Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-17
BY MAURICE NJ. ROE

a deSire 10 gain an insight INTO tne
mysterious future possessed me. 1
wanted to know with my whole heart
and soul what l was going to be.
With this end in view I journeyed
TO the abode of a mystic. He is the
greatest ever; he told me so himself.
Prof. Redneck's palace of magic Is
located not more than ten leagues from
Second and Hill streets.
l tlmidly approached the door of the
domain of the seer and with awe in my
Z heart and four bits in my pocket did
essay to have the portals of the future
thrown back for me at so cents per
throw.
A young woman in white opened the
door into the ante-roon. The lovely
apparition, for certainly a mystic
would have no flesh and blood mortal
attending him, waved me to q chair
but poor wight that 1 was, took the
rocking chair which was reserved espe-
cially for her adyship. She informed
me of my error and l removed to an
other seat. With another of those daz-
zling smiles she handed me a maga-
zine. But il was not to read that
had come and l busted myself studying
the faces of those who waited upon the
pleasure of the wonderworker.
Eight Easy Ones Await
There were eight persons in the room.
OF these two were men and of these
j was one, and six were women. They
all sat silent as the tomb, and all
seemed to be duly impressed by the
great favor that was about to be con-
ferred upon them at half a dollar per
confer.
On the mantel was a welcoming pla-
card which read: Prof. is busy. Wait
your turn" We waited. The young
woman who presided over the ante
room was apparently of Hebraic ex
traction. but the line of talk which she
handed to the waiting ones would give
the impression that she had kissed the
famous stone of the Green ISLE which
gives volubility and plauslbility to
speech.
She was an expert in her line, and
who can be more?
The solemn bunch of women still sat
with unmoved countenances and occa-
sionally door slid back noiselessly and
one of them would disappear within.
where psychic phenomena held full
sway. The most striking of the danes
was a young one, dressed in blue and
white.
Her dress sagged most distressingly
in the back and the French slippers
were on a par as regards daintiness
with the soiled white elbow gloves
which she wore with an air (whatever
that means).
SpecuIates About Fellow Victims
She was very self-consclous and
glanced about occasionally to see if
anyone was smiling at her. She was
perfectly safe, for all the others were
too busy anticipating joyously their
interview with the professor to give
any attention to anything outside
themselves. Finally, with a rapt look,
she passed out of the room into the
chamber of horrors.
Soon after 1 was fortunate enough to
gain admittance to the outer sanctu-
ary. A little old woman came in. So
berly garbed in black was she, and the
general impression which she gave was
of perfectly respectable widowhood.
The questions of which she desired the
answer from the professor We're, per-
hapS. how long it would be before she
would be reunited with her husband.
Or. then, again, she might have wanted
to know if she would be able to collect
a board bill from an obdurate lodger.
But whatever 1t was that she wanted
she was the only one who seemed to
be perfectly calm and collected.
Are All Solemn Suckers
In the corner sat the most curious
type of all Ignorance and supersti-
ton We'd with credulity for supremacy.
LICt lilOulil was dllIlOSI OnG
was gaudily dressed in a most ornate
black gown covered with spangles. A
large ostentatious gold chain was hung
about her neck. A near-diamond brooch
of large size completed an ensemble
that was positively garish. She fidget-
ed about nervously for a few moments
and then was quiet, repeating the pro-
cess regularly. The most striking fea-
ture of all the persons present was
their unbroken solemnity. AS far as
looks went they could have been about
to implore the mercy of Jupiter or to
sacrifice their sons.
Impious creature that L was, 1t was
with great difficulty that l suppressed
an almost overwhelming desire to
laugh. The attendant daughter of Isis
seemed also to have the same tendency,
for she would glance about the room
and seeing the bunch of ''roughneck"
DANES would smile furtively
Wanted Help in Business
A little old man sat stifhy on one side
of the room and as the room began to
empty of its occupants he crossed over
TO where l was sitting. He was evil
IDENTIFY half ashamed of being there and
wanted to tell his excuse. In a conf
dental way he leaned over and told
me the story of his life. 1 was all ears
for that sort of thing.
Iic Sdlu' 1 nave Deen IN the grocery
business for fifteen years, but the
competition is so strong now that It
seems like | can't make anything no
more. The big stores can sell things
for less than 1 can and the people buy
where they can get things the cheap
est. l thought maybe this Teller could
help me. In the paper he says he can,
and ! guess it's worth so cents" Then
the door opened for his audience and
he went In nervously lingering his old
soft hat.
After perhaps ten minutes the lady
OF the ante-chamber told me that my
turn was next. So 1 braced up and en-
couraged myself and went in to hear
my fate.
Is Clever CRATER
Prof. Redneck was not so formidable a
person as had feared to see. He was
the type Of a faro dealer, and a good
one at that. Everything about him
said; Il am successful CRATER" His
grayish blue eyes impressed me al
once with their keenness. His appear
ance suggested nothing of the seer.
the dreamy-eyed mystic, whose soul
hovers between this existence and the
next Cleyerness, unscrupulousness
and colossal nerve were, according to
his face, his stock in trade