Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-04-10

OF MIN, and shall be obliged to take you III
with me'
AS spoke stall1ed through the door
and, having bought my ticket, made my
way directly to the curtained archway ovel
Which saw the words:
The prophets cave. Mr.. Mesrom is the
only prophet yet alive"
"AhP' l said as read this, "and it is very
probable that in little while the world
will be entirely destitute of prophets.
intend to finish off this one"
AS | expected, Mr. Mesrom was our old
original prophet---white wig beard, robe
baskets. paroquet and all as before. Two
| young people were just departing with
their envelopes in their hands, and we had
the place to ourselves. l walked up to the
counter, and, fixing stern gaze upon the
prophet, said, in a low voice:
Mr.. Mesrom, have an account to settle
with you"
The prophet retreated as far as the wall
of his ''cave'' permitted.
'Iook a-here, sir" said he, 81 don't wish
no trouble with no gent, but if you are
remarks are not personal, but any gent
making trouble in this museum will be
bounced by the management"
Gail right" said I. 81 suppose, being a
prophet, you don't mind answering a few
| questions?"
mot if they're CIVIL" said he.
"What want to ask you, Mr.. Mesrom,
is this" said I. "What the deuce do YOU
mean by putting up in your envelopes
prophecies calculated to alarm nervous fe-
males-prophecies of death and disaster?
Such one, bought of you, has done more
mischief than I can tell. 1t is absurd that
! it should be so, but it is fact You have
upset lady's health and unbalanced her
mind"
ooh, John!' whispered Annie reproach-
| fully; but went on, shaking my fist at the
prophet:
GA woman who believes that your non
sense is prophecy got hold of one of those
yellow envelopes that foretold her speedy
death, and, as l said, the consequences
were deplorable and are still. She will not
listen to reason. She may die of over
wrought imagination, and if she dies you
die also! I've a mind to kill you now!'
The prophet retreated sagain as I shook
my fist at him, but he stared at me in
amazement as he did so.
| ''Look here, sir" said he, eve don't put
no prophecies of that there character into
| none Of our envelups. Them sort wouldn't
be popular. Our'n is all favorable and en-
| couraging. We make a rule they shall be-
| Besides,
Him that prigs what isn't his'n,
When he's cotched shall be sent to prison,
which is in the gents basket, and is re-
garded as a joke. There amt no evil
prophecies in the collection Oh, no, it's
some other prophet. There is two OF three
of them along the Bowery. None genuine
&c SM lte friend" said e"you are the person
who had a booth at the stats fair at Hobbs
witch last autumn"
eyes, | was there" said the prophet;
':but, as l said, ourn, especially for the la
dies, is all encouraging"
"Do you call this encouraging?"I asked,
taking the envelope from my pocketbook,
where I had kept it since that fatal day.
''Read It'll"
Mr., Mesrom took the slip of paper from
1ae, gazed at it, and read it aloud;
"'Lovely lady, you will die before the
vlolets blow he repeated.
'Now, eff that amt blamed shame Pm
donkey! See here-that amt no fault of
mine. PHI explain. But the lady hasn't
read the rest of the printing; it's been
folded up and tucked under somehow
readin' it altogether amt so bad''
He had smoothed the paper now, and it
was evident that 1t had been folded SO as to
conceal several words which followed those
had read.
"'Lovely lady, he began again, you will
die before the yiolets blow if you let that
cold run on and don't take good old DIR.
Dodds' Magic Cough Strip this winter.
For sale in the great hall. 81 per bottle.'
"Don't you see?" Mr.. Mesrom said, APP
pealing to me, "that that amt no proph-
eey, but just a regular adta I'll tell you
the way Of it; Thai old quaoh, Dr. Dodds,,
had his cough sirup at the fair, and he
bribed our boy to stick some of them cir
cylars into our envelups. I suppose some
was distributed before caught him at it
and dismissed him with as good q welting
as boy ever had. Why, that amt no proph-
ecy, lady! Here, lady, let Polly pick
you out a true one to make up for it. No
charge whatever"
He held the paroquet toward the basket
She jerked out any envelope with her beak
and dropped it into Annie's hand
"Qpen it" said !: 'open it and read It,
1t Is the true one, you KNOW" and on the
instant the dear girl obeyed and read aloud:
"You'll be a bride in June"
"Alps well that ends WE'LL" said the
prophet. "Hope you are satisfied, STRIP
Entirely" said I, offering him my cigar
case, and Annie and l went home together
In 9 state Of utter beatitude to Whiah w
had been strangers since our first Interview
with the prophet, and when we arrived at
the door Annie rushed into her mothers
arms crying out:
ooh, mamma, dear! am not to die when
the violets blow-l am to be married In
June "-Mary Kyle Dallas in Fireside
Companion.