"Young girls always want a peep in the future," and she gave an abrupt laugh. "You don't any of you look as if you needed medical advice. My, I seldom see such rosy, good looking girls. Now, I'll tell you--it's a dollar if I go into a trance and see you inside, up and down and I can tell to a T whether there's anything the matter. But I don't believe you want that. S'pose I just run over the cards and see what kind of a Christmas you're going to have and how many lovers and who's going to wear a diamond. That's fifty cents." "That's enough to spend on such foolery," laughed Phillipa. She pushed out some chairs and took up a pack of cards, threw them aside and took a clean pack off of the mantlepiece. "Now you try first," motioning to Phillipa. "Why I can see by your face there's lots of fortune coming to you. You're the kind of girl men quarrel over." She had become a very astute reader of faces and could tell by the brightening of an eye or the movement of a feature whether she was on the right tack. "Your home isn't here and you are going to it in a few days. You see--here's the house and there's a distance between," pointing out the cards. "They are making a big time and lots of company, a great Christmas dinner, and a dance in the evening, and you'll get kissed under the mistletoe--but you won't marry that man. There's two of them--three of them and two offers of marriage. Some one you haven't seen much of, and there'll be talk of a diamond." She shuffled the cards and ran over them again, enlarging upon the lovers and jealous girls as well as men, presents and fun. "But you're going to turn your back on it all and you don't want to a bit, and you're going to have some trouble, and a journey with a trunk, and--why you'll be in school and you'll be most crazy to hear from the young man with the diamond, but you just keep your faith, he'll be all right and there'll be a wedding before the leaves fall. Oh, you'll be as happy as a queen." Phillipa laughed and nodded. "Now, you next," to Zaidee. Zay hesitated, but took the chair Phillipa vacated. At first she seemed a puzzle to the fortune teller. "She had traveled a good deal. Some one was coming across water that she would be glad to see--three people, a fair lady who had had a great deal of trouble, sickness, but was well now. Why they would soon be here and all have Christmas dinner together. There would be a great surprise with a fair young man who cared a great deal for her, and there were wonderful surprises that wouldn't make her happy at first. Here was a strange girl--but she doesn't want to come. Gifts and friends, and this stout man--your father," and she knew by Zay's face she had guessed right. "He is very fond of you--oh, you needn't ever be afraid any one will crowd you out. Plenty of lovers, too, when it comes your time; a happy marriage and children, and prosperity. A little sickness, but nothing to be alarmed about."