The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-13
A PROPHECY
How It Affected a Young Girl Z
Who Was About to Be
M q ,.r-ia 1

! How It Affected Young Girl I
I? Who Was About to Be
Married
Observation-Disclosures
When Annie and went together to the
state fair held at Hobbswich, we were
just engaged to each other, and every
thing seemed roseate and lovely.
We bought oriental amulets Of a gentle
man in turban, who. when we inquired
as to his nationality, said, $50 help me
Moses 1 am Turk" and at last we
came upon the prophets cave and entered
in. The prophet, done up In flowing robes
and white wig and beard, presided behind
counter on which two beribboned
baskets were set forth, one marked LA
dies" the other Gentlemen" It ap-
peared on inquiry that the prophet saved
time by putting up a number of proph-
ecies in envelopes, as busy grocers do
pounds of tea and sugar. You paid
cents, and then a little green parrakeet
came down from a perch and picked out
an envelope as he stood on the prophet
finger. OF course we bought q prophecy
each. Were we not engaged7 Did we
not delight in the mysterious, as all lovers
do, and after that hurry home to take
high tea with Annie's mother? We had
no time to open our envelopes before we
reached the table. and as it seemed proba-
BILE that they would amuse the party we
produced them there
"Ah" said l, reading the words printed
on a slip Of paper within my envelope.
"Ah, l shall he rich and powerful II I
live Beware of speculation"
We all laughed, and Annie was called
upon to read her fortune aloud. She
opened the paper laushingly. but no soon
err had she cast her eyes upon 1t than she
turned pale.
"Oh, dear" she cried. "Oh. how dread
ful. just when I am so awfully happy!
Oh. John! Oh. pa. Oh. mamma" And
she burst into a flood Of tears and began
20 sob BITTERLY l caught the paper from
her hand and read those words:
Lovely lady. you will die before the
violets bloom"
"And they bloom In May" sobbed An
ME.
Surely, my dear, you don't believe this
nonsense?" calculated.
But Annie cried between her sobs:
"Oh, yes. l do! You will be rich and
powerful, and you will marry some charm
ing woman. but shall be dead before the
violets blow"'
How absurd A printed slip given
You by an old humbug In q fair booth, :"
said her father.
In fact, we all said something, but An
ME wept until she grew hysterical, was
led AWAY and put to bed and was i'll for a
week. The doctor was very serious over
the attack, and when she came down
stairs again she was pale and nervous
and persisted In taking the prophecy as
though It were a revelation from on high,
continually repeating:
81 shall die before the violets bloom!'
1t was quite Christmas time before she
began to be like herself again, and, al
though I loved her better than ever and
she was always the sweetest little crea-
ture alive, could not but wonder how
such an absurd thing could have such an
effect on any one endowed with a grain
Of common sense. l felt sure that, al
though Annie was merry and bright again,
she had not forgotten the prophecy, and
once when I spoke of the fact that we
were to be married in June she sighed
and said:
"Ah, John, spring comes before sum-
mer, and the violets bloom In May"
The worst Of II was that the doctor
made such serious matter of her condi-
ton and told us that he could not answer
for the results unless We could rid her Of
what he spoke Of as a monomania.
Still the winter was not bad, but when
April came we found her constantly wan
dering about the garden and watching the
violet plants, of which there were many.
As | coaxed her away from them l
used to wish that / could meet that old
wretch of prophet and punish him as he
deserved, but he never crossed my path
lie had vanished with the closing Of the
fair. 1t was well for him that this was
so.
With May our trouble grew greater.
We who loved Annie were in despair.
The mother arose at daybreak to nip off
the violet buds. But there were other
gardens in the place. and Annie might
find them there, for now 1t was really
the time for blooms. We knew not what
to do. l remember that it was the 10th
of May when | bethought me that trip
to the city might divert Annie and went
to the house to invite her. My dear girl
met me at the gate, holding violet leaf
in her hand.
"How green they are just before they
bloom" she said.
| took the leaf from her and threw 1t
away.
Forget all about those violets, love, "
said l. LET us take an outing. Come
to New \ Drk and spend the day"
She smiled and said that she would like
that very much and ran away to dress,
while / talked with her mother, who was
very sad and anxious.
Il fear for her mind and her life," she
said.
also had my terrors. but my darling
came back looking so bright and pretty
that I began to feel hopeful again, and
we started on our way quite merrily.
We all know how people who visit New
York but seldom amuse themselves. We
saw all that was to be seen and had
lunch at q fine restaurant. We had fin
isbed and were about to seek other amuse
ments when in turning the corner OF
busy avenue we came upon little mu
scum where curiosities were exhibited
and there was every afternoon a perform
ance of some kind aud at the foot Of o
| long line of attractions read these words
1.-The prophets cave. Don't fail to have
your fortune told by the only surviving
prophet"
1.-THE prophet again" cried I. "Nov
for it!''
Annie clutched my arm and tried to pull
me away, but l refused to depart.
| "My dear" said l, ga dime museum ii
a very vulgar show, but intend to inter
view that prophet and tell him my opin
ion Of him and shall be obliged to take
you in with me-"
AS l spoke / stalked through the dool
and, having bought my ticket, made my
way directly TO the curtained archwa!
over which | saw the words:
1.-THE prophets cave. Mr. Mesrom Il
the only prophet yet alive"