River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-15
MARGERY'S FORTUNE.
How q Dissatisfied Girl Learned
the Lesson of Contentment.

How a Dissatisfied Girl Learned
the Lesson of Contentment.
Whenever Margery told about it,
which she seldom did, she always said
1t begun with the gypsy woman.
She, the gypsy c1me TO the farm
house door one October afternoon, and
easily persuaded Margery to have her
fortune told.
Not that I believe there is anything
In It." Margery told her, but just for
my own amusement"
"Ah, little lady" said the gypsy.
with a serious air, taking her hand and
scrutiniziEg the lines on the palm,
.'you know not what you say. Hear
what can tell you about your past,
and then you will be prepared TO be-
1ieve what I say of your future. This
break in the life line tells me that you
have had a serious illness some time in
your life. Within the past FIVE years a
relative of your family has died. You
are ambitious, but you are poor. One
of your intimate friends has turned
into an enemy. Now. are not all these
things true?7
Margery had been making a running
commentary mentally on the woman's
statements:
"a serious illness-let me sec. On,
yesl Mother said / nearly died with
the measles when ! was four years old.
And shes right about the relative dy-
ing, for old Mrs Springer was mothers
second cousin. There's no mistake
about my poverty. An intimate friend
becomes an enemy-Delia Zane, of
course! It's wonderful how this wom-
an knows all these things"
You are right thus far" She said,
aloud, in answer to the gypsy's ques-
ton.
The fortune teller proceeded:
your best times are To come. little
lady. II will not be long until you will
ride in carriage and have many serv-
ants YOu are TO have gold and land
in abundance 4 great fortune is to
come to you suddenly, and soon"
'HOw will il come to me, or how am
] to get ito" asked Margery, eagerly.
II know not, lady, save that it win
come suddenly and soon"
Margery scarcely listened 20 the rest
of her fortune" All her interest cen
tered in the wealth that was TO come
from some unexpected source
Il am to have a fOrtune-a fOrtune,"
she whispered 70 herself, as she went
back to the kitchen to help with the
supper after the gypsy had left.
She had been discontented with her
home life ever since her return from
boarding school, but never had it
seemed more distasteful to her than it
did that evening at supper.
The table ON the back porch; her
father in shirt sleeves; the hired man
seated at the table and performing
svOrd-swallOwing feats with his knife.
which he regarded as a carrying, in
stead Of a cutting tool; her mothers
tea poured into her saucer-how all
these things grated on what Margery
termed her ''5psthctic scusibilitics."
IL was relief when supper was over
and the dishes washed and put away.
She picked up the evening paper,
which Jabez had brought from town,
and glanced over IL
Usually she was not much interested
in anything except the ''society'' col
umn, but tonight she read the papers
AAAAOuEAr ENEAA ~ AA&E taAaA-- -ASt-AA4EAAL>-
When she came 10 the personals she
saw something which almost made her
heart stand still for u moment.
THE undersigned win b. glad to have sent
90 him the names ami addresses % the descend
ants Of Ephraim Taylcr. who came over from
England in I74l and settled in what is now
Compton county.
l. X SINGLEToN, - Pearl street.
Ephraim Taylor was her mothers
ancestor. For more than q century
the Qld-fashioned name Ephraim mad
been in the family.
The gipsy's words flashed across her
mind great fortune, suddenly and
soon"
Mother always said the Taylors
were rich English family originally"
she thought Now l suppose the
English branch is extinct ami they are
hunting up the American heirs"
Her first impulse was TO show the
paragraph tn her father, but ON refiec-
tion she decided it would be better to
write a letter % inquiry herself.
Father IS 50 slow" she mentally
argued land he does hate 10 write let
tiers lie would ..ant 10 consult the
minister and the squire and the whole
neighborhood before he would move in
the matter, and maybe some body else
would have the estate by that time.
80 she said nothing to her parents.
but wrote a letter that very night. stat
ing that her mother was a lineal de-
seendant from Ephraim Taylor, giving
their address. and requesting the favor
of an immediate reply
When the day came on which she
thought she might reasonably expect
an answer Margery walked into the
post office. She was delighted To see n
big. blue, ofiicial-loolling envelope in
No. IS.
The one clerk in the little office was
very busy and she lad to wait some
time before she could get the precions
document
While waiting. she was rather sur
prised TO observe that nearly dozen of
the post Office boxes contained blue en-
velopes similar 20 the one in No. - 1t
was rather queer. certainly.
When once the letter was in her
hands. she hurried ont of the office
and was soon walking rapidly toward
home.
She was annoyed. just a she had
EcacIcA 9usef part OF the ROAD anu
was about TO open her letter. To hear
her name called \ woman in cal
icO sun bonnet came down tn the road
20 speak t. her.
.'Margie." she said. were going to
have little sewing bee here on Tues
day. We'd like tn have You and your
mother come over.
Il thank you for the invitation, Mrs
Thompson, replied Margery. but J
am not certain that we Will be able 10
accept it. shall speak Of it 70 moth
er. though, and perhaps She can come. ="
Il wish vou'd come. 100, Margery,
urged Mrs Thompson ''Genie wants
You 50 much
Genie was Mrs. Thompsons crippled
daughter
II don't thins ! can. but III see
Good afternoon
And Margery walked away
Her conscience didn't feel altogether
clear about her conversation with Mrs.
Thompson. She knew that Genie liked
her and would be bitterly disappointed