Middletown transcript., 1899-04-08
of a man, guess l know how to take
him. Come with me-"

IL Jack, "you'd better mask. as well as [.
Q So Tom and l selected the garbs ol
o two mountaineers, and with black wigs
p and little color on our faces. we were
disguised enough. Jack Hearty picked
f out the dress of an astrologer or NEGRO
k mancer. He had red robe. reaching
: to his feet, covered with mysterious
r characters, and belt of black cloth
4 worked with gold.
On his head he wore tall, red hat,
1 running up to apeak, with serpen!s and
: lizards worked on it, and with signs of
Q the diac on the wide rim. He had a
: wig of white hair and beard covering
his b east of the same. Then he got a
] great red covered book with silver
clasps, full of strange characters.
} Thus equipped we set off and were
/ lucky enough to find Cap'n Lunker in
} the cafe, where he usually stopped. He
} was sittin' at corner table alone, With
bottle of wine and glass before him.
Jack, looking the most like wizard of
anything you can possibly imagine,
went and sat down directly at the other
side of the table, while Tom and 1 got
near enough to see and hear.
Cap'n Lunker looked up, and it was
plain to be seen that the strange pres
ence startled him. The wizard opened
his book, and seemed very busy over its
pages. By and by be said, as if reading:
"What is this?-an Americana"
And then he read off lot of gibber-
ish that was fit to make your hair stand
on end. His voice was simply awful.
1t was like the roar of breakers in the
| distance.
"Thou art an Americana" he finally
said, point blank.
Eyes, SIR" said Lnuker, with a
culver in his voice.
1.-THE stars told me should NEST a
stranger from over the sea-" said Jack,
in the deepest of tones. Fortunate is
he who knoweth all tongues, and whose
feet have pressed all lands. Know, my
son, that have travelled on foot through
the f)wery realm Of the Mongol; l have
braved the ice Of the north, and have
barred my head to the sc1rching rays of
the equator. All quarters of the ter
restrial globe are known to me, and
every star in the celestial vault hath
opened its meaning to me-"
Cap'n Lunker was plainly w)nlar
stricken. And we'll he might bs, for
the astrologer's manner thrilled even
me, who knew the ch3at.
"My son." went OF Jack, 81 hive
never prostitutel my noble scisnca to
the greed of gain. would like to speak
with thee plainly"
He paused little while and then
went on and told Lunker about his past
life, from his boyhood up. You can
imagine how this cap'n gasped and star
ed. He sat like one spsll-bound, for
the stranger had told him truly every
thing.
"Wouldst look into the futurep" the
NEGRO mancer asked.
Lunker said yes.
Jack opened his book and pref ended
to read. By and by he shut it up with Z
a groan, and then opened it again.
'This is darkp'he said. 81 hear vail
and cry as Of pain and agony; aud it
is the shadow Of. But, my son, let ;
US close the book. Sssk to know 10 g,
more;
Now you see, this was just where !
Cap'n Lunker couldn't stop. He was
bound to know more. He trembled
from head to foot, and was afraid; the {
ft of curiosity was upon him. He beg 8
ged the astrologer to go on. Jack op. S
ened his book again and presently said: t
81 hear the sound of heavy blows b
not upon you my son; but yet very near 9
to you-and this is the SHADOW that 0
comes upon the verge of your own t
death. There shall bs wailing and o
tears, and agony and blood, beneath I
cruel blowsl Such shall be the note of /
your mortal dissolution. When you Z
see and hear, know that your end is at d
handp n
"But gasped Lunker pale as death, b
sis it near or farP" a
1.-THE mystic hand doth not tell me. Ii
can only see that thou are connected "
with the doom in more ways than one.
find it here set down: Gum signum F
momentum adragandumI' b
which signifeth: His hand shall in Sc
vite the doom foreshadowed!' By r.
which it would seem, my son, that W
some voluntary act of your own is to al
bring the fatal shadow. Could this be a,
averted, the rest is prosperous. ic
"But", said Lunker, grasping, like N
tainting man, suppose there should be is
40 pain, and no agony-no lashing' or le
Tailing-which could PREVENT"
~ have spoken my son. If thou
,anst avert that fatal shadow, 1 find M
beyond. But beware the sa
lark hour. II
And with this Jack closed his book W
ind arose and shortly afterward Tom ID
md followed him from the cafe. At A
he costumer's we took our own clothes 81
md having paid the bill, We went to ~
he opera. ST
Cap'n Lunker didn't come on board We
Until the next mornin', and of his first m
'rders, after he got over the side, was ne
or setting Bill Warren at liberty and Fl
ending him about his work. an
"Are you goin, to fog himY" asked fri
he first mate. alb
"No!" said the cap'n quakin' all
yer. And after little time be add -
d: "I've thought better of it. l WON'T WnO ~
ave man struck on board ofthia chin ~