Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-03
THE FORTUNE TELLER

National Era.
H Z FO X I NE LER.
Ny friend Campbell was an oddity. Every
body said he had an odd look about him. and
know for q certainty that he dined of cd,
plates, and lived in an odd house In fact
this house was the very essence Of oddity, be
Ing long, low built structure, of no particular
style OF architecture, but q mixture Of every
thing in general.
In looking at the house from an artistic dis
tance, two ideas were presented to the mind o.
the spectator. The first and most fanciful wa.
that, In some awful convulsion Of nature, the
disjolnted fragments Of ancient and modern
buildings had been thrown up together, and
In the course Of time, had become cemented
and thus formed the uncouth mansion Of my
friend Campbell.
The second and most probable idea was, that
the main part Of the house had been built by
the first owner Of the place, and that every sue
eessive generation had thrown up an addition
according to their particular caprice. At any
rate, it had attracted Campbell's attention
while on q hunting excursion among the hills
and the Oddity Of the structure, combined with
Its lovely situation, had induced him to pur-
chase it.
The mansion inside was q yeritable wonder
There were at least 3 hundred places where
one could lose himself even If one had been
familiar with the place for years. Narrow en-
tries, with no apparent termination, queer
doors, opening TO no one knew where, suspicious
cupboards, In the gigantic chimney, and other
bewildering contriTsnces, suggested the idea
that the original owner had been very romantic
or else had been q smuggler.
The whole place presented as interesting q
study for the antiquarian as the cataoombs of
Egypt, or the ancient tombs of Italy. Only the
curious were obliged to adopt the usual pre-
caution of carrying with them ball Of twine
by which TO retrsee their steps through the
labyrinth Of passages
Furthermore, the place bore the appropriate
title Of the Mares Nest" q name bestowed
upon it by my friend Compbell, who conceived
that the house bore 8 resemblance to the fabu-
lous object Of many school-boy's search.
But, whatever the house was. no better man
than Campbell ever lived. We had come across
each other accidentally, at time when I was
ID trouble, and my friend, then q stranger had
rendered me invaluable service, which in my
whole lifetime / could not repay. A close and
lasting friendship had been the consequence
and almost every evening saw me stealing to-
wards the Mare 3 Nest, my usual recreation
after hard days work in the city
Twas q lawyer, and perhaps in no other pro-
tesslon does one come across stranger phases Of
humanity. L think, certainly, there are no
men better trained to read well and correctly
the faces of those with whom they come in con-
tact, than those who have been bred TO law.
may say, without boasting, that was gifted in
u
A case had come under my observation which
/ regarded with intense interest. 1t was con-
test between an uncle and neice, in regard to
property left by the father Of the young lady
Between the deceased man and his brother
deadly hatred had existed for many years :;
but when the long absent brother returned sud-
denly, few days before the sick mans death
reconciliation took place. Long conferences
were held between them, and all other persons
were carefully excluded from the room But
the sick man died suddenly in one Of these long
conferences, and the brother was plunged in
seeming grief and detection.
After awhile he rallied sufficiently to open the
will, which he said the deceased had entrusted
70 his care. Contrary to the expectations of all
the bulk OF the large property was conveyed to
the living brother, and q scanty pittance only to
TO esch Of the dead mans children The will
itself, which l examined carefully, was drawn
up correctly by a lawyer in a neighboring vii
lage, a man whose honesty had had occasion
20 doubt before. Itwas regularly signed by two
witnesses, q servant Of the deceased, and one
whom the brother had brought with him from
foreign parts.
Clara Clark, the eldest Of the six children
and q young beautiful and high-spirited girl
rejected with naughty disdain the offer of her
uncle TO take some Of the younger children to
bring up in the sfiuence to which they had
always been accustomed. She determined to
dispute the will, believing it to be forgery,
and was engaged a. her counsel in the coming
trial.
Whether / should have been as much inter-
ested If my client had been gentleman. know
not; but my sympathes were fairly enlisted in
clara cause, and determined that she should
win, though the prospects looked black. /
nrmly believed the present will was q forgery
but 1t must be proved The lawyer who had
drawn 1t up had probably been heavily bribed.
ihe deceaseds servant had been called sud
denly away by the pretended death Of rela-
ave- but the other witness still remained with
his master. Such was the position of affairs
when commenced my task
In the hrst place, / wanted 10 get look Mt
The principal of the other side and try the effect
VI my eye upon him. / soon had an opportn-
NIFTY One Of the Preliminaries Of the ease was
being adjusted, and met my man in the pres
enee Of very few. / fixed my eye on him. /
think 1t is hardly possible " describe such
lace as his there was enough Of cunning In il
u make me detest the man, even If had known
nothing Of him before.
His eyes, wandering about suddenly en-
countered mine He colOred q little at first
but the next moment, L felt that was baffied
ms large, powerful, sinister eyes, had compre-
hehued my purpose. My scrutiny was worth
nothing Al present, for my opponent had been
suddenly rendered wary and cautious / felt
from that moment that had no common per-
ron to deal with, and experienced a sort OF
pleasure In the thought of battling such skill.
ful enemy.
The remainder Of the time that was in hi,
presence, while pretended to be busily writing
watched for the betrayal Of the slightest weak
ness on his part Only once was he of hi,
guards distant door in the building slammed
suddenly, and saw him start slightly and turr
his face in the direction Of the sound
The result of that days work jotted dowr
In my memorandum book. There was anoths,
will He has not destoyed it for reasons O
his own" "He is superstition" All thre,
Of these items were inferenoes on my part gaines
during the days scrutiny. That there wa
another will, the rightful one, / was very sure