Year: 1876




I5ZRA ALDEN was in love with Clara
| ~ Soudder; and sometimes in moments of
great exaltation-for he was modest youth.
as every true lover should be-he had dared
to think that she did not frown upop his
passion But Clara was the squire's daughter
and an heress; while Ezra was but small
farmer, aud so far from successful in that prr.
suit, that it seemed absurd as we'll as impos>
sible, that he should aspire to the hand of the
lovely Miss Scudder, who had been courted
In vain even by fine city gentlemen. SO he
had sighed and cast longing looks from his
place In the choir (where he sang in fine
tenor voice on Sundays) into the squire's pew;
and more than once he thought pretty Clara
biushed brightly and he knew we'll enough
that she always smiled sweetly; and her
voice, when she spoke to him, had caress-
Jog sound; and altogether her manner to-
wards n1m was nor uIsCUurag1B


But Ezra would not be encouraged He
felt that it was useless for him to ask the
squire for his daughters hand unless he had
a good pot of money iu his own hand with
which to back his proposal. So, instead of
trying to compass the desired end BY in
creased industry he neglected his little farm
more than before, and spent his whole time
ln wishing that he could find pot of money
somehow, in the manner of old fashioned
stories-At the foot of tree under the
foundation of his house believe he would
even have sought for it at the end of the
rainbow, like the boy in the nursery rhyme
if he had been told there was good chance
of finding it there.


Suddenly rumor spread abroad that a
wonderful Gypsy had appeared, who was tell
ing people fortunes that come true in the
most remarkable manner, and all the country
eide was in a state of excitement on the sub
ject She was of somewhat exclusive ohar>
acter, this madam gipsy, and could only be
consulted in a certain place, in the shadow Of
q Wych>elm, in the open air, and during
certain hours-these hours being between the
last rays of the declining sun, and the first
shadows of the coming night.


VI course the rum9r of the gipsy's mar
Velous fortune telling reached Ezra Alden
and equally of course he was much exercised
In mind concerning it. He found out the
place where the fortune teller OWNED these
fair fortunes; and one evening, after watch
ing the sun slowly disappear behind the west
ern hills, he repaired thither, stealthily and
little afraid of meeting Clara Scudder some>
where in the vicinity, for the wych-elm was
just on the further side of the suire's farm.
However. he met no one, except 9 buried
squirrel, fast speeding to its home, snd il was
even more scared at being met than Ezra was.
so he fastened to the wych>elm, and there.
sure enough, was madam gipsy, sitting curled
up against the trunk, and looking precisely as
1t she were waiting for him. She was a very
old woman, bent almost donble her lined
and wrinkled face WAS the color of burternut.
and the tangles of her hair hung in elf-like,
grizzled locks about her brow and over her
oh slu. l,,, - l. r
brilliancy and such a keen look that they
seemed to see right through him. She was
| wrapped in a tsttered old scarlet cloak, and
hood of the same was drawn well over her
| head. She gave quick nod to Ezra, and
! mOtioned him to take a seat at her feet, which
he did with his heart humping as if he were
| before the Delphic oracle. And when she
spoke he had to bend his head and listen very
astentively, for not only did she mu;ter her
words in very toothless fashion, but she
spoke In so low tone that he had some diff
fcuhy in hearing her. Buthe made out that
she said:


81 was expecting you, my SOD, and 1 know
what you come for; and then she held out a
band even more butternut than her fsce-a
shaking and tremuious hand and Ezra made
haste to Cross the palm with silver, that being.
as he knew, the time honored custom. This
happened before we had begun the return to
ssPecie basis and silver WIS scarce, but Ezra
had in his pocket half>dollar piece. with a
hole in it, and a cross drawn on its face. which
he had kept many years for luck So, as
there could be no more auspicious occasion
than the present for using it, he timidly
placed it in the gipsy's hand, and again bent
his ear attentively to listen to her uuintel-
ligible rnumbling


"1 know the desire of your heart, my
pretty gentleman" said the eipsy at is a
certain maiden not hundred miles away,