The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 104: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

90 point. Especially when business looks at all like being brisk, and there is any danger of losing customers. And besides, as we all do sooner or later, they learn that what is given sparing- ly is valued and appreciated most— and wanted more of. According to the gipsy, the futures of the two men were to be widely dis- similar. Osgood was destined to be the more fortunate. Everything pointed to prosperity for him. He would be well known, and, as the world calls it, successful and happy. Bennett’s outlook, on the other hand, was dark. He would have no such solid success. It would not be any one thing permanently. His en- ergies would be scattered, and his achievements scattered also. Osgood, as usual, took the predic- tions seriously. Perhaps this was be- cause his own future was foreseen as so promising. It is human to attribute weight to the declarations of those who favor us. Or again, to do him justice, perhaps it was simply because he really believed in fortune-telling. Bennett laughed. For the time his depression had left him. “You seem to have a pull here,” he said. ‘‘ What have I done to de- serve this? I never harmed the old lady.”’ | “ Shut up!” remonstrated Osgood. “This is serious.” “Thanks for telling me. Well, is that all, or only the first instalment? Time is going, and I can’t stay here much longer. What has come over our hostess? She’s as silent as a tomb. Perhaps she’s forgotten the combination. She. has a worried look. What’s that thing in her hand? A crystal? Three cheers for the crys- tal! The potent object. I express the opinion that this is getting slow. I always said you had a strange idea of entertainment. Give her a prod and start her up again.” But Bennett's levity was premature. Although she had been silent for some minutes, the fortune-teller had not THE ARGOSY. finished. She knit her brows more closely, and continued to mutter to herself. The two men watched her in inter- ested silence. At length she began to speak audibly again. Possibly she disliked frivolous interruptions generally. Possibly she very much disliked Bennett’s frivolity and skepticism in particular. At any rate, her investigations began to take a still gloontier turn. She said that she saw rocks ahead. She went further, and declared that they were big rocks—serious obstacles in Bennett’s path. And as for troubles, there were going to be heaps, all big. Then she reached her climax. In a positive, final tone she declared that a great darkness was coming into his life. “TI might get married,” suggested Bennett lightly. “ That would extin- guish me a bit.” “Cut it out,’ warned Osgood. “‘ She hasn’t finished yet.” The seer seemed too engrossed to notice the comments. She pursed up her lips into a sour expression, blinked a few times, and began to speak again. “T see a great darkness, young man,” the fortune -teller declared — “a great darkness coming into your life.” “She said that before,’ whispered Bennett. Osgood frowned. The seer ignored him. She spoke again, first in a low tone, and then, as she found herself, with increasing ve- hemence. The darkness, she avetred, was go- ing to be great and lasting. It was about to begin now. Bennett would gradually, very gradually, lose his sight. At first it would be apparent only occasionally and in trifling ways. For sone time it might even pass un- noticed, even by close friends, but the affliction would develop until at length, one day when he might least expect it, his sight would suddenly and complete- ly give way—flicker out like a burned oO cComicbooks CO