The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1883-05-30
THE HAND OF FATE.

1IAAAlnalulnlllninirI
THE HAND OF FATE
When / was still going tossaO9,.
in the graduating class to besatei.
and past sixteen, and very largsiOf
my age, four Of US made up,ouf
minds, one Saturday afternoon, to.
have our fortunes told.
There was gypsy canlp onton
the common beyond the town, With
yans, tents, cualdtoons aud The
whole paraphetnalia Of gypsy life,
and everybody walked or rode out
to visit it. We decided to walk,
and as il was a bright cool day, en-.
joyed ourselves much better than
if we had been cooped up. in the
stage, or even in a carriage;
1t was in October. Some of the
foliuge had changed color a little,
and there were red and golden
tints amongst the green; sNowand
then the wind shook the trees and
scattered showers ofleayesup6n the
road. Purple asters and golden rod
were still in bloom, Here and
there grew crimson squay berries,
and bitter,SweeI burnt like gold
along the stone fences. Each Of us
gathered u great bunch, and we
held them III our hands us we en-.
tered the path that led into the hol.
low where the camp lay Young
and romaatici wo we're ready to be
delighted with eSerylhing-wilh
swarthy gypsy selling a colt to a
stout farmer with old grandmother
baby on her
kuees, aud the dirty Black eyed
children squatting about every.
whore.
There were visitors in plenty,
and most Of the women we're busy
telling fortunes. As we approach.
ed, woman who had been sitting
on a fallen log arose, and . man
who had been talking to her; pull.
ed his hat over his eyes aud turned
away, like the villain in a melo.
drama. The woman wore a wide.
brimmed straw hat, with d wreath
of artificial flowers around ill.,
Her hair was dressed stiffly and
primly in well,oiled bands" She
had u aowered delaine gown and a
little red woolon shawl covered her
shoulders. She was certainly nei.
ther young nor beautiful, as the
gypsy maid" Of song and drama
must inevitably be; but she smiled
amlubly upon us, and calling US
pretty young ladies" asked if we
would have our fortunes told.
Glare, our spokeswoman, declar-
ed that to have been our intention
in coming, and We soon proved the
truth of the aduge, "a fool and bis
money is soon parted" by dropp.
ing each 4 dollar into the gypsy's
PALM
"who shall | begin with, pretty
ladiesH" asked the woman. "And
will sou have your fortunes told
private or togethetV"
Glare answered that we had no
secrets frotI each other, and that
"this Young LADY," indicating Belle
with the point of her patusolj
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 u title, a Lord or a Duke,
would cross the sea to fall in love
with her; that she would live in a
palace beyond the ocean and be
waited on like a 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 q great musician, and
we all laughed, for we knew that
Mr., Martelli, who taught the piano
to tho graduating class, was very
much in love with her.
Then Glare seated herself on the
old log and opened her hand, palm
toward. 1t was large and hand.
some. Clare was something like
Lady Jane, mot pretty but mas.
'ive." The gypsy told her she
would be q soldiers wife.
Oddly enough it really happened
not a year afterwards. We were
all at the wedding, The next day
Col. " rode out Of town at the
head Of his regiment. He never