Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-08-15

friends clustered around her, making
occasional bolts toward the door to
receive new visitors. OF course, her
daughter Miss Nettie Blake, ought to
have helped her mother with the so.
cial duties; but that young lady was
sitting in tar corner. engaged in
earnest conversation with a certain
Mrs. Rapley, who protested to know a
great deal about spiritualism.
"But tell me-" Nettie was saying in
an awestricken voice, "can this wo-
man you were talking about really see
what is going to happen to people, and
do her prophecies always come true?"
LAS to that" replied her friend, II
have certainly known her foretell the
future wonderfully; but she succeeds
best in discovering peoples charac.
ters and lives from merely holding
in her hand something belonging to
them. For instance, if you give her
letter she will, without even looking
at it, tell you all about the writer,
though both you and the writer are
quite unknown to her,"
Now, besides the mum Der of lady visi-
tors at Mrs. Blake's that afternoon
there had been one man-Captain LIE
6treme Tassling of the Life Guards.
He had left little while before, but
Nettie's thoughts were still full of him;
in fact, though she had known him
but brief time, this foolish girl. fresh
from the schoolroom, had lost her 70.
mantle little heart to the handsome
soldier, and had accepted him as the
ideal man. OF his feelings toward her
she knew nothing, but she pleased
herself with imagining that his charm
ing manners were even more charming
with her than with others, and that
his dark eyes had particularly ten
der look in them when in her com.
pany. Such thoughts were buried
deep in her inmost heart, and were
never breathed to anybody, except, of
course, her especial girl friend, who
didn't count; but she pined to know
whether her conviction was right, or
whether his calls and attentions were
for her mother alone. The talk with
Mrs. Rapley at once suggested to her
mind way of satisfying herself on
this point.
81 should so much like to see this
marvellous thought reader" began
NetAe again. 81 wonder how 1 could
manage it. Does she live far OFF,"
"She lives in Philippa Road, st.
Johns Wood, replied the other; "but
I should advise you, if you think of
going, to ask your mothers leave"
ooh, no, I don't think I want to 60
really-at least-I might" stammered
the girl, "but I'll ask mother. What
number did you say?"
Number 43; it's small provision
store" answered Mrs. Rapley, rising
to depart; "but probably Mrs. Blake
will not let you go. Good by"
The visitors having gone, Nettie
fastened to make note of the sd-
dress, privately resolving she would
not give her mother the chance of re.
fusing her permission to visit the clair
voyant.
A day or two after ward, when din
ner party was under discussion, Net
tic was strongly in favor OF inviting
Captain Tasting; and though she had
to bear some banter abou. this eager.
ness she gained her point, and also a |
promise that the gallant Captain should
take her in to dinner. The invitation
was sent, and next morning at break.
fast Mrs. Blake laughingly tossed a
note across to Nettie, saying:
''Ihere. my dear; hope that will
satisfy you"
1t merely contained the usual formal
words, captain Tasting has much
pleasure in accepting Mrs. Sherwin
Blake's kind invitation to dinner on
10th instant" Yet Nellie preserved
the note carefully, and, like the little
goose that she was, read it over and
over again when she was alone, taking
in every letter of the beloved hand.
and even-but no; it were
unkind to mention every little girlish
folly that she committed, and, besides,
Nettie is not the only silly girl in the
world.
The time had come to put her plan
1nto execution, however, and In con-
siderable trepidation she crept out of
the house, armed with the precious
scrap of paper, by means of which SO
much was to be revealed to her. BY
the time she reached the District Rail.
way station Nettie we'll nigh repented
and abandoned her plan; for she was.
on the whole, good, dutiful daugh.
ter, and her conscience reminded her
that her mother did not like her going
out alone, and would assuredly object
to such an expedition as that whereon
she was bent. Still, the burning de-
sire for an answer to one question
overcame all other considerations, and
having resolved within herself that
she would stay but five minutes with
the clairvoyant and then go straight
home, she took ticket and rushed
down the stAna in time for a Roker