The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-01-18
CHAPTER ~.
! Meet the Silent Woman and siIas
WRIGHT, Jr.

Wrfant, Jr-
Amos Grlmshaw was there I'm our
dooryard the day that the old ragged
woman came along and told our for
tunes--she was called Rovln' Kate,
and was said 10 have the gift of ''sec-
ond sight" whatever that may be. IL
was a bright autumn day and the
leaves lay deep In the edge of the
woodlands. She spoke never word
but stood pointing at her palm and
then at Amos and at me.
Aunt Deel nodded and said:
ayes. Kate-tell their fortunes II
we've anything to say-ayes
She brought two sheets Of paper and
the old woman sat down npon the
grass and began to write with lit
lie stub Of pencil. have now those
fateful sheets OF paper covered by
the scrawls OF old Kate. i remember
how she shook her head and sighed
and sat beating her forehead with
the knuckles of her bony hands after
she had looked ut the palm OF Amos.
Swiftly the point of her pencil ran
over and up and down the sheet like
the movements OF a frightened ser
pent. In the silence how loudly the
pencil seemed to hiss In its swift lines
and loops.
My aunt exclaimed Mercy !" as she
looked at the sheet; for while knew
not then, the strange device upon
the paper, I knew, by and by, that
II was a gIbbet. Beneath II were the
words: Money thirst shall burn like
fire In him." --~~ssxnnsE svstsHs-- =
She rose ard 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 nj the
setting sun.
see. now. her dark figure stand
Ing against the sunlight 'as II stood
that day with Amos In Its shadow.
What singular eloquence In her pose
and gestures and In her sileHcel
remember how II bound our tongues
that silence OF hers
The woman turned with q kindly
smile and sat down In the grass again
and took the sheet Of paper and
resting IL on yellow-covered book be-
gan to write these words:
II see the longing or the helper.
One. two. three. four great perils
shall strike Mt him. He shall not
be afraid. God shall al his heart
with laughter. I hear guns. hear
many voices. His name In 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
thoughtfully and did not finish the
sentence, and by and by the notion
came 10 me that some unpleasant Wis
Ion must have halted her pencil.
Aunt Deel brought some luncheon
wrapped In paper and the old woman
took II and went away. My aunt fold
ed the sheets and put them In her
trunk and we thought no more Of
them untll--but we shall know soon
what reminded rs OF the prophet
woman.
The autumn passed swiftly. I went
to the village one Saturday with I'm
Gle Peabody In high hope OF seeing
the Dunkelbergs, but AT their door
we learned that they had gone up
the river on a picnic. What blow
IL was to met Tears flowed down
my cheeks and chung TO my uncle's
hand and walked back to the main
street Of the village. A squad OF small
boys 1eered and stuck out their
tongues ut me. II was pity for my
sorrows. no doubt. that led Uncfe Pen