Wichita eagle., 1889-01-09
SUPERSTITION.

folder came forward and scanned the en-
She was ghastly pale, and so worn and thin
that could have believed that she was
Btrnght from sickbed instead of her work
l think she YVES about to turn and shrink
away again, when her eye caught mine and
said:
Are you looking for any oneF'
'Oh, no." she answered, in tone that
meant ooh, yes" and with little more
shrinking; then, seeing me smile, she took
courage and said:
SIS there really such man as M'Govang'
EI laughed outright, and her courage seemed
10 rise at the sound, for she almost smiled in
concert.
'Of course there is-don't you gee meF'
Dear mel are you M'Goveng" she ex-
claimed, quite forgetting her terror in the
momentary surprise. Il thought he was a
fearful man"
$50 am. Are you not in terror before
me? Are you not afraid I'll eat you up on
the spotl"
She laughed heartily, but when she had
done the old weary look came back to her
face
II don't know If I've any right to be
here" she said, with the dentists door look
again Selling her. isn't fortune telling
against the lawP
"Yes, if they take money for it. Did you
give them money!
Il didn't get my fortune told" she slowly
answered, with tears in her eyes, $50 I've no
right to bother you with my trouble"
"Oh, it was somebody that got the fortune
toldg"
mo, it's not that either, for I've no right
to interfere with what she does, but there
must be something wrong in it when it has
turned my lad against me-" and she burst
out into a fit Of crying. SO l had
to get her inside to take her
away from prying eyes, She gave me
her name as Bella Richardson, and her trade
as book folder, naming big printing place
not far off as the shop in which she worked
and by the time / bad these details iotted
down she had so far recovered as to be able
to look around her and speak more calmly.
But her excitement remained, and her mind
evidently still ran on her wrongs, for she ex
claimed:
Pm sure that fortune teller is at tie bot
tom OF it, but Gamma prove it She came to
the workshop one day selling needles and
tapes ard things, and she told Rosina VII
sons fortune for sixpence, and said she was
TO get fair man who didn't care for her at
that time, though she was daft about him
Ny lad is fair, and Rosina Wilson was lust
mad to get him, but he never would look at
her. His name is George Marshall, and he's
q French polisher, and works near our shop"
But how could that prediction affect your
lovers regard for you when he did not hear
it mGdep observed, a little amused at Ler
gravity.
Il don't know how it was done, but he
never was the same to me after, and l re-
membered then that Rosina followed the
fortune teller out Of the shop, and stood
speaking to her for ten minutes, and gave
her more money. know she gave her more
money, for the lassie that saw it glen would
not tell me lie"
What was the extra money for7'
Il don't know, but | think it was for O
charm"
"A charm. What on earth is that7n
Something that would turn him from me
to her. she answered, blushing at her own
confession
BLESS mel is it possible that any human
being believes such nonsense at the present
dayP warmly exclaimed. "Why you're a
thousand years behind your time"
''She hung her head, but speedily returned
TO her point.
she did something to him, and it was
through that fortune teller. for we were to
be married in June, and now he never looks
near me. And she is never away from him,
and she told one of the laSsies that she's to
be married 10 him next month"
You had quarreled with him or disap-
pointed him il some wayg'
No, never had a word with him, and |
believe he's rs fond OF me as ever ken by
by the way he looks at me when | pass him
on the street"
'ruts as fond Of you as ever, and going to
marry another woman-that's absurd"
Yes, that's the charm that's on him, and
ltl never break till he's married TO her
"lnpbn, that's common enough without
fortune tellers being in the business at ALL"
remarked. But what do you want me to
90! You can't expect me- TO go and saw,
Cham, come OF him, and so on TO some
married man. That's O little beyond my
power. Then you do not charge the fortune
teller because she did net tell your fortune
or take money from you. Did you never
ask him why he had changed towards your
III he doesn't want me he must Just do with
out me. but the pride did not seem to give
her great comfort, for she cried again quite
bitterly After little, however, she thought
that the capture Of the fortune teller might
nave some elect IN weakening the charm on
her lover, aud agreed to get one Of her COM
parlons IN the shop TO come and set iaforma-
zion upon which we could act. Accordingly
rh., t,F% J = 81
other girl, who not only described the telling
OF her fortune and the paying of the money, /
but furnished me with the name and address (
OF the fortune teller, which bad been left with .
her, lest any Of her friends should wish the
harridan's aid. Nag Suorrie was not e gypsy,
and knew no more of divination By cards or
Of palnistry than the man in the moon, but (
was simply cunning old hag, with few .
scruples, and all her wits about her. ready to 1
earn shilling in the easiest and safest way.
She lived IL Halkerston's Nynd and had a
much nicer home than any other successful 4
thief in my ken. Up TIL that time | bad 4
never paid any attention 10 her. as she af- 4
tected TO be weak and Old, and toStered along |
"lth her basket Of tapes and needles as pa |
thetically as if she had just been dropping
into the grave, and seemed to be earning nm /
honest livelihood Now, however, had o
ne" interest IN her, for the story Of the book
tolasf ma impressed NE in spite of myself.
W haeeVer may be said of a woman,s reason.
her instincts are quick enough and seldom ct
fault, and this girl seemed to feel in some
way that there had been q conspiracy be-
ersan the fortune teller and her rival which