Part 19 (2/2)
Mrs. Warne showed me the door through which she had entered, and asked me to seat myself behind the curtains. She then called her usher into the room, and conversed with him; though they spoke in low tones, I was able to hear every word. The door where I was sitting, was hung on noiseless hinges, and it led into the last room of the suite; from this room, another door opened on a hall leading to a pair of side stairs. I was thus able to reach my ambush without entering by the front way.
”Now, Mrs. Warne, nothing remains to be done but to advertise you thoroughly,” I said, after I had inspected all her preparations.
”Very well,” she replied; ”but you must recollect that I shall not be able to oversee all my general work, unless you make my office hours as a fortune-teller very short. Three hours will be the longest time I can spare daily.”
I then returned to my office and wrote out the following advertis.e.m.e.nt:
THE GREAT ASIATIC SIBYL, L. L. LUCILLE, the only living descendant of Hermes, the Egyptian, who has traveled through all the known parts of the world, now makes her first appearance in Chicago. She will cast the horoscope of all callers; will tell them the events of their past life, and reveal what the future has in store for them. She has cast the horo- scope of all the crowned heads of Eu- rope, Asia, Africa, and Oceanica; she will cast the horoscope, or celes- tial map, for the hour and mo- ment of the inquiry for any visitor with the same care, and by the same method as that used in the case of the Sultan of Turkey, and the Pacha of Trincomalee. She will remain only a short time in Chicago; hence the SORROWFUL AND AFFLICTED, who wish to know what the future has in store for them, had better CALL AT ONCE.
She will tell WHO LOVES YOU; WHO HATES YOU; and who is trying to injure you.
She will show you YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND OR WIFE.
L. L. LUCILLE is the Seventh Daughter of a Seventh Daughter.
She never fails to give satisfaction.
Visit her and learn your fate.
Office hours--10 a. m. to 1 p. m.
Fee $10.00.
OFFICE AT THE TEMPLE OF MAGIC, 50 SOUTH CLARK STREET.
This advertis.e.m.e.nt was inserted in the daily newspapers for a week, and I also had a number of small handbills printed for distribution in the street. In this way Lucille's name was brought before the public very conspicuously. At that time the trade of fortune-telling was not so common as it is now, and those engaged in it rarely had the means to advertise themselves so extensively; hence Lucille's half column in the newspapers attracted an unusual amount of attention.
_CHAPTER VIII._
The next morning Miss Seaton called on Mrs. Thayer as usual, and found her eagerly reading Lucille's advertis.e.m.e.nt in one of the newspapers.
Miss Seaton asked Mrs. Thayer whether she was ready to go out for their regular morning walk, and Mrs. Thayer soon prepared to accompany her.
They first went to the post-office; and, as they walked away, after Mrs.
Thayer had received a letter, they met a boy distributing hand-bills.
They each took one and walked along slowly in order to read Lucille's glowing advertis.e.m.e.nt. Mrs. Thayer folded her bill up carefully and said:
”I wonder whether this woman can do what she claims; if I thought so, I would call on her myself.”
”Well, I don't have much faith in these people, as a rule,” replied Miss Seaton, ”but it is a fact that some of them really have a strange and inexplicable power to foresee events. Whether it is a genuine science, or a mere application of general rules of physiognomy to the particular features of each visitor, I do not profess to say; but there is no doubt, I believe, that they have been very successful in reading the future for some people.”
”I am so glad to hear you say that,” said Mrs. Thayer, ”for I was afraid that you would laugh at me. Now I have a real desire to see this woman, just to test her powers. The moment I read her advertis.e.m.e.nt in this morning's paper, I had a strong presentiment that she could help me out of my troubles, and I determined to visit her. See, here we are, right at the door, No. 50 Clark street. Won't you go up with me while I get my fortune told, Miss Seaton?”
”Oh, certainly; if you really wish to try your fortune, to-day is as good a time as any other.”
They therefore ascended to Madam Lucille's rooms and rang a bell at the reception-room door. The sable usher immediately admitted them and asked them to be seated for a short time, as Madam was engaged at that moment.
He then left them alone, while he went to inquire how soon they could have an audience with the great sibyl. Having told Mrs. Warne who her visitors were, the usher hurried over to my office and informed me. I instantly called my stenographer, and we proceeded quickly to the back room, where we took our seats behind the curtain.
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