The Newtown bee., 1899-10-20

neyman ta lor of irreproachable ehs1 ae- ter. Carmen made no response, but her face became clouded.
 Why so serious?" asked her ungl. You told me the young man pleased you."
 "Yes, but tailor !"
 My child," rejoined the curate, you are not uarchione- 8. What you need is good man who will bye you and maintain you in suitable manner. Nov this young man seems to possess the re quisite qualities, and you will d. wroI z If you should rtjecr him because he i4 only an artisan"
 "You are right, uncle," assented the girl.
 "Wsll, then, he will come to-morro Y to ask your hand in marriage. 1 hope you will not give him refusal"
 On the next day Carmen and the hous = keeper went out to see if they could not find in some lottery flee the number cor responding to the number of pitchers of water which the inn keepers of Madrid poured evt ry day into their wine. A eta- tistician had ascertained this number bg most laborious calculation, and he had demonstrated that the scarcity Of water in Madrid was to be aecribed solely to this daily practice of the innkeepers.
 In the street an old gypsy woman came up to Carmen, crying out:- "Oh, my pretty little rose, brighter than she sun and fresher than the morning dew, you ought to have your fortune told. Will you let me tell it? I can divine the ] hearts secrets and penetrate into the .- ture."
 Carmen turned away disdainful y, and l the old woman was going away ~ hen she perceived Ciriaca. Immediately she ap- preached the latter, exclaiming in accents of joy :-
 "Ah, noble lady, protecl ress of the DO 1r fortune teller, God must have sent you hither for me to tell your fortune 8Cd that of this youn grose here."
 Thank yOu," raturned Ciriaca, drilY. "Y ou are going to serve me the aame way you did when you told me should win in the lottery with number core bonding to the number of steps in the tower of Santa Cruz"
 How noble lady" exclaimed the gyp- sy, 'yOu used the number and did not win?'
 Mot a cent"
 "Then I swear to you by the stars of heaven that if that is the caso, you ID ust have made mistake in your count"
 'Bnt counted the steps. one by one, from the bottom to the top," protested the old housekeeper.
 "But you ought to have counted them from the top to the bottom, /" returned the fortune-te' Ter. That is what | told you, and have never deceived any one."
 Ciriaca, whose intelligence was not of the highest, began to ponder what differ ence i6-could make whether the steps of Santa Cruz were recKoned from the top downward OF from the bottom upward, and she ended by believing that ehe had been wrong in doubting the infs 1Iibility of the prophecies.
 'Now, then," resumed the shrewd old gypsy, "shsll we tell the fortune of this olushing rose of spring"
 Have done with your nonsese, inter posed Carmen, drawing back her little white hand from the old Voman's dry and brown ones.
 My nonsense,'' exclaimed the gypsy. 'sMy dear young lady, for 50 years have been telling peoples fortunes, good and bad. and have Lever tod an untrue one."
 Carmen tur led to Ciraca for advice, and tthe credulous cid housekeeper per- suaded her to place confidence in 8 science which she herself believed to be really infs llible. The fortune-teller ex- amined attentiv, ly the young girls palm.
 ''Here are some lines," she b'gan, (which unite and form an O, which stands for office. These here form an H, which stands fer high. Oh, beautiful hands with veins of gold! Your going to marry man who will hold very ex- alted station in life."
 At these words Garments eves shone, while those of hs companion filled with tears of joy. .
 "Ah, my dear child, ,"cried Ciraca, ,clasp- 3FIoP tho ngiyl in hor ktravr was indeed right in saying that you would marry a prince. Your husband will be a prince. Your husband will be at least prime minister"
 The housekeeper and her young charge returned home in the highest of spirits, and immediately the girl declsred to her uncle that she positively could not mar ry tailor. Then she betook herself to her balcony, musing on her future glory, and the poor young man across the way, looking at her and smiling in return as on the previous evening, put on sobe r counsenance-like that worn at the flu. neral of poor rslation-and turned away from the window with 8 contemp. tuous movement.
 III
 Months and years passed. and Carmen grew more and more beautiful. In her walks, at the theaters, st bal1s, and, in short. wherever she vent, she wss fol- lowed by those yOnDg gs s1iants who con- stantly hover around beautiful woman. Often she heard declarations of love which she could not entertain seriously, because they were not made In seenIy and VI rthy manner, and because her mind was constantly occupied with the high destiny promised by the fortune AsAlfe :.