The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1942-09-04
Behind the Green
Curtain
TT WAS a fashionabla bszaar atx,
By KATE EDMONDs
CMcclure syndicate-wNu Service. }

IT WAS a fashionable bazaar at ( e
beautiful country home Of I le
Forbes family, who were keen abe II
charitable affairs. They were e l.
erous themselves and schemed @
lure money from the unwary RI
for philanthropic purposes. So u
the world. of society was the \,
among them Boyd Mercer, one j
the richest young men in the cov1-
try, and one of the besti Everybo "
Liked him, and many scheming mobh.
ers thought of him as a desirable
husband for young daughters. BOYD
had met a thousand girls. and, ot
one had raised more than q thrill II
admiration in his stony heart.
Boyd was here today at I le
Forbes-Forbes bazaar, and as usl Al
he was wandering around, fndi 6
friends and welcome at every tu 1.
He took all sorts of chances and h d
phenomenal luck, and then, sudd, j.
ly bored, he wandered off by hi 4
self.
In one tent he found the smell. 81
fresh violets. Within this tent a ., e
green curtain separated the crys Il
gazer from her clients. Boyd ste d
there in the outer tent, gazing do n
at bowl of violets, and heari g
the sound of a gentle voice nearby.
Suddenly he was aware that it mi. st
be the voice of the crystal gazi r,
and he listened eagerly, for he " Is
fascinated by the sweetness of le
tone with its occasional tilt. Th N
the voice ceased and he heard a
girls soft laughter, and a meI y
good-by, then utter silence. At'ls {,
a slim mulatto girl in swathings Of
Eastern draperies glided toward h n
and Salaamed. Then as she straig t.
ened herself, she swept one arm n
a graceful gesture inviting Boyd o
enter behind the second green G. E
tain.
Boyd found himself in the preser e
of woman, straight, slim figu :,
clad in long medieval gown Of
jade green with the lower part of t lie
face hidden in a swathing of whit /:
The woman lifted such wonder. ii
eyes to Boyd Mercer that for 4 le
first time in his carefree bachef r
hood, he felt peculiar agitation in
the region of his heart. Hold il I"
he told himself savagely, ''the n st
of her face is most likely hideo S.
Eyes are deceiving!" 81
AS she pulled a crystal ball O.
ward her on the green-covered a.
BILE, she looked up and caught as
intense gaze with the snare of ar
unusual eyes. Then she dropgad
them swiftly and murmured, INC v,
I will gaze into the heart of thes.-l-
ture and read fortunes gifts fsr
you"
well DONE" Boyd was thinking
Every well done. / should like. TO
know that girl"
Deep in the well of silence ie
the great secrets. Think not-c.ln-
centrate on nothing-the future r III
be revealed" came the voice of lie
crystal gazer. -
Boyd lost himself in thoughts. of
what she was doing, gazing de- p,
deep into the crystals heart. lie
sat intensely trying to think alb. 1t
nothing-a difficult task for an an b.
teur. Then came the voice age n,
TRANCE, faraway, as if her m I'd
was in the future and her sympal ~
with it. "You have wealth-all ae
wealth of the world could not M be
you richer if you were not the pc "
est man in the worldl You have ot
the love of any woman who is OF
related to ,you-you have looked in
countless eyes-and looked away. IL
ways you will be alone, surrount ed
by friends who are fond of you. YfNr
face is here in the crystal-but !! on
are always alone. Fame you may
have, for you are talented. Go fo th
and seek the love of a woman q1or
no fortune teller can tell the fate of
a man who"
Noiselessly Boyd Mercer eros ed
the rug and stood on the other de
of the table. He, too, leaned o er
the crystal gazer's great ball I'D
their faces were reflected toget 4er
in the dark surface.
who says that cannot love, oh,
gazer Of the crystals! Tell me I no
you are in real life, where you h We
been all your days that I have ne er
met you before!"
At the sound of the tension in ais
subdued voice, the crystal gaser
sighed deeply, then murmured likht-
ly. 81 have always lived in Cali
fornia. When my people took Zip
around the world they left me With
your cousin, Mrs. Hilton, who sfas
my godmotherl I am Grace ADen.
Your interview is over, sir. A silver
dollar for sweet charity's SAX y"
And then the brown maid was fw-
ing him out, perhaps with subd ed
laughter in her eyes.
Of course, Boyd Mercer sought nd
found his cousin, Myra Hilton, nd
heard about her friend the cry tai
gazer. And later, when Grace Al
len came from her tent, laugh hg,
radiantly lovely, she held Bo DIS