The herald., 1894-09-16
STRANGE STORY OF A BARBER
The Lines in His Palm Told
His Fortune.
The Palm Readers Story Comes True
in Los Angeles.
A Dark Haired Woman Crosses Hfs
Path and Nearly Ruins Him.
Saved by the Fafrs
Haired Womsa.

science OF fortune-telling, If it may be
called a science, nor will they look upon
the whole matter of cla;rvoyance, SEQ.
ond sight, pslmistry, or even lpiritual.
ism as anything but huge and out
rsgeous fraud. 1t is thing which they
cannot understand. and what they can-
not understand they are always ready
enough to look upon az dslusion and .
snare.
| On account of this patent fact there
are many people who will not believe
the story told reporter OF the HERALD
yesterday, and very few who will.
However tho story is OF lccsl interest;
thu people involved are old resi- dents
who are known to many Los Ang'lsfiou
and the peculiar circumstances which 70
to mako up the narrative are not laok~
ing in interest outside of the local unge.
The story was told in q plain, off.
hand, unostentatious way. The occa-
sion for telling it and the reason that IL
was listened to are ALEC easily explained.
Reporters are kept up late At NIGHT a.
4 general thing. Especially 10 tha so on
q Saturday night when Republican cam
didates for high Offices speak be-
fore the public and city offician give
banquets to visiting hremen. Well,
then. it 10 not hard to presume that =
reporter would overlook the fact that .
dense, luxuriant growth of hair has
sprung up on his features and that he
would be improved in appearance by
visit to his barber. Accepting this %
having been the fact with this partiou-
lar reporter OF the HERALD on Saturday
night, and following him in mind, how
natural is it to fud him awakening
from adreamless sleep on Sunday m ern-
ing, unshaven and unkompt, ana the
noon hour at hand.
His particular barber shop ia closed.
He seeks another. Just beyond the
Baker block on Main street there 10 .
little shop whore ono man does ali the
shaving, shsmpooing and hair cutting,
and being . thrifty individual, keeps
open later on Sunday than the more
fashionable shops.
This thrifty barber Is the hero OF this
tale and told the tale himself while the
reporter was in his power.
mo, pm not q superstitious man."
he said. (the reporter had not inti-
mated that he was, but let the matter
drop, "but it's the strangess thing
about my life you ever heard Of;
| buiubk xvi bA&h My OoOA 4 Vv0N I0AQs Ott
| you believe in palmistry No2 Well I
never used to myself. do now, and
I'll tell you why; only, of course, this
| is between you and me.
Il haven't always been q barber,
young man, and Pm not going to be
much longer. Scraping faces ia good
enough business for them that like it,
but, you see, I've got q higher am b.tion,
and I'll tell you how got that ambi-
ton
First I'll tell you what 1t is: want
to be great artist; am q great artiss
even now. but want the world to know
it. That's the trouble; the world don't
recognize me yet.
Ppm German, born in Berlin. Ny
father was wig maker, one of the bess
in the old country, and used to make
great deal OF money. He made mo learn
the trade; never liked it. but still
had a great artistic sense, and my
father soon discovered that my work
was very fine.
HE once made Q wager with a man
who was q barber. that be could make
wig that nobody could tell from q gen.
uine scalp. l made the wig myself. My
father pnt 1t on his head, went down to
the barber's little shop, sat in the
chair and the barber actually went to
work and trimmed up the hair on that
wig, and never knew tho difference
Yes, l was 9 great artist. even III the
wig-making line.
Zone day I was induced by lot OF
young fellows to 60 to a fortune teller's
place. Fortune-tcllers in Germany are !
not such fraude ss they are in America.
She took my hand, studied for O long
time the lines Of the palm, aud whilo
che held my llaa - -er OWL
wishered, Ieshless p-w, Ae. wsilS.sd
face assumed az e-preslioa!eas.
| unexplelnsbl appearance ssc e pecr-
her dark eyes.
"'You will be great she said. The
lines are right. but there is dark
haired woman with large, black eyes
a small woman, but trescherous as the
tiger who will cross your way be-
fore you reach the mark, and
lead you down, down into tho
depths of shame and despair. You will
break her spell in the end and rise
again. Slowly you will regain the lost
ground, restore your good name, and
come day you will be O great mana
great'-Hhe faltered in her speech here.
turned her fearful eyes on my open hand
again--'a great--great--artist'
Ihen see Anotner woman cross
your path; fair-haired woman with
mild blue eyes and soft, sweet voice.
She will be your wife. She will help to
make you great by always loving yon
and trusting you. and leaving you alone
to do your own work in your
own way, while she makes
your home q paradise. And you
will be blessed with many children be-
fore the world knows your worth, and
the children will aid you. too. because
when you look at them every day you
will say: For their sake must strive
alwsye.'
1.-The old hag's words had some effect
on me a. the time, but soon filed mr
mind with other,tningu and they passed
away.
II came to America. Things went all
wrong With me. tried the trade had
learned OF my father and from that
drfted into the barber business. l
could make no headway. Though |
attached no weight to the words OF the
old bag, and had. in fact. forgotten
them. my heart was not in the barber
business. l had great desire to be an
artist.
From New York l wandered arou
the country and finally found myselt&
Madison, Wis. There. now, follow