The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-08-14

how I gets it. You'd know that if
you was me, now wouldn't your" She
looked at me anxiously, expectantly,
as though my answer were of some i'm
portance to her.
Listening to that heartrending cough
the memory OF her wretched patter
faded from my mind. "Yes," l said,
81 think I should"
The woman gave sigh as of relief.
at does me good to hear you say that,
for I tell you it fair skeered me to
hear you say the old words that I'd
nigh on forgotten. l swore to her as
taught them me that I'd never have
traffic with the spirits not for filthy
lucre. 1 swore it, that I did. But
there, what was to do? The spirits
they can't be angry with us doing
what we didn't oughter sometimes;
now can they-when it the only way?"
shook my head. "Perhaps not, if
they know you do it for the boys sake" :"
I suggested softly. The recognized
standard of right and wrong seemed
somehow to have faded away.
She gripped my arm again, and she
looked up at me with strained, sad
eyes as though she were making a con-
fession to me.
"You've hit it there she said.
"That's just what l always comforts
myself with. See here, I'll tell you.
It's been this way its come about! |
was in good gentleman's service, that
| was, for a matter of thirteen years,
first kitchen-maid and then cook. And
then-well, 1 went out of service for
bit, but it only lasted a matter of a
twelvemonth, for he passed over to
t'other side, and me and m baby was
left to fend for ourselves. Well, M
baby, had to put him out to nurse,
and l went back into service, and l
seed him just when I could; but it
warn't only middling good service as
I got into this time, tradesmens fami-
lies, and the like O that, and the wages
they give was poor, and there was him
to pay for, dyou see, and him getting
big boy. 1t wasn't easy, tell you
that"
"No," said, cit can't have been
easy"
"Well, d'you see, ever since I'd met
her what had taught me them words
what you used, me and the spirits we'd
always got something to say to each
other, and of an evening I'd often used
to sit telling t other girls fortunes in
the kitchen; and then the ladies they
heard tell of me, and they coined and
ask me to 60 and do it for them on the
quiet-like, and found there was money
in ia deal more money than in cook
ing. So when my boy got i'll, and
wild horses couldn't ha' kept me from
him, l throwed up my place and took
on with this. I've got a fine connec-
tion now 'mong the swells-titled
ladies', and members of Parliament, and
gents, in the city, all coming t'have
their fortunes told. You'd be sur
prised if you knew"
There was a flash of professional
pride for an instant on her face, but it
vanished instantly as the coughing in
the other room grew into paroxysm.
The lines around her mouth grew
deeper. "D'you hear that?' she said
"Ain't it too awful! And this taking
money for lying is all I can. do for him.
It's bound to be lies for the most part,
in course it is, 'cept when } GU go ur
der control, and then when you come
round you're so tired you're fit to die;
but the rest of the time it's all lies and
balderdash. l don't make no bones
about it to you. Queer trade, amt it,
this telling lies for other folks enter
tainment, when the reason all the time
you're doing it is for life, or what's
dearer to you nor life?" She smiled,
but her smile was sadder than a cry.
said nothing, but looked round
the little squali6 room. looked at
the dirty cards, at the wretched,
tawdry make-believe of the woman's
disguise, and then l looked at the worn,
brave face of the woman in whose eyes
pain and love were struggling for vic
tory. Silently, almost reverently, l
rose again to go, but she pushed the
cards into my hand. You said you'd
do it for me-" she said, nervously.
"Here, you take 'em. I've shuff1ed
em. You just lay 'em for me-"
took the cards, and as laid them
in the old symbolic circle which has
no beginning nor end, repeated the
old charm: "Wish for that which shall
come; wish for that which shall go.
Wish that the evil you dread may be
kept away, and the good you desire be
left by your side, to love and to guard
you, as you travel through distant
years.
But the woman made sudden move