I did not return to the bar for several evenings after my unusual conversation with Blind Betty, and when I finally did, she was gone, never to be seen by anyone in the bar again. Nor was her temporary presence in the bar ever talked about by any of the regulars. I have often wondered why she had taken the time to visit that small, quiet bar, and what message she was trying to share with us. It was a question I would never be able to answer to my complete satisfaction.

Regardless, the world has continued its mundane progress toward oblivion, though occasionally, during those rare moments when life is unexpectedly good to me, I sometimes hear the soft, musical sound of crystal chimes on a distant breeze, and I find myself smiling, without quite knowing why.