The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-10-24
EGYPTIAN MYSTERY


You leave the region of fire and pros
porous residences and walk west. Pres
emily you come 10 rows of brown ston
houses, close to the sidewalk, pathetiOa.l. l.
preserving the odor faded gentii.ty. Il
the first-story windows are little cards
reading Rooms, in small and elesan
type. Two blocks farther all shame i
thrown off, and house after house carries
a big card with Furnished enblazoneC
in six inch black letters.
Then shortly the big old houses dizap
pear and you come to a qua ter WHERE
both sides of the street are ll4eI with lit
tie wooden cottages, dirty and unpainted
Scattered among the mat freque inser
walls are little saloons and on The fron
door sare homemade signs announeis q
Washing Done Here There are ais,
bushel baskets on the sidewalks. viii
signs above them reading, Express, Goa
and Wood"
In this section the cedar blocks pave
ments are In state of chronic eryp ion
Pools of black and oily water fill all the
cavities and bent Old women sling back
and forth with baskets hasf-full Of de-
cayed cedar blocks and bits of board
Dirty and unshaven men. with shifting
eyes. stand in groups of two or three on
corners. Everywhere are children
one smaller the dirtier-playing in the
cutters or doaging across the streets with
pals of foaming beer.
In the heart of this district stands a
half-tumbled down wooden house of two
stories. An old woman of 65, look ng ten
year solder, lives in the ffrst-story rear
room. The entire upper story is occupied
by a prosperous rag-picker and his FAM
iS.
neither side of the door leading to the
'-first-stcry front" stands a barrel and on
each of the barrels stands a cage. In the
cage to the right a small bar nowl ruffles
his feathers against the cold. Ia the left
sand cage a half-brown crow. with clip
ped wing, stands on one leg and shows his
discomfort by an OCCASIONAL cav"
On the front door is tackled a small
black placard, on which is printed in red
snd gold letters, now much obscured By
weather. the legend. Fortunes Told.
The Original Egyptian Mystery"
There are two small windows looking
out Of the "frst-hoor front" Over one
OF them a black shade is pulled tightly.
I'm the center Of The other window wi h
ITS glass eyes almost against the pane,
stands a stuffed black tom cat.
1t was the first cold morning of the
coming fall, and inside the room the orig
fnal Egyptian mystery was sitting close
TO little stove. She threw a few corn
cobs into the sove and stretched out her
thi nand wrinkled hanes to the blaze
That s all there is, Mi lhael, she said
Apparently she was talking to a large
white rat. for that seemed 10 be the only
other Twin gthing in the room. with the
exception of a couple of white mice in
the same basket full of rags and cotton.
The original Egyptian mystery was old
He rfaee was wrinkled and scanned in
curious lines. Her hair wa sthin and
dirty gray, and her clothes were thin and
greasy
Then there came a knock at the front
door. The mystery got up quickly. took
from rail in the corner long red and
black calico robe. and threw it around her
shoulders. spread a greasy pack of cards
nthe oiicloth-covered table. and took a
teacup, half-full of grounds from the top
of the Uttered stove. Then she sat down
in her unbroken rocking chair took the
white rat and the mice into her lap.
end called Come in." in a shrin. old
voice.
A woman of 50. wearing n second hand
boys REFER, q bedraggled skirt, and a
mans straw hat, came cautiously into
the room. Her face was red from the
Isold wind, and all the sharp angularities
q her figure were pitiful1y revealed.
Say, want you should tell my for
tune. {" she said
"Have you got the price?" demanded the
Egyptian mystery.
"In pay you sure just ssoon as"
Now, look here. Maggie. I've tod you
three fortunes on tick, and that's as far
as I'll GO 1 got 10 have my 10 cents. first |
this time
But l got to have It told fh's time And
] hain't got no dime. Whatn you take in :
trade?''
Let's see.' said the mystery. shrewdly. |
s'lf you'll fetch me that basket fun of |
cadar blocks III go in trance for yau." |
The basket was seize dard presently re- 1
srsned filed with the black and Shiny I
blocks fresh from the uptorn pavement 4
Well. what's this you want to know |
about, Maggie
ITS about Tom" she began.
''Uh-huh," interrupted the mystery
That's enough" Now jtst wait.
She leaned back in her chair rolled her
eyes, and made kissing sound in her
throat. Then she leaned over and began !
10 shuttle the cards.
Il see a dark man
That's Tom broke in the visitor.
He's gone away from home He's
standing in a saloon now. drinking q
slass of beer. He isn't in Chicago. 1t
ookzs to me like place down south If
hef little people amt misleading me he's
n I Louisville. Ky
t'When'A he come back TO me?' asked
NE younger woman
Hell be back when the sun shines
bright again and the Grass is green"
He amt goin to leave me TO take
.are of them children all alone his win
er. is he?" demanded The questloner ef
he oracle
why not amt he?" snapped the mys-
cry. all at once dropping her mystic char
scter. Amt that just what he done last
vinter?'
The woman in the straw hat began to
'ry. rubbing her eyes with the backs of
ler dirty and chapped hands.
Now just wait minfte" said the
Egyptian mys cry more kindly. There's
| lot more TO be seen in these tea
rounds"
The visitor stopped her sobs and sal IN
o listen.
Il see tan lady in a silk dress sai'
he mystery. shes standing at your