so, since he seemed to take it for
granted that they did. So, after they had had the soda and peanuts, Mr.
Bangs ushered them, one by one, into a room, where the fortune-teller
awaited them.

Perhaps she flattered most of them over-much; perhaps she even hinted at
certain bright-eyed, yellow-haired young misses, whom some of them
might fancy, but were not of an age to admit it. At all events, as they
came forth, one by one, they made a great mystery of what she had said
to them. Little Tim didn't take kindly to the idea at all, in fact; and,
when it came his turn, Henry Burns and Harvey had to take him and shove
him into the room.

He was inclined to be a bit abashed when he found himself in the
presence of a tall, dark, thin-faced woman, whose keen, black eyes
seemed to pierce him through and through. In fact, those shrewd, quick
eyes were about all anyone might need, to discover a good deal about
Little Tim, whose small but wiry figure, tanned face, bare feet and
dress indicated much of his condition in life.

"Come over here and sit down," said the woman, as Tim stood, eying her
somewhat doubtfully. The boy complied.

"So you want your fortune told, do you?" she asked.

"I dunno as I care much about it," answered Tim, bluntly.

The woman smiled a little. "No?" she said. "Let's see your hand."

Tim extended a grimy fist across the table, the lines of which were so
obscured with the soil of Coombs's landing that it might have puzzled
more than a wizard to read them. But the woman, her keen eyes twinkling,
remarked quickly, "That's a fisherman's hand. You're the best fisherman
on the pond."

Tim began to take more interest. "I've caught the biggest bass of the
year," he said.

"That's it; what did I tell you?" exclaimed the woman. "I think you're
going to have a lot of money left to you some day," she added, noting at
a glance Tim's poor attire. Little Tim grinned.

"You have some courage, too," continued the woman, who had not failed to
observe the boy's features and the glance of his eye. But at this moment
Little Tim gave an exclamation of surprise. Surveying the room he had
espied the lettering on a partly unrolled banner in one corner, where
the words, "Lorelei, the Sorceress," were inscribed.

"Why, I've seen you before," he said. "That is, I haven't seen you,
either; but I've seen your picture on that canvas--and you don't look
like that at all."

The woman laughed heartily. "You're sure you don't