Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-04-01
A PROPHECY.


seemed roseate and lovely.
| do not suppose that the machinery was |
more wonderful than usual, or that the |
pyramids Of fancy soap and wax candles
were more translucent, or the silverware
more elegantly designed, or the pumpkins
bigger or the artemerias and dahlias liner,
or the specimens of portraiture sent by the
rival photographers more lovely, or Sweets
preserves moredelicious, or Spicer's pickles
more dainty; or any OF the exhibits much
beyond what they always were in beauty
or value, but we were engaged, and every
thing seemed so.
We loaded ourselves with arms full OF
yellow and blue circulars, under the i'm
preston that we were making a choice lit
erary collection. We tasted free spoonfuls
Of "Dr. Dodd's Magic Cough Syrup" and
deemed IL the nectar OF the gods" We
listened To a hideous brass band that blared
away in kind Of loft at the bottom OF the
main hall, and believed that a heavenly
orchestra was giving MS a musical treat;
and later we partook Of chicory coffee,
corn starch ice cream, leather sandwiches
and stale sponr rived in "a grotesqW
arbor hung V ia t.ss,.s paper flowers, and
believed ourselves to have feasted deli.
ciously You see, we were engaged, and
that makes such n difference in everything.
We spenta long afternoon at the fair, going
about arm in arm and thinking of little be
sides each other, and in the twilight came
out upon the grounds among the "side
shows"
Punch was there, chattering as usual,
and our hearts were so soft that we wept
when he killed the baby. There was a
frightful juggler in booth who cut
peoples heads Off, but afterward found
them under clothes baskets, well mended
and none the worse for their decapitations.
We bought oriental amulets of a gentle
man in turban, who, when we inquired
as to his nationality, said, 80 help him
Moses he was Turk" and at last we
came upon the prophets cave and entered
In. The prophet, done up in flowing robes
and white wig and beard, presided behind
a counter Gu which two beribboned baskets
were set forth one marked Ladies'" the
other "Gcntlemen. 1t appeared on in.
quiry that the prophet saved time by put.
ting up number of prophecies in enyel.
opes, as busy grucers do pounds Of tea and
sugar. l0u paid i've cents, and then a
little green paroqnet came down from a
perch and picked out nn envelope as he
stood on the prophets finger. or course
we bought prophecy each Were we not
engaged? Did we not delight in the mys-
terious as all lovers dor aud after that
hurried home To take high tea with Annie q
mother. We had no time to open our en-
velopes before We reached the table, and as
IL seemed probable that they would amuse
the party, we produced them there
"Ah!" said |, reading she words printed
on a slip Of paper within my envelope
''ah! shall be- rich and powerful II live.
Beware Of speculation
We all laughed. and Annie was called
upon to read her fortune aloud. She
npap,.I la ~ NJ. gnnpar
had she cast her eyes upon II than she
turned paic
"Oh, dearr' she cried, 'Oh, how dreadful
Just when | am SO awfully happyi Oh
Joint oh, pal oh, mammal" and she burst
into GOOD Of tears aud began to sob bit
terly caught the paper from her hand
and read those words:
Lovely lady, you will die before the yio
lets bloom"
"And they bloom in May. sobbed Annie
surely, my dear, you don't believe this
nonsenses" | calculated
But Annie cried between her sobs;
"Oh. yes. do. You will be rich and pow
erful, and you will marry some charming
woman; but | shall be dead before the VIC
lets blow
"How absurd A printed slip given yor
by nm old humbuy ia a fair booth" sale
her father.
In fact we all said something; but Ami,
wept until she grew hysterical, was leC
away and put TO bed, and was i'll for
week The doctor was very serious owe
the attack and when she came down stair
again she was pale and nervous, and per
sisted in taking the prophecy though 4
were a revelation from on high. continu
ally repeating:
IL shall die before the yiolets bloomi"
IL was quite Christmas time before sh'
began TO be like herself again, and nj
though | loved her better than ever, ant
she was always the sweetest little creatur
alive, | could not but wonder how such al
absurd thing could have such an effect oil
any one endowed with "A grain of common
sense / felt sure that although Ami
was merry and bright again she had no
forgotten the prophecy, and once when
spoke Of the fact that we were TO be maj
ried in June she sighed and said:
"Ah, John, spring comes before sum
mer and the violets bloom in May"
The worst of it was that the doctor mad
such "A serious matter OF her condition, an
told US that he could not answer for tn
results unless We could rid her Of what b
smoke OF as a mouomanta.
still the winter was not bad, but whe
April came We found her constantly wal
dering ahont the garden aud watching th
violet nlANIAs 81 AAlAAA AAiNtA WIZ AAA-@A@F
As coaxed her away from them 1 use
10 wish that could meet that old wretc
OF prophet and punish him as he deserye'
but he never crossed my path. lie ha
vanished with the closing OF the fair
was well for him that this was so.
With May ouF trouble grew create
We who loved Annie were in despair. III
mother arose az daybreak TO nip OF the '
olet buds. But there were other gardet
in the place, aud Annie might hnd thei
there, for now il was really the time Il
blooms. We knew not what to do. r
member that it vas the 10th Of May, whe
bethought me that trip TO the city migl
divert Annie, and went to the house 70 u
vite her My dear girl met me at the gat
holding a violet leaf in her hand.
How green they are just before the
bloomTi she said.
took the leaf from her and threw
away.
Forget all about those yiolets. love
said /. "Lat us take an outing Coma
New York aud spend the day"