The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-09-09
TOO MUCH SLACK ART.
Inglarious End of Two Girls Hunt For
secrets nf the Future.


+ Secrets Of the Future.
There are two girls in Brooklyn
who, if TIE sub: b:ect of fortune telling
should happen to lie mentioned in
their presence today, would cxclaim
with the sincerest emphasis, Never
againl' Their convictions on this
point are deeply rooted in an expe-
rienCe of week ago. At that time
they determined to carry out what
had been a long cherished project
with them by visiting real" clair
voyant in his lair. So they looked
over the advertisements in morn
ing paper until they discovered one
which held out especially strong in
ducements in the way of reading
1.-The past, present and future, re-
uniting the separated. and all the
rest of it. The two set off to find
the address of the noted man. This
was not difficult, tut it conducted
the girls through part of the city
of which they had little knowledge
and which certainly could not have
been called attractive. Reaching the
house, they ascended to the apart
ments of the "clairvoyant on the
second floor" by a narrow, dirty
and dark staircase. By the time
they knocked at the door of the
mysterious place their first fresh
enthusiasm had been somewhat
dampened, and when the seer him.
self opened to them they were ready
to be convinced at once that he pos
sessed sinister and evil face.
After they had passed in, to their
astonishment their host promptly
locked the door behind them. The
girls glanced at each other, but,
noting that the key still remained
in the lock, they controlled their
anxiety for moment. Worse was
still to come. 1t appeared that this
was merely an antecbamber, and
the clairvoyant led them directly
through it to an inner room, the
door of which he also locked in the
same manner. Then he motioned
them to seats, and the girls dropped
into them, their eyes round with
fear and shaky, insecure feeling
in their knees. The fortune teller
dived into dark closet and brought
forth some strange looking boxes,
which his visitors, in their excited
frame of mind, decided were ex-
tremely dangerous things. The girl
nearest the door moved uneasily in
her chair and cast eyes Of longing
toward the lock. She was nerving
herself for desperate effort. Her
chance came in moment, when the
clairvoyant, excusing himself po-
litely, plunged into the depths OF
another dark pantry, presumably
to hunt up more materials.
Leaning far over. without rising
or making the slightest noise, she
turned the key in the lock and ex-
changed one look of comprehension
with her companion. On the instant
both started to their feet, and, Sc
crecy being no longer possible, they
fairly hurled themselves through
the doorway. An exclamation and
sudden movement behind them did
not serve to lessen their haste.
With trembling fingers the girl who
had made herself leader managed to
unlock the second door, and in their
precipitation the two had narrow
escape from falling headlong to the
bottom of the stairs Meanwhile
the clairvoyant was painting after
them, shouting to them TO return,
but his words only terrified the fugi.
tives still more.
Then the man who had read the
past and from the appearance of
things could make q pretty good
guess at the future lost his temper
and acted solely with reference to
the present. Picking up big, soft
doormat which lay ut the head Of
the stairs, he hurled 1t down furious
ly after his escaping clients. 1t was
well aimed and struck the last girl
squarely on the head and shoulders.
If anything had been needed to COM
plete their utter panic, this accom-
plished 1t. The horrified girls never
drew breath until they were at least
a block away in the open street.
Even then they lodged fearfully
around several corners to battle any
pursuit which might be attempted.
They reached their homes in very
different frame of mind from that
in which they had started, and
never-no, not if you were to offer
them a fortune out of hand for it
will they dabble with the occult in
that form again.-New York Trib-
f1Do