Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-02-23
THE HAND OF FATE.

When was still going to school.
in the graduating class, to be sure,
and past sixteen, and very large for
my age, four of us made up our
minds, one Saturday afternoon, to
have our fortunes told.
There was gypsy camp out on the
common beyond the town, with vans.
tents. cauldrons. and the whole para
phernalia OF gypsy life, and every
body walked or rode ont to visit 1t.
We decided to walk, and as it was a
bright. cool day. enjoyed ourselves
much better than if we had been
cooped up in the stage, OF even in a
carriage.
ltwas October. Some of the foil
age had changed color a little, and
there were red and golden tints
amongst the green Now and then
the wind shook the trees, and scat
tered showers of leaves upon the road.
Purple asters and golden red were
still in bloom. Here and there grew
crimson squaw berries, and bitter
sweet burnt like gold along the stone
fences. Each of us gathered a great
bunch, and we held them in our
hands as we entered the path that led
into the hollow where the camp lay.
Young and romantic, we were ready
to be delighted with everything
with the swarthy gypsy selling colt
to stout farmer; with the old
grandmother handling a dusky baby
on her knees; and the dirty. black
eyed children squatting about every
where.
There were visitors in plenty. and
most of the women were busy telling
fortunes. As we approached, wo-
man, who had been sitting on fallen
log. arose, and a man, who had been
talking to her, pulled his hat over
his eyes and turned away, like the
villain in a melodrama. The wo-
man'wore wide brimmed hat, with a
wreath of artificial flowers around it.
Her hair was dressed stiffly and
primly in we'll oiled bands" She
had on lowered delain gown, and a
little red wooden shawl covered her
shoulders She certainly was neither
young nor beautiful, as the gypsy
maid" of song and drama must inev-
itably be; but she smiled amiably
upon us. and calling us pretty
young ladies'" asked if we would
have our fortunes told.
Clara, our spokeswoman, declared
that to have been our intention in
coming, and we soon proved the
truth of the adage, A fool and his
money is soon parted by dropping
each a dollar into the gypsy's palm.
WHO shall l begin with, pretty
ladies?" asked the woman. And
will you have your fortunes told pri
vately or together?"
Clara answered that we had no
secrets from each other. and that
this young lady" indicating Belle
with the point of her pretty par
asol, would be the first to have a
glimpse into futurity."
Belle, blushing rosy red, put out
her little hand. and we all listened
while the gypsy told her that some
one with title, lord or duke,
would cross TIE sea to fall in love
with her; that she would live in a
palace beyond the ocean, and be
waited on like queen There was
more but have forgotten it. Belle,
was delighted, and Rose was the
next victim.
The gypsy told her that she would
marry a great musician, and we all
laughed, for we knew that Mr. Mar
tell. who taught the piano to the
graduating class. was very much in
love with her
Then Clare seated herself on tie
old log, and opened her hand. palm
upward. 1t was large and handsome.
Clara was something like Lady
Jane, not pretty but massive" The
gypsy told her that she would be a
soldiers wife.
Oddly enough it really happened
not year afterwards. We were all
at the wedding. The next day Col
onel V rode out Of town at the
head of his regiment. He never came
back. Glare wears her widows vail
for him yet. and his miniature lies
over her heart day and night forever
But where have l straycd to! Let
me 90 back to the bright autumn day,
and the gypsy camp. and the four
school girls. half knocking. half be-
lieving. very merry ana little fright
ened. 1t was my turn, and l sat be-
fore the dark, hard-eyed woman, with