The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-01-21

ing would do but Mr.. Wetherbee should
lake another drink of whisky, this
time not for his health but for pure
c~onviviality, in fact, he was supposed
to revel vicariously for the whole fam
lily. He drank, mentally wondering
what he had at home to take the taste
out of his mouth: Then he handed the
child to her mother md started to go
home, when Smith suddenly turned in
to the astrOlOgist, and insisted on cast
ing his new friends horoscope. Learn
ing the date of his birth and guessing
at j hour, Smith drew astronomical
figures on a slate in a neat manner,
and at last began to read off the mean
ing of his stellar stenography in a
hlshcd, important voice. He told
Wetherhee everything that had, hap
pened to him, only none of it had hap
pened. Then he told him various things
that were to happen to him, and
cheered up wonderfully when his visit
or sighed as he dilated on a blonde
woman who was troubling his heart
and who would be his ONT day
There was a blonde oma troubling
his heart. but there was small proba-
bility of liet. being his some day or any
day.
Then Smith went on to talk about a
dark woman who was making trouble,
but only temporarily, so to speak. "She
amt serious. h may make a bother,
but she amt %seriOuS," concluded
Smith.
Good night said Mr.. Wetherbee.
"You don't believe in the science. l
can see that; but it'll all come true,
mind my words. Look out, don't trip
over the scraper."
The blonde woman in Mr.. Wether-
bees cas- was a certain Mrs. Cynthia
Hildebrand, the widow of one of Mr..
Wetherbee'S associates in business,
who had been d disagreeable and high
ly immoral spendthrift. She settled
down in her widowhood serene in the
satisfaction that she had an elegant
home and plenty of money.
But her peace Of mind was greatly
disturbed by a certain Mr.. Henry
Wetherbee falling in love with her,
and, what was worse, asking her to
marry him. That she said she could
not do. He was her nearest and dear
est friend. If she ever could marry a
man she would marry him. But she
never, never could; he must not ask
her.
OF course he did ask her, and asked
her more than once, and there matters
stood; and there they were likely to
stand.
But Henry Wetherbee was a man
who, when he wanted anything, want
ed it With his whole heart, and after
eighteen months of waiting, he began
to find the situation in~tolerable. He
found that he was getting into a NOR
bid state bordering on mild mania.
fiJn1 wait an oven two Years. and
then if she won't have me I'll go away
somewhere long enough to forget 1t, If
| can"
A friend came to him with Il big
South American scheme. That settled
it. He Joined and agreed to go to South
America in June.
But it did not settle it at all. He was
Just as morbid as yer. He did a great
deal of moping around, and the only
amusement he had was in watching
the astrologer rebuild his office" He
even discussed the color of the paint
and the style of the signs. Smith tried
to convert him to d belief in the stars
and that amused him, and finally the
office was completed, and there ht
would sit hid behind a screen listening
to Smiths clients, who were many
times as eccentric as Smith himself
and Smith had many clients now.
Wetherbee and Smith became fast
friends, and gradually Smith began tC
worship his benefactor with d0g-lik(
devotion. He saw there was some
thing on Wetherbee's mind. and il
didn't take him long to straighten out
the tangle.
Mr.. Wetherbee's coachman and Mrs
Uildebrand's cook were clients OF
Smith. and it didn't take him long tt
get at the bottom of the whole bust
ness. No society gossip knew lis mucl
about the Observation-Disclosures atfai1
as Smith did inside of two months.
ITS perfectly ridiculous, Sarah,
can't see his man.
I'm sure, missus knows best. IT.
only that I'm thinking so much of yel
bonnie self that l aXed him to com
here. He's a great magician, mann
Fire can't burn him.
ooh. very we'll, Sarah. Show hin
in" she said at last, "but it's perfect.
ridiculous"
Smith. alias Mahatta, astrOlOger, 1ir'
monarch, seventh son of a seventh son
in a very ready-made suit, with n
earthly idea of what to do with hi
hat, profuse of bows and painful.
fustered. did not inspire awe
"You wish to see me"' inquired tn
lovely widow, somewhat sternly.
Madam" began her visitor in