Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-16
WHA r THE
 BOH HELD
By Mrs. Gen. George N. Puckett
ecopyright. loOs. by Daily Story Pub. Col

Copyright. loos by Daily Story Pub. Col NKRs. LACEY wished that Hal would VH laugh, or even smile, as he used to oo. Two years ago he had been the life of her Halloween dinner. To be sure he had been to the Philippines since and had just come home with a bullet wound in his shoulder and leave of ab- sence in his pocket. She supposed the Philippines naturally would make 8 man feel somewhat solemn and perhaps a bullet in the shoulder had not ten Sdency to superinduce rollicking mood. But then leave ought to encourage man into an occasional smile of good fellowship. She wondered If Kittie Win ston had anything to do with his melan- choly. She had fancied once that he and .Kittie were very fond of each other, and recently Kittie herself had seemed too brilliant in her gayety and had talked and laughed overmuch to be 8 really happy girl. Mrs. Lacey did not feel 1t her duty to untangle the complication, but she did think 1t Halls duty to try to be agreeable at her Halloween cele- bration.
 The nuts and wine were on and horse shoes and clover leaves with four petals and luck stones had been found tucked away in almond ssells. Prophecies, varying all the way from gold mines and orange blossoms to Wall street pam ics and cypress. had ben discovered in innocent-looking bon-bon wrappers.
 A solemn silence fell over the scene: all waited for the next movement of Fate.
 Coming events cast their shadows before,' ?, quoted Tom with gloomy in donation Mrs. Lacey lifted warning finger.
 A dark curtain which had hung unob- served in an unlighted corner of the op- posite wall was drawn aside and tall form robed in black draperies that trailed in somber folds across the floor moved with stately tread to the head of the table. The face was hidden in a filmy veil fastened to it's place by tiara of silver stars.
 Mistress Fate. herself" said Tom in an awe-struck whisper.
 As the mysterious form reached the table 1t paused for a moment that seemed full of awful premonition and then white hand slipped from under a black fold and threw silver ball into the middle of the table. Then the strange visitant turned and left the room as silently as she had appeared.
 Mrs. Lacey caught hold of the end of the silver cord that hung from the ball and it began to unroll slowly.
 ''Unraveling the web of fate" said Tom.
 "Once there was man and girI,'' she began in subterranean tones.
 Tragic combination" interpolated Tom.
 "Do not interrupt the story of fate,'' said Mrs. Lacey in warning voice.
 "The girl had eyes like the June sky at monday and hair like the cloud that floats over the mountain when the storm rises darkly from the west..' t@ Absolutely fatal mixture groaned Tom.
 "And they loved each other with a love that they thought was firm and abiding as the eternal stars.' High tragedy and deep gloom mt tered Tom.
 There came an eyentide when they wandered alone under the shining stars of moonless night and softly drew the threads from the beautiful web the poets have wrought with fiowers of rhyme to mark the places where the shuttle turns.
 Most dangerous business possible . objected Tom. s''Thawing out dynamite by the fire is nothing to it.''
 "And suddenly the stars fell from the sky and pail of darkness hung oger the world and the maiden walked on alone into a wide desert where there was no moon nor stars nor yet the faint. est light to guide her way across the burning sand. And the youth turned him aside into the wilderness where the | thorns pierced his feet and tore his hands and the briars caught and held him as he tried to go on his way And l it came to pass
 Mrs. Lacey paused to detach from the tened to it by peculiarly complicated knot which claimed her attention for some moments. It was wound around with silver paper and stamped with a name in gold letters.
 | For you, Nannie," she said, puttinA !! It down on the plate of young girl who sat near her and who opened her prize to find a prophetic line which she ] quickly concealed, the light in her eyes seeming to indicate that it was of an ac- 1 reptable nature. But then Mrs. Lacey was too. amiable 8 hostess to draw out from any ball of fate prophecy other wise than cheerful
 So interested did the company become in what the mysterious ball might bring forth that they ceased to follow the for tunes or misfortunes of Mrs. Lacey s sentimental youth and maiden.
 Here's compass for you, Tom Dame Fortune knows that you need l one"
 She is fully aware how far you fail in your duty to me and tries to supple ment my environment to the extent of her power. I am deeply grateful" 1 Tt is comfort to me to know that there is some influence which will call