" she sail
le "WiI you lower the ligh, =
Martha turned the gas down and s,oo
OF behind her lady's chair-and there va
id silence. Niolette had cas-. back her ye,
but the freight was rot bright enouc
TO show her features.
e. Lady, she said, in lo~ voice :.
DO IS not gold or silver tha, I SEC. j,
?" nothing that can be bought fer none,
L, Wha, l see is girl.