Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-26

"Tnis line is your line of head. How
very deep it is and long! You are going
to be very smart some day, Club. You
shouldn't be discouraged at anything
Even if you should be arrested some day
and sent to state prison dou't despair, no
matter how long you have to stay there.
| for this line says you ere going to be great
and good and yc1r life will be prosper,
Gus and happy every bit of it,
81 won't despair" I remarked heroic
ally. And at that moment l don't believe
/ would have despaired even if my happy
and prosperous career had been filled by
the fates to be passed forever in state
prison.
"You have been bad, Chub," continued
the pretty soothsayer, Every bad. A little
line under your second finger tells me it
was you who sank the saiIboat on the
rocks; beside that, your clothes were all
wet that morning.
L blushed deeply but said nothing.
| Was it for me to deny what the fates re-
yealed? 1t was not-not then.
81 knew I was right" Phillis added.
''but shall never tell. That wouldn't
be fair, considering how have found it
out. But won't go into your past. 1
will read the future for you"
Again I looked my gratitude while she
went on:
"This lot of lines below your thum,
and there Is such a lot of them, tell me
you are going to be famous-very fam
GUS. l almost fear that you won't speak
20 me when you are SO great. You men
are so ungrateful. Well, don't squeeze
my hand so hard; perhaps you will be
different from your sex. I'll try and be-
lieve you any way. This line in the mid
die of your hand is the line of fortune.
You are going to be very, very rich, Club.
[ wouldn't be surprised if you could af-
ford to go to Europe some day and have
horse and carriage and own house
when you grow up"
"Will | ever marry?" ! asked.
eyes this funny little line right below
that hard spot says you are going to
marry-but you must not be foolish with
your money Club"
"Never mind the money, PhilIis, tell
me who I'm going TO marry" exclaimed,
growing bOlder and holder as she grew
more timid.
81 can't tell you everything, you fool
ish boy. I haven't got that far in the
book" explained the little maid, her eyes
down-cast and with a diplomacy worthy
of greater age.
I'll read that part of my life myself,
Phillis," said I, with valor I had never
before nor have had since. "Here, don't
go away. 1 can't read it all alone. Keep
hold of my hand. There. Now let me
take your other hand-only to point out
the lines with. My fingers are too big,
Jou see. Now I'll tell you who I am
going to marry some day, if she will wait
for me-"
perhaps don't want to know. don't
care who you are going to marry. Prob
ably it is Jennie Miggs or some other girl
you know at home," interposed the sybil,
prophecies no longer.
mo it isn't Jen aie Miggs," I retorte
warmly. {" i am going to marry beauti
full girl with dark brown eyes and beauti
full lips and dark, curly hair. I'm going
to marry the prettiest girl in all the
world. Can't you guess who she is, Phil
LISP"
If my description lacked definiteness
my manner didn't. In snatching her
hands away from mine little Phillis slid
off the bench and darted away from the
scene OF my prophecy into the grove.
But L was too earnest seer to be thus
robbed CT my auditor, and III a moment
L had Overtaken her.
"Wili she wait for me, Phillis?" asked,
as / pat both arms around her to stay her
flight.
"Oh, Chub!" said she half hour later,
'just think of it,"
"Of what?" asked I, ready to think of
anything but able only TO think of her.
"Just think how nice it will be when
you are great. We will both be rich to-
gether, won't wet"
x x X
Did l say it was many years ago? If 1
did l certainly was mistaken. As sit at
my desk to-day and look at her pretty,
girlish picture in its frame of blue and
gold, it seems only yesterday. Yet it
must have been longer than that, for 1
met Phillis on the street last week. She
is over 80 now and has four children.
She is stout and dresses in loud colors.
She is the wife of a rich Chicago pork
packer, who hasn't any more lines in his
palm than one of mis- canvas backed hams.
And well, from me fortune, fame
and prosperity are as far away-yes, even
further away, like Phillis-than they were
that day in June in that summer by the
sea.-New York Graphs.