Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-10

quently and too long away from my
guests as It Is. Ill have TO show myself
for little while. Then, come to mv room
in half an hour"
AT half-past 1877"
Yes. and don't be late Now do run
| along and have q good time"
The shutter was drawn gently to. and
| sally, with an emblttered smile for the
! unconscious irony of that parting injtinc-
ton. moved slowly on toward the front
! Of the house.
/ But II was true that she felt little less
disconsolate now than she had two min
| utes ago; after ali, II seemed she wasn't
altogether friendlcss and forsaken. and as
for those doubts and questions which so
perplexed her. they would all he resolved
and answered once she had opportunity
tn lay them, together with the story OF
last night. before the Judgment of her
benefactress.
still. IL she reckoned confidently upon
her hostess. she reckoned not wisely
without her host, whose mask tonight was
that of n sardonic destiny. And when
tentative venture into the thronEs on the
veranda had been discouraged by the
spirited advances of forward young
Cavalier who chose to consider his honor
piuued. first by her demure Quaker garb
then by nor unresponsiveness, Sally was
glad enough to fall back upon the com
parative quiet and solitude OF the moon
drenChed gardens Whereupon her des-
tiny grinned heartess grin ana ar
ranged TO throw her to the lions that, all
unsuspected RACED in the maiden bosom
of Mercedes Pride.
The tireless ingenuity with which that
rar,pnnt spinster devised ways and means
of rendering herself n peripatetc pest had
long since won the ungrudFed admiration
Of Sally. who elected to he amused more
than pnnoved by the impertinences. the
pretcntiousness. the fawning adulalon'
and the corrosive Jealousy of Mrs. Cos
rold'n licensed pick-thank, And when she
b,d first divined the woman beneath the
disguise of the witch Sally had wondered
what new method of making n sprightly
nuisance Of herself Miss Pride had IN
vented to go with her impersonatton
Il proved naturally enough, remember
ing the limitations Of n New England
maiden's imagination. TO be compulsory
fortune telling with the aid OF cards n
crystal ball. the palm OF the Vlctlm
hand unlimited effrontery. and den
ricged rp in n corner OF hedge with a
Navajo blanket for n canopy and Tor
nroperties two wooden stools. small
folding table n paper mache Skull,
iointcd wooden snake. an artificial pump
kin head with candle in It. and black
cat tethercd by n string to stake IN the
ground and wishing he had never oeen
born.
Within this noisome lair the sorceress
su,iatted and practiced her unholy arts
upon all comers without mercy or dis
tinction as TO race, caste, sex. age, color
or previous condition of servltude. And
when trade slackened (as inevitably 1t
did when "the young people for whose
amusement" this mummery ostensibly
was staged asserted their ennui by avoid
l. 10 nnthIn
daunted. would rise up and go forth and
stalk her prey among the more mature,
dragging them off forcibly by the hand,
when needs must to sit at her table and
sympathize with the unfortunate cat and
humOr her nonsense,
Thus she inveigled Sally when the lat
ter unwarily wandered her way.
Miss Pride knew her victim perfectly,
hut for the sake of appearances kept up
the semhlance of mystiication,
sit YOU there, my pretty she gabbled
vvacIouslv two hands on Sally's shoul-
ders. urging her to rest on one of the
stools Don't be afraid of my simple
magic the black art has nothing to do
with the lore OF the wise old woman.
Just show me your rosy palm. and l
will tell you your fortune. No, you
needn't cross my palm with silver:
will ply my mystic trade and tell your
future all for the sake OF your pretty
eyes"
She peered. blinking. with make-believe
myopia. into the hollow of Sally's hand.
"Ah, yes, yes' she grunted. you have
an amable and affectionate disposition;
YOU love pretty things to wear and every
sort of pleasure. There is your gravest
fault and greatest danger, pretty; love of
clothes and pleasure and-forgIve the wise
old woman's plain speaklng-false ambi-
tons Beware Of the sin of vain ambi-
ton: only wrong and unhappiness can
come of that No, no: don't draw your
hand away. ! have not finished. Let me
look closer. There Is much written here
that you should know and none but my
wise old eyes can read. pretty"
Fffrontery battened on indulgence.
THE past has been unfortunate. The
present is bright with misleading CLAM
our-heware of the vanities of the flesh!
The FUTURE see shadow. II is dark
It is difficult to read. | see a journey be-
fore you-a lonE journey; you will cross
water and travel by the steam cars. And
there Ia a lover waiting for YOU at the
journeys end-not here. but far away.
cannot see him clearly, but he waits.