The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-02
THE EVENING STORY
Milady of the Fortunes.
(By Philip Kean.)

white road: sun and glare and heat
! he'd the MONDAY world in bondage.
Even the birds were languid as they
sat with drooDed wings on the fence
rails. On the grass by the roadside
| woman lay asleep, half hidden by the
bushes. Now and then cart with
| slow horse and drowsy driver ratified
| by. Nothing disturbed the woman,
however, until there came from the
distance the "honk. honk" of an auto
mobile horn. At the unusual sound in
| this far country she sat up. When the
big car reached the blackberry bushes
| in the fence cornar she was at the
roadside, her hand held up. At her
signal the car stopped.
what do you want?" asked the
| man who sat beside the chauffeur.
Let me tell your fortune Her
great eyes pleaded, experimenting the
From the back seat came a pro-
test. why should we stop here in the
heat, Oswald"
The man was studying the girls
face. 'It will take only a moment,
he said
Again the feminine voice protested.
"Give her some money and we will go
on
The girl by the roadside cast a
glance at the girl in the auto. st do
not take money for nothing" she said.
Let me tell your fortune"
An older feminine voice urged the
valid, you are inconsiderate to stop
here in the heat"
The young man. still held by the
eyes Of the girl in the roadside. pro-
and eat our lunch back there in the
woods. It looks cool under the trees"
The fortune teller made an eager
confirmation. at is COOL she said,
land there is a spring among the
rocks
A murmur of distaste from the girl
in the tonneau was followed by the
older woman's decision 1--WE are all
hungry, why not?'
The young man, questioning the girl
by the roadside. appointed her their
guide. "Show us the way into the wood
and help us to find the spring"
She went ahead of them lightly,
picturesque figure-talI and slender,
with mass of red gold hair in a faded
gown of blue. Her wide hat was
crowned by a wreath of wheat and
band of scarlet peoples dropped in her
hand.
Even the girl who had protested was
forced to admit the beauty of the spot
upon which they finally came. 1t was
place of greenness and of dimness, If
murmuring water and of grooming
winds.
There is actually a breeze the old
er woman said. 'One scarcely felt it in
the SUM- The chauffeur unpacked the
lunch hamper, spread white cloth on
fat rock and set thereon feast fit
for the gods. The eyes of the fortune
teller followed every movement, but
when Oswald filed a plate with good
things and handed it to her she drew
back. mot unless you let me tell your
rtune."
Come, Oswald" an impatient voice
interposed-
I'm a moment, Sylvia. L am going
to have my fortune told
"Oswaldr' This time it was the elder
woman's voice.
The fortune teller bent over his hand
eagerly She told him many trivial
things at first, things at which Sylvia
and her mother smiled. At last. how
ever, she spoke of deeper matters, of
business and Of marriage and he gazed
at her in wonder.
How did you know these things?" he
demanded.
ct know her voice was tremu
lous, but suddenly she lifted her head
and her eyes flashed There are
things-things that cannot tell you
now" She looked at the two women
and he understood.
Some other time, then?" he muir
She nodded us it worth my lunch?"
:, Indeed, yes" and he brought her all
the delicacies upon which the others were
VEIN she had finished she stood up and
He followed her for little distance and
When will you tell me the rest of my
A little troubled look fluttered across
her face Somewhere, sometime" she
He went back to find the blond Sylvia
In bad f Sap S 9be gr bT the OF road
side for their. stop in this lonely place.
Let's leave it as soon as possible" she
It was long drive before they reached
the country house that was their destina-
for dinner and Oswald came down to
find waiting for him a tall, slender girl
the ivory of her neck. Her filIny chiffon
gown trailed behind her in snowy folds.
locks was matched by other pearls that
fell in ropes. almost to her knees.
He gazed in establishment. Your" he
Her face showed no sign Of recognition.
7 don't understand, she said.
He bowed, consenting thus to her de- |
sylvia and her mother stared and gasp
ed as they too, recognized the personality
of their fellow guest. But only once dur
ing the dinner did the. lady of the red
sciousness that enveloped her. 1t was
when they spoke of lunch: You were
transformed fortune teller had the grace
to blush and murmur that she had eaten
Later, Oswald made her confess. why
do you try to convince me that I do not
her safe on the moonlighted porch. My |
heart would know you anywhere Then
TREMENDOUSLY. PernapS you tn1nk Oe- |
serve them"
mitted later. How was I to know that
you were coming here. Last night we
might do to obtain a meal if one had
not a cent in the world. It came to me |
then that I had never earned anything |
in my life and I had a fancy to see if I |
could do it. I had often told fortunes to /
my friends. so I put on faded old gown
and went down that quiet road and walt |
ed for some one to come. Then fell |
asleep and it was your auto that walked |
me-"