The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-11-09
WORSE pEyfIs THAN TIE
OWL.

great trouble. His head rested on hi.
land, his eyes We're fixed ~ The ground
before him, and Els face was very sad; !,
n .lioft, ne really seemed to be il sore
distress.
long the road comes Old Mag. the
ofhlnc-teller. and Gas everybody called
her and feared her as s,,ehl the eodhtfJy
'l!aliHoi ,~,Ntalci! You are very
iad to-day WHAT'S the mattcra"
II guess | have reason TO be sad
answered the Devil. ''Workii,g 50
hard. and vet gaining nothing"
"llo& is that?' asked Mag.
'.Do YOU know that old couple over
vondcr?:" and the Devil pointed to .
farmhouse cut Il piece from the
road.
The tlA man and woman over there?
Certainly | know them"
"a nice. p~eaccable old couple, eh%
grinned tic Devil sadly.
"Oho! that's what worries yor,"
the tnrlnne-jclier, ~ very
nice, ~peacoal,lc old eoHple, that won't
let you get between them. Is that it?n
That it. exactly! lhavc been work
ing very hard for all the years they are
together (and it is now about
fortv) TO SOW discorl between them, but
all in vain. They live on quietly in
spite OF me, don't like 10 give up thu
after having. gone 10 SO much
trouble about it; and yet ] almost dess
pair of yer gaining my point
What will YOU give me if do for you
what YOU cannot doP' asked Mag in her
own taunting WAY.
You bring discord between that good
old coupler
YES, l."
How long will it take you to do it,
do you Think
20. q day or two"
you do in so short a time what l
could not do in all these forty ycars?'
''Ycs,' laughed the old sinner, 'to
show the Devil that there are persons on
this world smarter than himself"
If you can bring about what you
say, will make you Il present of a pair
of new shoes"
"Agreod!' said the old witch. "This
is Thursday. Meet me here again next
Saturday noon and ! will get the shoes.
BE sure TO bring them along" With
these words Old Mag hobbled away.
studying how she could best fulfill the
Devils GRAND.
The next morning, Friday, she went
to the farmhouse "to Try her luck us
she said. 1t was just us she wished.
She found the old lady alone pceling
potatoes for dinner. while her husband
was out in the field digging stulnps.
Mag babe her good-day and then began:
81 am Old Mig. the country fortune
teller. Maybe YOU would Ike 10 have
your fortune told?:'
81 have nothing 10 do with fortune
tellers. Clear this house immediately"
and the wonan motioaod 10 show Mag
her way off.
Just as | expected" said Mag. BE
caus | am \ foytune-tcllcr | dare not be
listened to, but must be driven from the
house. Couldn't | foresec that you
would treat me ,hus' If you will not
hear me, then bear the consequences"
thus saying she turned TO leave the
house.
"Wcll, what have You rot to sayP'
asked the woman, calling her back.
Nothing, if you don't like it!n re-
piled Mag, in q sharp tone. ''How-
ever" she continued, sot,cning her
voice, 81 didn't come to get angry.
though knew well enough that | would
be thus treated. came TO tell you the
truth, whether you like it or not.''
''NVell, what is i,?n
''There are great trials and troubles
awaiting you. All car say, they will
come soon; your husband brings them.
and there is only one way of turning
them off"
What way?" asked the woman rather
anxiously.
ut is n somewhat odd way, and You
may not believe in it, continued Mag.
"Whon your husband is sound asleep,
you must take his razor and cut a hair
away here from his throat" and the
witch pointed 10 her W throat to show
the woman the place.
IF it won't do any good. it will! at
least do no harm to try it, thought the
old lady.
"!!ust as you think" answered Mag.
''But the sooner you do it, the better"
She turned again to leave the house,
ing whether there We're no charges.
no. ma'am, take nothing for this.
May God preserve you from harm!'
AS the old witch passed through the
gate she said to herself with q chuckle:
80 far my bargain is all right. Now
for the old man
She took a roundabout way. so as
not to be suspected. Sir, [ came this
way of n purpose" thus Mag accosted
him, ''to warn you of n danger that is
threatening you
who are you?" asked the man alb
ruptl.y.
Il am Old Mag, the country fortune.
teller"
II have no business with you. Go
your way and Jet me in peace" and the
man turned away from her 70 take up
his work.
a did not come here to tell you your
fortune" persisted Mag, 'but to warn
you against certain danger"
Get out O this! I'll not hear another
word"
well, then. be murdered, for aueht
care said Mag, turning abruptly to
walk away.
Murdered? Who talks about muir
dcr?'
Il do, and so do other folks, too"
lam | to be murdered, you say:?"
Eyes. YOU
"Who wants to murder mc?n
Nobody else but your w wife"
You're a lar, and be c~onfoundcdr'
exclaimed the man, almost in Il fury.
Hem! well that needs to be proved.
heard people say so and l thought il
right to come and warn YOU. You
would do well 10 have an eye on your
wife and to try her, anyhow
Glow will She murder me-, and whv?"
'She will try to cut your throat with
your razor, while you are asleep. so
people say, and that as soon as she gets
Il chance. Why she warts TO do it, !
don't know"
II will try her." said the man sulIen-
ly. 'If it is false. then | will settle with
YOU
81 only tell you what l heard people
say. Try her yourself and you will see.
Good-day, sir With this Mag left,
saying to herself: 1.-The old gentleman
is all right, too. l will DOL have my
shoes"
At noon, when the man went home
for his dinner. he watched his wife
closely. Noticing that she viewed him,
non md +la, II, Z, s+,l.. J;r..,.,t, So