Dorothy walked on a lonely trail. The sky was growing dangerously dark, but it was either that or give Toto to Miss Gulch.
"It looks like that twister is coming for sure, but we need to keep going. If we go back to go to the cyclone cellar, she will come for you. Is that Gwen in the distance?"
They could see Gwen coming up to them with a smile on her face.
"Hey you got him back! What are you doing?" she asked, looking at the suitcase Dorothy was holding.
"Running away," said Dorothy. "Miss Gulch is sure to come back for Toto."
"When things go wrong, running away is never the answer," said Gwen. "Think of how hurt your aunt and uncle would be."
"I have no choice. I hate Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. They did nothing."
"They had no choice," said Gwen. "Running away would have severe consequences. If you don't believe me, ask Professor Marvel."
"Professor Marvel?" asked Dorothy. "Who's he?"
"He will read your past, present and future in his crystal," explained Gwen. "You really should meet him. Just follow that grey stone road. He will show you what's important in your life. After all, Dorothy, no matter how far you travel, there's no place like home."
There was a trailer reading Professor Marvel from the Crowned Heads of Europe. Let him read your Past, Present and Future in his crystal. Dorothy saw a plump fatherly looking man in a suit and top hat humming merrily, roasting sausages over a fire. He looked up to see her and smiled welcomingly.
"Who may you be, lass? No, no! Don't tell me, I know you're business. You're…travelling in disguise...no…. you're…going on a visit…no…you're…you're running away."
"How did you guess?" said Dorothy.
"Professor Marvel never guesses," said the now-called Professor Marvel. "He knows. So why are you running away? No, no don't tell me. They don't understand you at home, they don't appreciate you. You want to travel the world and see big cities, big mountains, big oceans."
Dorothy was really impressed with the man's knowledge. "Why, it's just as if you can read what's in my mind. Oh, Toto! That's not polite!" she added, when she noticed Toto pinched the sausage form Professor Marvel's poker. "We haven't been asked yet."
"Ah, he's perfectly welcome," chuckled Professor Marvel. "One good dog to another."
"Oh please, Professor," said Dorothy, "why can't me and my dog go with you to see all the crowned heads of Europe?"
"I think it best to ask my crystal," he answered getting up. He led her into the trailer with all sorts of things form the medieval times including animal skulls. On the table sat the crystal.
"This here," he said pointing at it and putting on a turban at the same time, "is the same genuine, magic, authentic crystal used by the priests of Isis and Osiris in the days of the Pharaohs of Egypt, in which Cleopatra first saw the approach of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony - and - and so on and so on."
The both sat down opposite each other.
"Now, you - you'd better close your eyes, my child, for a moment - in order to be better in tune with the infinite."
Dorothy did as she was told.
The man went into her basked to find a frame of herself and an old woman together.
"It's alright now you can open them," he told her. When she opened them, Professor Marvel observed the crystal.
"What's this?" he said. "Your home; a farm, I see a woman in a polka-dot dress. Her name is Emily isn't it?"
"That's right," said Dorothy. "What is she doing?"
"Hmm," thought he man "seems to me she's crying. She looks hurt as if someone broke her heart."
"You don't suppose me?" said Dorothy. She did feel a little twinge of guilt for what she did.
"Someone she loves very much," explained Professor Marvel. "Someone she's been very kind to. Someone who she helped get well."
"I remember when I was young," said Dorothy. "I got the measles, and she was always by my side. What is she doing now?"
Professor Marvel gave a look of shock. "She's clutching her chest, and lying on her bed. That's all the crystal has got to show."
Dorothy sprung up. "She sounds really sick. She needs me. I need to get home right now."
Professor Marvel looked confused, "You said you wanted to travel with me."
"I would," said Dorothy. "But I'm worried to death about her, come on, Toto. Goodbye, Professor Marvel, and thank you ever so much."
And she dashed back to her home.
"Hope things turn out all right for her," Professor Marvel said to himself, "Better get my horse Sylvester. A storm is well on the way. Poor child, I most certainly hope she gets home all right."