Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-09-26

returned to Sicily, and those We're al
most his last words to me-"
My father, Rubino Vincetti, who
had died in my very early infancy,
had been of Sicilian birth, but my
mother was English, and had always
resided in England and was a thor
ough Englishman in my habits, al
though took after my father in fea-
lures, and, as I could speak Italian
like native, l was often taken for
one.
For young man of twenty.three to
be told that he is not to go to certain
place is rather likely to send him
there, as it is "daring" him to do 60,
and had 1 had any desire to go to
Sicily 1 fear that, even then, my
mothers repetition of my fathers
warning would not have prevented
me. However, I had nothing to call
me from England until, nearly four
years afterwards, visited Italy for
the purpose of studying painting, to
which art I had devoted myself, and
whatever impression the warning had
made upon me at the time it was
spoken had then faded from my mind.
An English friend, Arthur Atwood,
fellow-artist, was staying with me at
Naples, and he expressed wish to see
Mount Etna, and 1 consented to &C.
company him.
We arrived at Messina in due
course, and enjoyed the beauties of
the island IN the orthodox fashion.
On the day of our visit to Etna we
were prevented from returning to our
hotel at Catania as soon as We ex-
pected, owing to violent thunder.
storm, during which We took shelter in
Sicilian cottage. the only occupants OF
which were an old, wrinkled, gypsy.
looking woman, who seemed to be any
age between eighty and hundred,
and her granddaughter, who was
beautiful specimen OF Southern girl
hood, not more than seventeen years
Of ago.
The old woman, bent with age, her
dark face wrinkled and crossed with
lines in all directions, but with eyes
almost as bright as the girls, looked
the very picture Of an old witch, and,
at my request, she sat while sketched
her. I gave her small sum of money
in return for her shelter and the will
ingness with which she had posed for
me, at which she was highly delighted,
expressing her gratitude in over
whelming thanks. She insisted upon
telling me my fortune, and, entering
into the joke as I thought 1t, / held
ont my hand for her examination.
"Signor Vincetti," she began,
"you-"
"Hold hard, old lady," interrupt.
ed. GLOW do you know my name"
II know what know" she replied.
with cunning smile that gave her
ancient features an expression which
was weird in the extreme. "Signor
Vincetti, you will live long and have
much happiness and prosperity, if you
succeed in escaping great peril
which will CROSS your path on the eve
OF the new moon next after your twen-
ty.seventh birthday! Beware of two
men, who will seek your life!'
My curiosity was excited, but, do
all that could, l was unable to OBJ
tain anything more from the old
crone. She refused to utter another
syllable except to repeat her warning.
beware OF the eve of the new moon
next after your twenty seventh birth
day."
The storm having abated we took
our departure and returned to Cat
ania with our guide, who had been co.
journing IN an adjacent hovel. The
next day was Friday, and we made up
our minds to return to Messina and
take leave of the island on Saturday.
l could not quite shake off the old
gipsy's words, although I tried my
best to dismiss them from my mind,
and in thinking of them fact &C.
cured to me which had overlooked.
I was twenty-seven years old ON the
previous day, Thursday.
Thinking of my birthday led me to
think of my mother, and thinking of
my mother brought back her repeti.
tion OF my fathers warning, "that l
was never to put foot in Sicily" Yet
there was, in direct defiance of it.
turned to my pocket almanac, and
found that it was new moon on the
following morning at o'clock, SO that,
according to the old DANES prophecy,
that friday evening was my time Of
peril. am not nervous man, but
must confess that when pnt all the
incidents together ! felt a bi. creepy.
I had never told Atwood Of my
mothers word; in fact, l had almost
forgotten them until the thought of
my birthday recalled them to me.
Now, as we seuntered along under the
shade of some trees and inhaled the
perfume Of the growing lemons, I re-
lated the incident to him, and told
him that it had been my twenty.
seventh birthday yesterday and that
tonight was tie eve Of tho new moon.
If anything, my friend Arthur was
loss nervous and more phlegmatic than
myself. but he seemed strangely agi-
kate.l