The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-06-17
THE ORACLE.
a Somber Prophecy and How 1t
Was Verified.

have never believed much in for
tune-tclling. or palmistry. or anything
of that kind: but when my two dear
cousins, Amy and Dolly, who were de
wont believers, urged me to go with
them to Fatima-Fatima was the last
now prophctcSS-I could not refuse
them. felt that they, or one of them.
had a right to know what there was To-
be known about my future, because /
was going To marry one of them.
Both were delightful girls-Amy a
lovely blonde, Dolly n sparkling bru-
nette. Each had fifty thousand dollars,
and each, think / may say, was quite
ready to marry me. l only hesitated
between them because l could not bear
TO crafty one at the expense of the
other; and, in spite of their amiability, l
had seen unmistakablc signs of little
rivalry between them.
We went all together to Fatima'S. and
I took my stand before her, exactly
eQui-distaut from a cousin on either
hand was not going to give Fatima a
lead if | c."ld help it. The prophecies
was plain woman of about thirty, and
she looked rather sour when | insisted
on both the young ladies being present.
however ~llN Ntill 10 NAI II anu A2i'Aitt
out some details Of my past life, giving
special attention to my smoking habits
i knew | smclicd of cigars-and my
debts; which latter information she
might Just as well have kept to herself.
At last she could not shirll the question
of my matrimonial future any longer.
She east puzzled glanccs, first At Amy,
then at Dolly-both were looking at me
-n
me; l gently took hand of each and
pressed it a1Tcctionately. Fatima sighed
and gave it up.
You are loved" she said in n deep
tone, ''by two beautiful women lthe
girls looked pleased); one is fair amy
bIushedD. the other is dark dolly col
orcd). You love both in measure II
pressed the two hands,, and" - Fatima
paused.
well, which is it to bc?' I asked
She bent over my hand Il see n
double line, once broken. l see n we'd
ding. and 4 death, and a wedding; and
the time for all this is short. You will
wed one; but let the other endure: the
Joy of the one will bc destroyed with
her life in little space, and the other
shall be satisfied. l have spoken. The
charge is one dollar"
But stop" | cried. (which is to
marry me firSt?'
The lines say naught as TO that.
One You will marry, and she must die;
and the other follows"
..But hang il, is there no way out of
this?''
She knitted her brows and looked
again AYE. if you will; but that way
lies 4 red hand-a hand dyed as though
in blood. All, tits n woman causes it,
The girls shivered, and l hastily flung
down the dollar and went out, consid-
erably impressed, in spite of my s1epti-
cism. with the somber prophecy. My
cousins were rather silent on the way
home and met all my somewhat forced
attempts ut making fun of Fatima with
coldnesS; both were distant in their
manner to me and not over-cordial to
one another. / darcsay this behavior
was natural enough, for,if Fatima spoke
true, one of them " as doomed to early
death, leaving her rival triumphant;
and this doom was only to be averted
if | committed n murder. Was | To
murder one of them? Horrid thought!
Before many days were over I wished
heartily that we had never been to Fat
ima'S. No more pleasant talks tete-a-
tete, now with Amy, now with Dolly!
They both avoided me sedulously. On
the other hand they began to show al
most exaggerated affection for one an
other; they Were never apart, and
treated one another with the most low
ing, almost anxious friendship. In
fact, l should have found my stay in
the house very dull had not Mrs. Girdle-
stone, pretty little widow with great
hazel eyes and mass of auburn curls,
consoled me a little.
! soon found out the meaning of the