The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-27

her tece completely lost its merry expression
ana hecame sober and oppressed She walked
along briskly enough and | was about e
turn mp through Nicholson square and leav,
her when saw her stopped by an old wo
man with a basket on her arm. H. was IN.
basket which caught my eye first, and sac
gested a hawker Of tapes and needles. ant
Then looked at the face OF Che basket holder
and decided that IL was Mag Storrie They
were good bit from me. but gesture Of
anger from the glrl drew my attention To her
lace. and made me get little nearcr-sti
ON the other side Of the street The face o,
the book folder was crimson with passion
and, though none OF her words reached my
ear, | could easily tell from their rapidity
that indignation and wrath were almos,
choking her. The fortune teller, on the Other
hand was calm and insolent She spoke
little, but every word seemed to strike home
and at length the book folder took out her
purse and offered her a silver coin, which
was contemptuously refused
More wrath and alteration from the girl
ana more cool retorts from the old woman
and then two silver coins were offered and
again refused. Then in burst Of anger the
girl emptied the purse into her hand. and
put the whole OF the money in the open palm
OF the old woman, who pocketed IL without
thanks, and said something which brought a
deeper cloud 30 the brow OF the girl.
'Blackmaill' thought, as | snapped my
fingers and whistled aloud at the discovery.
That ignorant girl was right after all.
There is something between these two--what
is itn
a. fu4T. 4 4
ways without my being dble to settle the
question. thought the matter over for the
remainder OF the evening without coming
much nearer TO solution. IL was clear that
hoSina Wilson believed herself IN the power
OF the fortune teller and was being bled re-
morseleSsly, but, as the secret was known
only 70 them, It was scarcely possible for me
20 discover its nature. / could easily have
believed that the old woman might have
I gone through some trumpery form, which
she might call love charm or incantation.
but how that could have had such surpris-
ing effect on the lover was the staggering
point. The mummery mig ht deceive the girl,
but how could 1t charm the mani
According to Bella Richardson, Marshall
WAS n simple, true hearted, steady fellow.
who had never shown the slightest disposition
to wander M his affections. and had ALWAYS
expressed the greatest dislike and contempt
Tor hOslna, whose undisguised efforts 10
catch him had always excited his disgust
fct that same fellow had changed as com
pleiely and as mysteriOusly As If he had been
turned INTO another man. and was now about
70 marry the very woman whom ne had pro
iessed TO despise | could at this moment
have arrested Mag StCrrie, and was even
urged 10 do 80 10y Bella, who blndly under
stood that she had been wronged by the old
woman, though she could not define the
wrong, but l was now curious 20 get at the
bottom Of the secret before closing in on the
fortune teller. l soon decided that the
knowledge could never come 10 me through
Rosina herself, who was SO desperately anx-
ious 20 have 1t concealed that she submitted
% be blackmaiied, and Us firmly was / con-
WINGED that Mag would never pronounce the
words that were TO send her to prison There
remained then only Marshall himself t. be
tried, and quickly decided that it would be
useless to turn to him either, as, if any charm
had been worked, he would certainly be ig-
norant Of its existence
Three times on the day following turned
in the direction Of the cabinet makers in
which Marshall was employed, and as often
turned back again, saying to myself that it
would be useless. The day after, however,
found myself by chance in the lane, and
turned towards the workshop and entered it
before the old fit came on me.
Marshall was not there, and the old cabi-
net maker who told me 50 added for my in
formation, "Wore slack the moo, and there's
no a job for him TIL l finish this table"
There was no other at that end of the
place, and the man seemed in no hurry to re
sumo his scraping and sand papering, 50
sat down on a bench close by and began 70
chat with him.
Marshall Is going TO be married, | be- |
lieve, / remarked, after had accommodated |
the old man with a chew Of tobacco, smok- !
ing being against the rules.
"Ay, puir, silly creatur, he responded
"Whats silly about thatf laughngly in |
quired. Some must marry or the world |
would come 10 an end"
"Oh, I've naething against that, for I'm u
married man mysel, % he briskly returned, /
'but mean that no was a puir, silly crea-
tur' % believe a that miserable spaewife
tollt him."
Good Lord was there a spaewifc heroT
exclaimed, with powerful start, which
nearly landed me among the shavings cover
ing the loor
"Ay was there" aud be never was the
'ame man after. She cam IN pretending she
wanted 10 sell needles and thread in the up
losterers shop, but when she got in she be-
you'd 10 tell fortunes for threepence u head.
md near a the shop got their hands read. l
lima ken what she tellt him, because she
aid naebOdy was % hear it., but he was as
White as a corp when she was dune Wi him,
md I've heard--but that's name o my bust
lessn
"Oh, well, it's safe enough with me-" en-
remarked. "What have you
.eardp
I've heard that he's quarreled Wi his
weetheart, and taen another. a through
hat Witch o EndorS lees. She tellt him
hat was to have a stroke O good luck, and
n the road hame drunken scaffY broke his
,cscm owre my held. Then she tellt Sandy
IeatOn that there was a joyful fortune
omin' 30 him from distance. aud twa days
lter he gaed hame and fund that his mother
n-law had come and brocht her boxes wi
or, 70 bide for ategither. Oh, the jaudl !
gish | could get baud O. her again-ld joy
III fortune herr and the old man rubbed
way at his table top as energetcally as If he
ad been sandpapering Mays nose
"Oh, well, you know, you could not expect
great fortune for threepence," laughingly
amarked, ''if it had been half n crown or
We shillings you would have had more cause
, complain. But how did il happen that I
on heard all that she promised the other
IAN and nothing that she told MarshallT
because she took him AVA into a corner /
Y himsel'-that was after she had dune wi {
!. She charged him shillin', as she said II 5
as MAR dffeecult 70 read, but he seemed 10 Z
u the value OF, for when she gaed away ye t
,uld have knocsit him doom wi feather,
I'd he said she was a witch, for she had tellt
m everything he had dune since he was y
,rn" q
was about to reply, when the old man r
ave a low hiss, and indicated the door with v
look. aud, turning round, saw young y
How entering The shavings on the flooi o
"a deadened the sound Of his footStep for 0
seemed 10 have got near enough 10 heal 4
G last words, and frowned at the old man b