The Washington bee., 1894-04-14
CHAPTER In PALMISTRY.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION BY MARK
TWAIN.

Ravaaled Murder by the Lines of
the Hand.
PINT look here. Dave" said Tom,
won used to tell peoples fortunes, too,
when YOU took their finger marks.
why he'll read your wrinkles as easy
as book. and not only tell you hfty Oh
sixty things that's going TO happen ~
YOU, but fifty or sixty tnousahu tnat
amt. Come, Dave, show lhe gehtie-
men what an inspired Jack-aI-aii,
science we've got in this town. anu
don't know it.
Wilson WINGED under this naegins
and not very courteous chan, ana !he
twins suffered with him and Tor MN.
They rightly judged, now, that lle
best way TO relieve him, would De 10
take the thing in earnest and treat IL
with respect, ignoring Toms rathef
oyerdone raillery; so Luigi said
I'VE have seen something OF painl-
istry in our wanderings, ana know
very well what astonishing tnlhgs III
can do. If it isn't a science, ana one
of the greatest of them, too don
know what its other name ouSht W
be. In the Orient
Tom looked surprised and incredul-
Gus. He said:
That Juggling science! buI rear
ly. YOU amt serious, are you:
Yes, entirely so. -Four years ago
we had our hands read out 10 us as
if our palms had been covered with
print"
well. do you mean to say there was
actually anything in it?' asked Iom'
his incredulity beginning to weaken d
little.
There was this much in it, said
Angelo: what was told us OF our
character was minutely exact-We
nould not have bettered it ourselves.
Next, two or three memora bic thlngs
that had happened to us were lald
bare-things which no one present but
ourselves could have known about
II haven't examined half dozen
hands in the last half dozen years;
YOU see, the people got to joking about
it. and / stopped to let the talk die
down. I'll tell you what We'll do.
Count Luigi; I'll make try at your
past. and if | have any success there
no. on the whole. I'll let the future
alone; that's really the affair OF an
expert"
He took Luigi's hand. Tom said:
sWait-don't look yet. Dave. Count
Luigi. here's paper and pencil. Sci
down that thing that you said was
the most striking one that was fore
told to you. and happened less than q
year afterward. and give ii TO me so
can see if Dave finds it in your hand
Luigi wrote line privately. ano
folded up the piece of paper, AMI
handed it 10 Tom, saying:
iii tell you when to look at 1t, Il
he finds it,
Wilson began to study Luigi's palm
tracing life lines. heart lines, heaC
lines. and so on. and noting carefully
their relations with the cobweb o
finer and more delicate marks anC
lines that enmeshed them on all sides
he felt of the fieShy cushion at tie bas
of the thumb, and noted lbs shape; a.
felt of the fieShy side of the hand be
tween the wrist and the base of tn
little finger and noted its shape also
he painstakingly examined the fingers
observing their form. proportions, an'
natural manner of dispOsing them
selves when in repose. All this pro
cess was watched by the three spec
tators with absorbing interest. thei
heads bent together over Luigi's palm
and nobody disturbing the stillnes
with word Wilson now entere
upon a close survey of the palm again
and his revelations began.
He mapped out Luigi's characte
and disposition, his tastes, aversions
proclivities, ambitions. and eccentric
itieS i'm way which sometimes mad
Luigi vince and the others laugh, bu
both twins declared that the char
rect
Next. Wilson took up Luigi's history
HE proceeded cautiously and wit
hesitation. now. moving his finge
Eslowly along the great lines Of th
[palm, and now and then halting
lat star or some such Landmark
}and examining that neighborhoo
Infinitely He proclaimed one or tw
past events, Luigi confirmed his co
Erectness, and the search went OF
presently Wilson glanced up with
Surprised expression:
Here is record Of an incident whic
you would perhaps not wish me to
Bring it out" said Luigi, good n.
}turedly; II promise you it shan't en-
fbarraSS me.'
But Wilson still hesitated, and di
Then he said:
Il think ii is too delicate matte
to-to-I believe l would rather writ
t or whisper 1t to you, and let you d.
tide for yourself whether you want
talked out or not
That will answer" said Luig
write it"
Wilson wrote something on a sli
VI paper and handed it to Luigi, WI
-ead it to himself and said to Tom"
Unfold your slip and read it, NJ
lOriscoll"
Tom read:
1T was prophesied that would ki
man. 1t came true before the yes
was out"
Tom added. Great Scott
JMigi handed Wilson's paper
III N. and said:
Now read this.
Tom read:
You have killed some one. but VIII
ther man, woman or child. l do n,
make out
Caesars ghost.' commented Tor
with aStoniShment 1t beats an
1thing that was ever heard of. VIII
la mans own hand is his deadlie
enemy! JUST think of that-a man
own hand keeps a record Of the dee
Hest and fataIeSt secrets of his life ar