Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-05-26
CHAPTER IN PALMISTRY.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION BY MARK
TWAIN.

wilson,, How Master OF the Ar'
Revealed a Murder by the Lines of
the Hand.
But look here, Dave. said Tom.
you used to tell peoples fortunes. too.
when you took their finger marks.
Why. he'll read your wrinkles rs easy
as book, and not only tell you fifty or
sixty things that's going to happen I"
you. but fifty or sixty thousand That
ain t. Come, Dave, show III" gentle
men what an inspired Jack-ai-nll-
science we've got in this town. and
don't know it,
Wilson WINGED under this n,g%ing
and not very courteous chatf. ANA Ih'
twins suffered with him and for him.
They rightly Judged, now. ihlt the
best WAY to relieve him. would he to
take the thing in earnest and treat II
with respect. ignoring Toms Father
uvrr,lone raillrry: so Luigi said
we have seen something of palm
istry in our wandrringS. and know
very we'll what astonishing in'l@S 1t
can do. If il isn't Il science. ana on"
of the greatest of them. too Il III
know what its other name ought to
lc. In the Orient
Tom looked surprised and incrrdul-
Gus. He said:
'Thl1 Juggling Il science: iu real
~. Won amt serious. are you:'
YES. entirely so. -Four years ago
we had our hands read out To us as
if our palms had been covered wi h
print"
We'll. do YOU mean to say there WIS
actually anything in it, asked Tom.
his incrrhuiity beginning to weaken
lite.
There waS this much in it,, said
.Ang 10: "wha was told us of our
character WIS infinitely cNAct-Wc
could not have brttcrrd it ourselves.
Next. two or three mcmorablr things
that had happened to us were laid
btr,-thingS which no one present but
ourselves could have known about"
Il haven examined half Il dozen
hands in tn" last half dozen years:
You see. til brlr got to liking about
it. ana ped to let the talk die
down I'll tell You what we'll do.
Count Luig: I'll make Il try ut your
past. and if have any success here
I,,. on ,hr Whor. I'll let til" future
alone: that's really the affair of an
expert
He took LuigiS hand. Tom said:
"Wnit-dont look vet. Dave. Count
Luigi. here's paper and pencil. Set
down that thing thai You said WAS
the most striking one that was fore
told to you. and happened less than Il
year aftrrwIr,l. and give il /, me 81
can see if Dave finds it in Your hand"
Luigi wrote Il line priva ely. and
folded up til" piece of paper. AMI
handed it To Tom. saying:
Il II IL YOU when to look at it. if
Il" finds it,"
Wilson began to study Luiyi'S palm.
tracing life lines. heart lines head
lines. ANA so ON. and noting carefully
their Relations with the cohWCb of
finer and moro drlira q marks and
In that rnmrShrd them on all sides:
lie felt of the tlrShy cushion nj the base
of tn" thumb. and noted its shape: he
felt of the hrShy side Of the hand be-
tween the wrist and the base of he
little finger. and noted its shape also;
he pnin>taLingly examined til" fingers.
observing their form proportions. AMI
natural manner of diSpOSing them
selves when in rrpoSr. All this pro
cess was watched by the three spec,
tat'rS with absorbing interest. their
heads bent together over LuigiS palm,
and nobody disturbing the stiffness
with Il word. Wilson now entered
upon Il co>r survey of the palm gain,
and his revelations began.
He mapped out Luigi'S character
ana disposition. his tastes. diversions.
prUclivitirS, ambitions. and eccentric
itiCS in Il way which sometimes made
Luigi vince and the others laugh but
both twins declared that the chart
WAS artiStically drawn and was cor
rect.
Next. Wilson took up Luigi'S history
He proceeded eau iouSly AMI with
hesitation. now. moving his fling +
slowly along the great lines of IN"
palm. and now and then halting il
at Il star" or some such landmarks,
and examining that nrighborhoDd
infinitely. He proclaimed one or two
past events. Luigi confirmed his cor
r'ctncSS, and the search Went on.
Presently Wilson glanced up With Il
surprised expressions:
Here is record of an incident which
You would perhaps not wish me to-
Bring it out" said Luigi. good ma
tnrrdly; Il promise you it Shan't en-
barraSS me-
But Wilson still hcsitatcd. and did
not seem quite to know what 10 do.
Then he said
tool believe | would rather write
il or whisper it to you. and let ynu de-
eide for yourself whether You want it
talked out or not"
That will answer" said Luigi;
"writr it,"
Wilson wrote something on Il sip
OF paper and handed it to Luigi who
read it To himself and said to Tom"
II nfold your slip and read ii, Mr.
DriScoll"
Tom read:
1T WAS prophcsicd that | would kill
man. 1t came true before the year
waS out
Tom added. Great Scott
Luigi handed Wilson's paper to
Tom. and said:
~Now read this
Tom read:
You have killed some one. but whc-
Their man. woman or child, | do not
make out
Caesars ghost.' commented Tom,
with establishment. ut beats any
thing that was ever heard of. Why,
mans own hand is his dcadlicSt
enemy. Just think of that-a mans
own hand keeps Il record of the deep
est and fatalest secrets of his life. and
is trrachcrouSly ready to expose him
to any black magic stranger that
comes along. But what do YOU let a
person look at your hand for. with
that awful thing printed in it,"
oh, said Luigi, repoSefully. Il
don't mind it. | killed the man for