A couple, on their wedding trip, met a gypsy whose prophecies so greatly
amused them that they gave her an extra dollar for good luck. In
appreciation of the gift, the grateful gypsy presented her benefactors
with a little white, glass phial containing a clear liquid. She
admonished them to hold this phial as a sacred treasure, because the
liquid would retain its crystalline clearness only so long as the loving
couple were faithful to each other. But, warned the gypsy, unfaithfulness
on the part of either will cause this liquid to turn a grayish hue.
The couple laughingly accepted the small bottle, took it home and,
although disbelieving the gypsical dope-sheet, placed it carefully in an
unused linen closet. They soon forgot the incident and lived in happiness
for some time.
One summer, a few years later, the wife journeyed afar to visit
relatives. Letters of love were exchanged and the hubby gave all his time
to business cares, with the exception of Sundays, when he would entertain
a few friends at his home. At one of these Sunday parties he amused the
guests with the gypsy story of honeymoon days.
At the finish of the host’s recital, one of the men with an eye to a
practical joke suggested pouring a bit of ink in the phial so as to make
the liquid turn to gray. “On her return you can have a lot of fun at her
jealousness,” he said, “and then call us in to prove your faithfulness.”
The trick was done and in a few days Friend Wife came home.
While house-cleaning next day, she thought of the phial. Great horrors!
Its contents had turned from pure white to a grayish tint. “My God, is it
really so?” But after a few moments of hesitation she quickly poured out
the gray substance and refilled the phial with clear water, placing it
back in its former location.
Needless to say, it was not necessary for hubby’s friends to call to
testify in his behalf.
* * * * *