Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-01-09
CHAPTER u.
! Meet the Silent Woman and silas
Wriqhi, Jr.

| ] Mcet tne silent woman anu S'iaS
Wright, Jr.
Amos Grimshaw was there in eur
dooryard the day that the old ragged
woman came along and told our for
tunes-she was called Rovin' Kate,
and was said to have the gift Of "sec-
ond sight" whatever that may be. 1t
was a bright autumn day and the
leaves lay deep in the edge Of the
woodlands. She spoke never a word
but stood pointing at her palm and
then at Amos and at me.
Aunt Deel nodded and said:
"Ayes, Kate-tell their fortunes If
ye've anything to say--ayes
She brought two sheets Of paper and
the old woman sat down upon the
grass and began to write with a lit
tie stub Of pencil. / have now those
fateful sheets Of paper covered by
the serawls of old Kate. l remember
how she shook her head and sighed
and sat beating her forehead with
the knuckles Of her bony hands after
she had looked at the palm Of Amos.
Swiftly the point of her pencil ran
over and up and down the sheet like
tho movements Of a frightened SER
pent. In the silence how loudly the
pencil seemed to hiss in its swift lines
and loops.
Ny aunt exclaimed Mercy" as she
looked at the sheet; for while l knew
not, then, the strange device upon
the paper, knew, by and by, that
II was a gibbet. Beneath 1t were the
words: Money thirst shall burn like
fire in him."
She rose and smiled as she looked
into my face. saw a kind, gentle
glow in her eyes that reassured me.
She clapped her hands with joy. She
examined my palm and grew serious
and stood looking thoughtfully at the
setting sun.
| see. now, her dark figure stand
ing against the sunlight as it stood
that day with Amos in its shadow.
What singular eloquence in her pose
and gestures aSd in her silence! 7
remember how it bound our tongues
that silence Of hers
The woman turned with a kindly
smile and sat down in the grass again
and took the sheet of paper and
resting it on yellow-covered book be-
gan to write these words:
81 see the longing of the helper.
One, two, three, four great perils
shall strike at him. He shall not
be afraid. God shall ill his heart
with laughter. l hear guns. 1 hear
many voices. His name is In them.
He shall be strong. The powers of
darkness shall fear him, he shall be
lawmaker and the friend of God and
of many people, and great men shall
bow to his Judgment and he shall"
She began shaking her head
and did not finish the
sentence, and by aad by the notion
came to me that some unpleasant Wis
ion must have halted her pencil.
Aunt Deel brought some luncheon
wrapped in paper and the old woman
took it and went away. Ny aunt fold
ed the sheets and put them in her
trunk and we thought no more of
them until-but we shall know soon
what reminded us of the prophet
woman.
The autumn passed swiftly. l went
to the village one Saturday with IN
Gle Peabody in high hope of seeing
the Dunkelbergs, but at their door
we learned that they had gone un
the river on a picnic. What a blow
1t was to me! Tears flowed down
my cheeks and elung to my uncle's
hand and walked back to the main
street of the village. A squad of small
boys jeered and stuck out their
tongues at me. 1t was pity for nv
sorrows. no doubt that led Uncle Pea.