The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-20

either. when I tell you t had
my fortune toll yesterday. I
wouldn't have done it under
a.- ordinary circumstances, but
jes' as was passin' by a house til sign
Fortune Tellin' on it I foun' a quarter
There wasn't anythin' I specially needed
'th that quarter, tho there were plenty of
things I could have got. for you can al'ys
fin things to buy when you have money,
seems if But that quarter comm the
way it did, jes' made UP my min I'd
leave it where foun' 1t an see what the
fortune teller could tell me bout my past
It I didn't know. --.-. -.
1.-THE woman may be good fortune tell
er, but she isn't a good housekeeper an
could have written the word 'sloven' all
over the walls an the tables an I'm not
sure but on the fortune teller herself. I
couldn't have stayed there sixty minutes
'thout gettin' a broom an dus' pan for
company, but she didn't min. There's
nothin' like gettin' used to things to be
comfortable, but seems if it came easier
to some folks N to others. She was a sad
Ilookin' woman as if she'd los her lus
ban an seven children in IA cyclone an
she asted me would have the pas, pres
en- or the future toll, for I couldn't have
all for quarter. '-- ...- 49,
81 know considerable bout the pas an
I'm not uncertain bout the presen,' says
II, so if it's all the same to you, I'll take
a quarters worth Of future says I.
out pack of cards It toll me It she either
did a good business or else played soi-
tary lot, for they were so dirty you
could hardly see the spots.
"'You'll soon be a widow, says she,
an the tears came to her eyes.
'..Wil ~ says I, lookin' her full in the
face will it be before or after get mar
RED says I.
If you arn't married what makes you
wear a plain gop ring on the third finger
Of your lef' ham, says she, a-shufflin'
the cards together an lookin' like thun-
der cloud stead Of steady April rain.
"'Cause it's the only one it fits. says
I, maxim up my min I'd stay till I got
my moneys worth.
"She didn't say anythin' for spell, an
then she shook her head an says she:
There's a cloud hangin' over YOU says
she. I dunno as can pierce it an: see
beyon',' says she. Seems If I can make
out journey an presen' but they're
dim an uncertain to me- says she.
AN to me- says I, for the only jour-
ney I'll have'u be in the street car an
don't care much for the presents get
iousecleanin' time. dunno why women
can't wear out their OF clothes them
. selves. It's as much trouble for me to
get rid of 'em as it Is for EN-
1.-THE fortune teller didn't seem inclined
for conversation, an the cloud seemed
to be castin' shadow over everythin'
Finally she says she'd try my han, per-
haps she could see somethin' there. It's
a good ham says she, an it has fu-
ture It has money In it, says she,
clutchin it as if it was Mississippi river
pearl she'd jes' dug up. You'll never be
rich but you'll al'ys have plenty
THAT means I'm goin' to have work
evry day, steady says I, interruptin' her
again, for somethn' to do IS the same as
riches to mos folks.
Here's an S or an r.. says she, a
studyin' my han as if it was a Chinese
laundry lis. DO you know anybody
whose name begins TIL s or R?'
" I do says I, thinkin' Of Mrs. Schultz
for we'd had words that very mor1in
cause she'd hung a waist she'd dyed red
over my curtains It were out for an air
In. don't like colored curtains, least OF
all red, an I tot her so an she didn't
speak to me when met her on the walk
ten minutes after.
''It struck me as queer It the fortune
teller couldn't read her own letters, an
all but tol' her so. I began to think !
I'd have known as much If I hadn'1
foun that quarter an spent it; but evry.
body has to make fool Of themselves
once In a while if only to amuse othe1
folks, seems If.
when foun' out I didn't have any
fortune. settled down to talk bout thu
fortune-teller' pas. Seems II she owet
me somethin', an I'm not one to let m.
bills stan. She said there wasn't any
thin It she couldn't tell. She knew whel
Ian was goin' to go up in price n
whether Mrs. Green would ever pay tina
three days work she's been OWN me TO
mos a year now. She al'ys knew wh
was goin' to be 'lected fore they wer
nominated, an she tor me bout Mr.
Spenlow, who wen to see her frs 'caus
he didn't want to stan the expense Q
runnin' If he wasn't goin' to get an Of
flee, an she charged him dollar an tol
him not to run, an he didn't.
4" i should think, says I, again a
her closely an wonderin' If she'd be bet