A recap of the 16 The Fortunes of Flossie strips produced by Nell Brinkley and Carolyn Wells, arranged by strip publication date.
open/close all folders
December 12, 1926
Method of Fortune Telling: Palmistry
Glamorous, modern girl Flossie is introduced to readers, as is her penchant for superstition and her love of having her fortune told. Readers also learn of Flossie's beleaguered boyfriend Bill, who simply can't stand her obsession with the mystic arts.- The Flapper: The verse captioning the first panel introduces readers to Flossie as "a flapper of the up-to-datest sort." She's a stylish modern girl with short hair, short skirts, and a long list of newfound social freedoms she's eager to exercise.
- Precious Puppies: Flossie is introduced with a Pekinese sitting on her lap as she reclines.
- Putto: One appears at the foot of Flossie's bed in panel 5, cowering with a maid while Flossie throws a tantrum.
- Robe and Wizard Hat: The third panel shows Flossie having her palm read by a Phony Psychic wearing a pointy hat decorated with a ridiculous amount of "magical" and "occult" symbols (including a black cat, moon and stars, and a Non-Nazi Swastika).
- Smoking Is Glamorous: The very first panel shows Flossie, decked out in a stylish gown and piles of pearls, smoking a cigarette in a long holder. The narration flat-out introduces her as a stylish modern woman, and the casual cigarette is part of that image.
January 2, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Astrological Divination
Flossie visits the "Great Hindu Seer Astromar" to have her fortune told. Unbeknownst to her, crafty Bill has bribed Astromar to give Flossie a special prophecy Bill plans on fulfilling.- The Astrologer: Astromar claims to interpret the future by observing the stars.
- Domino Mask: Bill's friends dress in masks and bandanas to hide their faces during the staged highway robbery.
- Engineered Heroics: Bill's plan to Invoke a little Rescue Romance with Flossie involves bribing Astromar to give Flossie a prophecy that she'll marry a man who saves her from danger and plotting a False Flag Operation with his friends to stage a highway robbery that he can bravely foil while Flossie watches. That way he'll get all the credit for being heroic, and fulfill the prophesized role of "the man who saves Flossie from harm."
- False Flag Operation: After Bill has bribed Astromar to give Flossie a prediction that she'll marry the man who saves her from danger, he enlists his friends to stage a highway robbery that he can "rescue" her from."Don't be afraid, dear," whispered he: "my courage this will test!"
Out of the car he jumped, and knocked those three thugs galley-west!
But one mask slipped—and Flossie saw the face of Danny Lake,
A friend of Bill's! She realized the hold-up was a fake! - Malevolent Masked Man: Bill's friends dress in Domino Masks and bandanas to hide their faces as they stage a hold-up. It works, and Flossie is quite frightened of them, until she realizes the hold-up is staged.
- Meaningful Name: "Astromar" is a diviner who claims to interpret the future by observing the stars.
- Phony Psychic: The fortuneteller Astromar accepts a bribe from Bill to give Flossie a prophecy that will paint Bill in a good light:We mustn't reckon without Bill. He had a way of knowing
Most of the places Flossie went, and just when she was going.
And so he saw the Hindu first—and gave it to him straight
Just what to promise Flossie for her fortune and her fate. - Rescue Romance: Invoked — Bill bribes Astromar the Seer and colludes with his friends to set up a faked highway robbery when he takes Flossie out for a drive. He'll then pretend to fight off the masked bandits, impressing Flossie with his courage and bravado and fulfilling the role of the "man who rescues her from danger" of Astromar's premeditated prophecy.The next day Flossie went with Bill to take a motor ride:
And on a lonely road three masked men suddenly they espied.
The villains shouted "Stop that car! Hands up! And make it snappy!''
"Oh, Bill, protect me!" Flossie cried (which made our hero happy). - Stellar Name: "Astromar" contains the prefix "astro-", meaning "related to stars, celestial bodies, and outer space."
January 9, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Fortune-Telling Parakeets
A man with prognosticating birds promises Flossie that someone close to her will increase her fortune 7-fold. Flossie butters up to elderly, childless Aunt Ann in hopes of being written into her will — but could her sudden windfall come from somewhere unexpected?- Passed-Over Inheritance: Downplayed — Aunt Ann hasn't passed away by the end of the comic strip, but she has rewritten her will so that all her money will go to the cause of breeding boneless fish. Flossie (who had interpreted the fortune teller's reading of "a valued family member increasing her possessions 'seven-fold'" to mean that elderly, childless Aunt Ann would make Flossie heir to her estate) is understandably disappointed.
- Precious Puppies: Flossie's heretofore unmentioned "Champion Collie Dog" Nell gives birth to seven puppies. The featured illustration on the page depicts Flossie snuggling up with Nell and all of the fluffy, adorable little puppies (who are never mentioned again).
- Prophecies Are Always Right: The fortune teller predicts that a woman close to Flossie will enrich her by "increasing her possessions seven-fold." Flossie's beloved (if previously unmentioned) Collie dog gives birth to seven puppies.
- Prophecies Rhyme All the Time: The fortune pulled for Flossie is a rhyming couplet:The missive read: "One in your home is worth her weight in gold;
Be kind to her—she'll add to your possessions seven-fold!" - Prophecy Twist: When she first receives her fortune, Flossie interprets "one in your home is worth her weight in gold" to mean her elderly Aunt Ann, and "she'll add to your possessions seven-fold" to mean her aunt will enrich Flossie by making Flossie heir to her estate. It turns out the one who is "worth her weight in gold" is Flossie's dog Nell, and the seven-fold increase in possessions are the seven puppies that Nell unexpectedly gives birth to.
- Silly Will: Aunt Ann rewrites her will to leave all her money to the work of breeding boneless fish:A few days later Auntie Ann said "I've news for you, my dear."
And Flossie smiled expectantly, and held her breath to hear.
"I've made my will and left my wealth—I'm sure you will be glad—
To aid the scientific work of raising Boneless Shad!"
January 16, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Crystal Ball
Flossie visits Vesta the crystal ball reader, but wishes she hadn't when the prophetess predicts she'll be an old maid!- Crystal Ball: Vesta claims to read the future through studying a crystal ball.
- Fluffy Fashion Feathers: Flossie dons a beret with a massive feather in it to cap off her stylish ensemble.
- Prophecies Are Always Right: When Vesta reads Flossie's future, she sees a thimble and interprets it to mean that Flossie will never marry and wind up a spinster. Flossie storms off in a huff, but when she returns home her maid reminds her of an appointment with a seamstress. Flossie is so overjoyed she hugs her maid.
February 6, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Card Reading
Flossie and her society set attend a carnival. She convinces Jim to take her to the fortune teller, where the two find a familiar face among the cards.- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Downplayed — Flossie (blonde) attends the carnival, with Bill (brunette) and Jim (redhead) vying for her affection. The strip sets Jim up to be a romantic rival for Bill, but he doesn't re-appear in the series.
- Circus Episode: Flossie and her pals attend a carnival, so of course the first thing she does is seek out a fortune teller.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: After flirting with the card reader, Flossie is confronted by a woman who threatens to "put her [Flossie] in jail" for making moves on her fortune teller boyfriend. Flossie defuses the situation by pointing out that the real fortune teller stepped out for a moment — Bill took his place, and it was Bill that Flossie was flirting with.
- Phony Psychic: Bill disguises himself as the carnival's card reader in order to steer Flossie away from Jim, a rival for her affection.
February 13, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Oracle
A poet finds his way into Flossie's social circle, and all the ladies compete for his attention. With an upcoming costume ball providing the perfect canvas to catch the poet's eye, Flossie's pal Pat Van Zandt hires Isis the Mystic to give readings on what each gal should wear. Flossie plans to wow the crowd with her Queen of Hearts costume, but Pat's got something up her sleeve...- Artists Are Attractive: All of Flossie's female friends fall head over heels for the poet, much to the consternation of their male peers:A real live poet came to town; Flossie and all the girls
Fell for his large, dark, dreamy eyes, his Hyacinthine
curls.
He talked at teas—they listened, rapt. They petted him to death,
While all the young men stood around and swore beneath their breath. - Dresses the Same: All the girls in Flossie's social circle show up to the costume ball in a "Queen of Hearts" costume — all except for Pat, who is dressed as a cat. Turns out when Pat hired Isis the Mystic to give readings at her house, she bribed Isis to tell all the other girls to wear Queen of Hearts costumes so that Pat would stand out.
- Phony Psychic: Isis is bribed by Pat Van Zant to give every other girl identical readings on what they should wear to the upcoming costume ball.
- Sexy Whatever Outfit: Flossie and a dozen or more other girls at the costume party turn up in scandalously short, skimpy "Queen of Hearts" costumes in an attempt to catch the poet's eye. Pat wears a sexy (for its time) cat costume and stands out for her originality.
- Shout-Out: To the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.
- Themed Party: A costumed ball is arranged.
March 6, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Palmistry
Flossie visits Karma the palm reader, but the fortuneteller seems to have more interest in flirting with her than in revealing the future. Bill does not take kindly to this.- Crazy Jealous Guy: When Bill sees Karma the palm reader flirting with Flossie and making her uncomfortable, he throws a potted plant at the man.
- Fun with Homophones: Karma is a palm reader who claims to study people's hands to figure out whether they're prone to good or bad fortune. Bill picks up a potted palm tree and chucks it at the fake mystic."You are a flirt," he murmured "Now—here we are—alone—
Your palm denotes good luck." His face drew nearer to her own.
"Your hand is like a scented rose—the bee the honey sips— —"
Eagerly raising Flossie's palm, he pressed it to his lips.
But grim-faced Bill was watching. Stirred from his usual calm
He noticed Flossie's frightened face, then grabbed a potted palm.
"This palm denotes bad luck!" he roared, "and I am seeing red!"
He made a dash and Karma, and broke it on his head! - Kiss Up the Arm: Downplayed — Karma starts out with a kiss on Flossie's hand, and it's pretty clear he intends up to move higher before Bill throws a potted plant at him.
- Phony Psychic: The caption outright calls him a "turbaned faker," but Karma the palm reader uses his fortune-telling shtick to flirt with female party guests when he has them alone and unchaperoned.
- Putto: A little winged cherub shows up in the last panel, flapping its hands with joy as Bill tosses a potted plant at Karma.
March 20, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Wheel of Fortune
While taking a stroll on the boardwalk with Bill, Flossie spots a Wheel of Fortune and takes a spin. The wheel predicts she'll meet a dark stranger, fall in love, and receive a kiss. Bill vows vengeance against any man that makes a move on his gal, but could there be a love affair in Flossie's future that even Bill wouldn't mind?- Blackface-Style Caricature: Flossie and Bill meet a "grinning darky groom" (i.e. a male domestic servant, similar to a butler) delivering a gift from her neighbor. The man is drawn in this style, with bright pink lips and bulging rounded eyes.
- Costume Porn: Flossie's outfit consists of a matching vermillion red, fur-trimmed dress and jacket with matching fur-trimmed hat. The knee-length dress incorporates a layered hem and a panel of striped green, white, and purple fabric. The jacket is drawn with an emerald green lining to match the pop of contrasting color on the skirt. Flossie accessorizes the look with pearl and green gem earrings, and a corsage of purple-and-green flowers that only appears in the last panel. Both jacket and dress are trimmed with puffy black fur, and the black fez-style hat she wears has a matching fur accent.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Bill destroys the fortuneteller's wheel when it predicts Flossie will be "kissed by a stranger," then threatens to fight any other man who might try to court her."Trya da wheela fortune! Three spins for fifta cent!"
And Flossie spun it, watching where the little pointer went.
"A dark man calls on you to-night, bringing you flowers fair."
"Well, if he does," growled angry Bill, "you bet that I'll be there!"
She spun the wheel a second time. It stopped where it was writ:
"A love affair impends." "That's right," cried Bill, "and I am it!"
The third spin brought the message: "By a stranger you'll be kissed!"
Into the wheel of fortune Bill drove a mighty fist. - Jive Turkey: The groom who brings Flossie flowers and a puppy from her neighbor speaks in an antiquated, painfully inflected approximation of African American Vernacular English of the 1920's:When they reached Flossie's door they found a grinning darky groom.
"Good ebenin' miss: Mis' Jones, next door, send yo' dis bunch o' bloom.
An' dis yer pup she promised you." - Precious Puppies: Flossie receives a puppy from her next door neighbor.
- Prophecies Are Always Right: The three spins Flossie gets from the Wheel of Fortune predicts that she'll receive flowers from a "dark man", fall in love, and be kissed by a stranger. Her next door neighbor sends an African American groom to deliver flowers and an adorable puppy that she immediately falls in love with. The puppy licks her face when she scoops it up, delivering the "kiss from a stranger" that had upset Bill so much....Cried Flossie, "What a dear!"
She let the puppy kiss her face. "See, Bill, the stranger's here!"
March 27, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Sand Divining
Flossie convinces Bill to go visit Selim Ka the Sand Diviner with her. Bill tags along begrudgingly, but soon realizes he has an opportunity to influence Flossie's fortune by enriching the fortune teller on the sly.- Magical Minority Person: Fortune Teller of the week Selim Ka is "an Arab," and gets a rather unflattering description:The Sand Diviner was an Arab—sort of like a Sheik.
(Bill thought he'd like to kick him to the middle of next week!)
But as he droned and babbled and spread his desert sand
The others were enraptured, and thought him simply grand. - Phony Psychic: Selim Ka accepts a bribe from Bill to sketch out his likeness when divining Flossie's future."Oh wondrous Sand Diviner," said Flossie, "pray divine
The fortune that awaits me—the fate that may be mine!"
Standing behind the others, Bill caught the faker's eye.
He waved a good-sized yellow-back, and motioned, "I'm the guy!"
...He pressed his hands upon the sand and patted here and there,
Till someone watching cried "That's Bill! It is, I do declare!" - Smooch of Victory: Zig-Zagged — Flossie offers to kiss Bill if he confesses to bribing the sand diviner. He readily does so when offered such a prize.
April 3, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Tasseography
Flossie meets a bona fide tea leaf reader at a friend's salon, but she receives a dire prediction — tomorrow she'll rise above the trees, wafted to heaven! Is Flossie really about to perish, or will she live past the prophecy's expiration date?- Fainting Seer: Downplayed — the tea leaf reader is not happy to deliver Flossie's seemingly fatal fortune, even demurring that it's too upsetting and that she can't say it."Oh, tell me," Flossie begged, and held her cup out pleadingly.
The other gazed, and then turned pale. "Oh oh—I can't!" said she.
"Your fortune," she began, and then she gave a stifled cry.
"My dear, dear child," she whispered, "are you prepared to die?" - Prophecies Are Always Right: The tea leaf reader predicts that Flossie will soon "wafted to the heavens be," and she's right — Flossie has an upcoming airplane trip.
- Prophecies Rhyme All the Time: Played With — there aren't any dialogue bubbles, so any and all conversation is relegated to the panel captions. Thing is, all the captions are in rhyming verse, so any dialogue must follow that convention. As a concession to the narrative's device the tea leaf reader's prophecy winds up rhyming:"Look! Look, yourself! Here are spread wings—and trees far, far below!
See, this is you—you're rising—to-morrow you must go!
Naught can avert your fate! 'Tis fixed! The portent of the tea
Is never wrong! To-morrow wafted to the skies you'll be! - Prophecy Twist: The tea leaf reader sees a sign that Flossie will rise above the trees on spread wings. The reader interprets it to mean Flossie will soon die and go to heaven, even prefacing her delivery of the prophecy with the question "are you prepared to die?" But Flossie soon learns she has an airplane trip in her future — so she will be "wafted to the skies," just on the wings of an airplane.Flossie was stunned with terror. She didn't want to die.
She couldn't trust herself to speak, but nodded a goodbye.
Sped home, and found a telegram. "The airplane trip is on.
Be at the field to-morrow. Two-thirty. Cheerio. John." - Reading Tea Leaves: The woman at the salon calls herself a "teaology" expert, and she reads Flossie's fortune from the tea in the bottom of her cup.
- Whatevermancy: Averted — the tea leaf reader calls her art "teaology", rather than the more mystical sounding "tasseography" or "tasseomancy."
April 24, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Dove Footprint Reading
Flossie is reluctant to attend a garden party until she hears the fortune teller Shere Khore will be in attendance with his fortune-telling doves. For once, it seems Flossie isn't interested in her fortune — she's got her eyes on the handsome fortune teller instead!- Costume Porn: Flossie gets two costume changes over the course of four panels:
- Her first costume is a set of jewel-blue lounge pajamas, trimmed with black fur. Muriel wears and equally appealing set of deep green pajamas with a tropical parrot print and sheer cuffs.
- Special mention goes to panel two, which shows Flossie changing into her party outfit. She wears a rosette- and lace-decorated slip and appears to be pulling on a semi-sheer dress.
- Her final outfit is comprised of a short, floral-printed dress and a large "hat of chiffon roses."
- Magical Minority Person: Without delving into whether or not Shere Khore is a Phony Psychic, his striking foreign looks earn him as much attention as his supposed fortune telling prowess:Shere Khore was Oriental, with long, dark, melting eyes;
A robe of glittering splendor and jewels of wondrous size.
The girls cared not for his trained doves, nor hocus-pocus chart,
They only strove which one could send a glace to strike his heart. - Precious Puppies: Flossie's Pekinese from the first strip makes a return appearance.
- Smoking Is Glamorous: Flossie and her pal Muriel smoke cigarettes while laying about in fabulous lounge pajamas.
May 1, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Gypsy Fortune Teller
Flossie visits a "gipsy" [sic] camp and is told that her jewels are cursed. The fortune teller informs her the only way to cleanse them is to leave them out in the moonlight. She does so, only to find a fellow from the camp has followed her home to snatch up the unattended treasure. Fortunately for Flossie, Bill was waiting in the wings to play hero.- Magical Romani: Flossie pays a visit to the gipsy camp in order to seek out a fortune teller. An "old crone" reads her fortune, revealing that her jewelry is cursed to cause certain death unless Flossie takes a magic powder and applies it to her jewels under moonlight.
- Phony Psychic: The "old crone" at the gipsy camp plays the role of a Magical Romani in order to find gullible marks for her Roguish Romani compatriots to steal from.
- Putto: A statue of a winged cherub appears in the illustration of Flossie's garden, holding a spray of roses to mirror the floral border around Flossie and Bill.
- Rescue Romance: Bill followed Flossie to the camp and watched as she was tailed home by a Roguish Romani. When the would-be burglar climbs to Flossie's room and tried to steal her jewels, Bill jumps out and fights him off.Flossie, in terror, hastened down. "Oh, Bill," she cried, "I say,
He didn't hurt you, did he?" "No," growled Bill, "he got away!
But he didn't get his booty! Here are your jewels unharmed."
"Oh, those," cried Flossie, blushing. "Twas for you I was alarmed!" - Roguish Romani: A man from the gipsy camp follows Flossie home and tries to steal her jewelry in the middle of the night.Later, the agile gipsy chap, in moonlight bright as day,
Swarmed up the trellis to the room where Flossie sleeping lay.
Some intuition whispered, and she woke up from her dream,
Saw the burglar at the window, and gave a frightened scream.
May 15, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Haunted House the Tells the Future
Flossie's pals challenge her to set foot in a the haunted house of Spooky Hollow, planning to play a trick on the superstitious gal with a rigged skeleton. But could Flossie have a prank of her own planned?- Deadly Prank: Exploited/ Subverted — Flossie's friends plot to give her a good scare in the haunted house, hiding a life-sized skeleton behind a curtain and rigging it to be revealed at the stroke of midnight. In retaliation, Flossie dresses a dummy in a replica of her costume and throws it out the window when her pals spring their haunted house prank, making them think they've killed her. Then she emerges from the haunted house unharmed, revealing she's counter-pranked them.And from the open window dropped a still form. "Is she killed?"
They shouted, then stood petrified, with fear and terror thrilled.
And then, scarce daring to approach the lifeless bundle there,
They found it was a dummy, made up and dressed with care. - Haunted House: The house in Spooky Hollow is explicitly called a "haunted house," though the only spooky apparitions that show up in-comic are fake.One birthday night the crowd declared they must have some weird stunt.
"Let's go to Spooky Hollow!" suggested Morty Hunt,
"There is a haunted house there, and while the blue lights burn,
Let somebody go in alone—his fate or hers to learn." - Themed Party: The first caption mentions Flossie is attending a birthday party, but everyone is dressed up as if it were Halloween.
- The Man in the Moon: A grinning face appears on the moon in the last panel, obviously amused with Flossie's trick.
- When the Clock Strikes Twelve: The haunted house is said to tell one's fortune at the stroke of midnight. Consequently, that's when Flossie's friends rig a skeleton prop to pop out and scare her.They hid it with a curtain, and fixed it so the thing
Would spring in view at twelve 'o clock, when someone pulled the string.
At midnight's stroke they pulled the string, away the curtain fell.
The grisly skeleton grinned forth, and Flossie gave a yell.
June 5, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Spooky Séance
Flossie attends a séance, only for the proprietor to get raided by the police. Bill rescues her and brings her to a speakeasy to unwind, but their plans are waylaid by another raid. Is there nowhere the two can go that affords a moment's peace?- 13 Is Unlucky: Flossie attends a séance on Friday the 13th, only for the scene to get raided by police. Bill rescues her and the two visit a speakeasy, on for that establishment to get raided as well.
- Bedsheet Ghost: The first panel show the "spiritists" trying to fool their captive audience into believing they've summoned ghosts by donning a bedsheet. The second panel shows a police officer pulling the bedsheet off the spiritist.
- Fun with Homophones: After rescuing Flossie from a fake séance, Bill proposes they "go to Miro's Nightclub, and materialize spirits there." The term "sprits" can refer to ghosts, which the fake séance purported to summon, or to hard liquor, which the speakeasy would have in droves.
- Phony Psychic: The séance is an obvious fake, with the "spiritists" dressed as Bedsheet Ghosts and playing spooky music in the darkened room. It even winds up the subject of a police raid.
- Putto: One appears in the last panel, smiling cheekily as Flossie and Bill collapse into the back of a cab.
- Rescue Romance: Bill rescues Flossie from police raids at the fake séance and the speakeasy."Police!" They whispered, every one was full of wild alarms.
Flossie, in frantic fear, slipped out and landed—in Bill's arms!
She clung to him and gasped for breath; she couldn't seem to speak,
"It's all right—I am here!" Bill said, "but 'twas a narrow squeak!"
...A loud knock sounded at the door. "Police!" they cried, "A raid!"
"Oh, Bill!" moaned Flossie, "save me! I'm terribly afraid!" - Sleep Cute: Bill and Flossie collapse against each other in the back of a cab, having been worn out by their night of adventures.
- Spooky Séance: Flossie attends a (fake) séance, and is so frightened by the bedsheet ghost and spooky lute music that she tries to run away.One night, 'twas Friday, the thirteenth, Flossie went all alone
To a seance [sic] of the spiritists, where wonders would be shown.
She waited in the darkened room, and soon a ghostlike shape
Appeared, and frightened Flossie so she looked for an escape.
June 12, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: Ouija Board
Vacationing Flossie finds fellow houseguest Lord Fitzhugh noodling with a Ouija board and begs him to let her take a spin. It predicts that Flossie will be taken in by "a Turk", have her jewels and clothes stripped off, and be subject to some rough treatment — but could Flossie truly have nothing to fear from this future?- I Have You Now, My Pretty: The Imagine Spot shows Flossie in the clutches of a "powerful Turk" like the one mentioned in the Ouija board's prediction as he grabs her by the hair and tears at her dress.
- Imagine Spot: The largest, most detailed panel is an imagined interpretation of the Ouija board's prophecy, showing Flossie menaced by a grinning, turbaned "Turk" with one hand fisted in her hair and the other tugging off her dress.
- Ouija Board: Lord Fitzhugh and Flossie use a Ouija board to divine the future. It gives an uncharacteristically long, coherent, and rhyming answer to Flossie's question about what she'll do tomorrow.
- Prophecies Are Always Right: The Ouija board faithfully reports what Flossie will get up to the next day (i.e. a relaxing day of massages and pampering at a Turkish bath), but in such a manner that she's is left with the impression she's about to get kidnapped and made into a harem girl.
- Prophecies Rhyme All the Time: Flossie receives a long, rhyming prophecy from the Ouija board...."This will be your fate!"
"To-morrow you'll be taken to a place where strangers lurk—
A place under the ruling of a great and powerful Turk!
Your gems will be stripped from you, aye, and your clothes as well!
You will be roughly handled—but more I cannot tell." - Shameful Strip: Discussed/ Downplayed — The Ouija board predicts "Your gems will be stripped from you, aye, and your clothes as well," which Flossie takes to mean she'll be forcefully disrobed before being made into a harem girl. In reality, she attends a Turkish bath with her lady friends, voluntarily disrobing to participate in a relaxing spa day of baths and massages.
June 19, 1927
Method of Fortune Telling: n/a
Fed up with Flossie's obsession with the occult, Bill demands she make a choice: her future with him, or her fortune tellers. He takes drastic measures to ensure she'll pick him.- Last Wish Marriage: Invoked — When Flossie causes a minor car accident, Bill plays up his injuries and begs for a parson to marry them before he dies:"You are a parson, sir?" said Bill. "I am." Bill gave a wink.
"Then marry us two quick, I beg. I'm going to die, I think!"
Flossie agreed, and they were wed, and Bill came to at once.
"Hooray! You're mine now, Flossie! No more fortune telling stunts!" -
Values Dissonance: All over the place:- Bill essentially kidnaps Flossie from the social club, bodily scooping her up, dumping her into his car, and driving off.
- Flossie retaliates by pretending to jump out of Bill's car while they're driving, thinking it'll give him a nasty shock. He drops the wheel to keep her from jumping, causing the car to drive off the road.
- Bill tricks Flossie into marrying him by pretending to be grievously injured in the car crash she was partially responsible for. She agrees to a Last Wish Marriage, only for Bill to immediately reveal that he's unharmed. Flossie is so overcome with joy upon seeing he's okay that she totally ignores the fact she was just married under false pretenses.
- The parson who performs the marriage is in clued in to the fact that Bill is faking it, but goes through with performing the service anyways.
- Wedding Finale: The strip ends with Bill and Flossie getting married, with Bill telling his new wife "no more fortune telling" allowed.
