The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-10-23
Deep Stuff, but
She Won
By JACK WooDFoRD
(@. 1925. western Newspaper Union.)

AZ carefully, with feeling that she
was stirring someone else's cup, for
1t was not, in fact, strictly speaking.
her coffee Molly reflected bitterly.
She looked apprehensively toward the
large, hard figure of Mrs. Hicks, at
the head OF the table, and wondered
fearfully If that nasal-yoice lady would
have her thrown in Jail when she
found out
Being broke was, to Molly Turner,
quite new. and certainly terrifying
experience Before she had left home
to teach. money had always seemed
to be sort of taken-for-g granted thing;
but then, that had been before her
fathers death. Since then, Mother
Turner and Molly's sister had gotten
along with great difficulty on the
meager allowance provided by her
fathers insurance arrangement Of so
much a month.
Molly was waiting for the summer
vacation TO be over so that she might
take up school work which had been
offered her. but the tragic fact of her
suddenly running out of funds had
complicated things terribly. Molly now
owed one weeks board which was due
and payable after supper that evening.
Dimly the small talk about the table
impinged upon her ears. She started,
perceptably. as the maiden lady next
to her at table addressed her direct
ly.
mashed potatoes. dearie|
Eyes. thank you" returned Molly,
1t was really dishonest to accept
mashed potatoes which one had no
prospects of being able to pay for!
It was dreadful to be all alone in a
strange city. and broke, and-Molly
said 1t to herself rather bashfully,
and with little inward contraction
of shame-pretty
At last she gave up all thought Of
eating; she couldn't sit there and
swallow food that she knew she
couldn't pay for. AS she sat quietly
she attracted the attention of the
obese maiden lady who had made the
kindly proffer of the mashed potatoes
few minutes before
"Why!" exclaimed that lady sudden
~, poking Molly excitedly in the ribs.
do you know that you're psychic?"
The others at the table turned to eve
Molly in undisguised establishment
''Tell my fortune, after dinner" in
sisted the maiden lady, with an i'm
Fortunate leer.
ooh. tell mine. and mine. and mine"
rang from all sides. Molly looked be-
wildered; and then the color mounted
to her cheeks in little bright spots as
she again rememhered-temp
tugged at her.
"Give you a dollar" generously
offered the maiden lady. observing the
school teachers reluctance to exercise
her occult gift.
"So'll L; same here; couple dollars"
echoed the others anxiously. Molly re-
fiected to herself. once more: after all,
was it not much less dishonest to ac-
cept a dollar from these people than
to default on her board bill; perhaps
there would be enough left over to pay
next weeks bill She pressed her
lips together and turned to the maiden
lady resolutely-
Think of a number. between one
and ten" she said shortly. "and I'll
go out of the room and concentrate:
If tho r1nr11hnr oil ~ orb
IT down on a slip of paper and re-
turn want to see. before / take any
money. whether or not my control is
working tonight"
Molly left the room and the board
ers stared at each other. some plainly
impressed, others merely amused.
Didn't tell your" whispered the
maiden lady triumphantly. 'she's
psychic, sure as you live; leave it to
me; / can spot 'em every time Tell
me I didn't often family see little
pale, purple aura lowering about her
head when no one else was lookingi"
The others about the table modified
their laughter to sickly grins and felt
little creeping things play along their
spines; at this jurcture Molly re-en-
tered the ROOM
what number did you think Off"
she asked the maiden lady.
Nine" promptly responded that
greatly impressed woman. Molly
reached into her blouse and took out
the little slip of paper she had writ
ten upon, handing it without a seconds
delay to the woman; sure enough the
figure nine was inscribed thereupon,
A visible stir went around the
table; no one laughed now-the room
felt suddenly cold and chill, permeated
with some mysterious influence. Every
one moved forward, tensely. inpatient
ly, awaiting their turn: some hurried
to the phone to summon friends.
At four o'clock in the morning
when Molly could no longer think of
practical advice to give the donors
of the one. two. FIVE. and even ten
dollar bills that had been showed at
her all night. she crept YEARLY off
to her room. With bullying eyes she
emptied the bills out upon her bed
and put them into neat bundle. After
she had safely hidden the awesome
bundle she started to undress YEARLY.
As she laid off one piece of apparel
after another. little slips of paper
kept dropping to the floor, at inter
walls; at last she stopped and gathered
them all up carefully-she would al
ways keep them. She laid them out |
in order upon the bed. carefully eye
ing them thoughtfully. Each slip bore
a mineral. and they ran from one to |