The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Side 41

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
39
“She got a dirty deal.” She glanced at
Madam Mystic with mingled awe and
expectation, then said to her friend, “Do
you want to have your cup read?”
“I’m not fussy.” They moved slightly
as if to leave but Madam Mystic floated
casually toward them.
She sat beside the lady in the flow-
ered dress. “Did you make a wish?” she
asked briskly, picking up her cup.
“You’ve been sort of discouraged lately,”
she continued in a puzzled tone - - -
“worried about someone near to you . . .
a woman - - your daughter, I would
say.” She could feel the woman’s intent
gaze upon her and went on. "The cup
shows me children around her. But her
husband - - he isnt with her, is he?”
“Her husband,” the woman blurted
out. “He had a wife when he married
her.”
“I see,” said Madam Mystic sagely.
“The cup shows me betrayal in the
past. But the future looks bright. She
has been offered a position,” she haz-
arded. The woman nodded. “She should
take it,” went on Madam Mystic. “I see
the key of opportunity and a road to
new romance in the future. You Should
look after the children for her. You’re
afraid to take things upon yourself.
You’re the kind of person that worries
about tomorrow, but never gets around
to doing things today. If you dont take
this chance to help your daughter, you’ll
always regret it.”
She reached across the table and took
the other woman’s cup smiling quietly
into tired responsive eyes.
“There isn’t much in your cup but
hard work,” she said. “You always
manage better than other people with
what you have. One thing, though,
you’re apt to do more for other people
than they do for you.”
She rose and left them. As she moved
toward the next table she heard the
lady in the flowered dress say to her
friend: “Ain’t she good, Mary? Ain’t she
good? Everything she told me about
Ethel was true, and about me too. Guess
I should look after the kids alright.”
“Of course you should; I’ve been tell-
ing you that all the time,” said Mary.
“Five cents a cup,” thought Madam
Mystic as she trudged wearily toward
the small table at the far corner at Six
o’clock, “I’ve done pretty well today.”
Harriet was waiting for her, pensively
gazing at an empty cup, tipped for
reading, but for Madam Mystic she had
set a plate heaped high with hot meat
and vegetables.
Madam Mystic sat down heavily and
heaved a sigh. She picked up Harriet’s
cup before touching the food.
“Are you in love, Harriet?” she asked
with a thrill of surprise in her voice.
Harriet colored, but didn’t raise her eyes.
“My dear, your love is certainly return-
ed. He is feeling just as blue as you are.
There seems to have been a misunder-
standing, but the slightest move on your
part will clear it up. I see an invitation
for you. Don’t turn it down. I also see a
surprise for you and a ring. Do you
know?” she continued with slow delib-
eration. “The man seems to be close to
you, as if he were always with you - -
all day long like.”
“Thanks so much,” said Harriet husk-
ily, as Madam Mystic put down the cup
and began to eat leisurely, trying to
count the nickles she had earned dur-
ing the afternoon. But she was too tired
- - too tired. Bill Mason would probably
not pay her before the end of the week
anyway.
Dragging her tired body through the
drizzling rain, she wished forlornly that
she could go straight home instead of
to her cleaning job in the office build-
ing across the street. But she had better
not give up that work until she felt sure
that this job in the tea room was steady.
If she only knew.
Could she afford to have her cup read
after she finished her chores.