The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-08


calculate pious phrases at ;. The -, call OF
Plautus. Had Fate cast him in the mold
OF jeweler. rather than that Of a play
wright. he would have set down strong
er phrase.
] first saw my lady two years ago
though II was only upon the day OF my
introduction that l learned her name She
had then, though knew It not. been be-
fore the town for many weeks MS n
physiognomist. a mistress OF the stars, a
reader OF faces. and in many other ca
pacities interesting 10 the Idle and the
credulous Society, which laughed at her
predictions. paid innumerable guineas for
the possession Of them; great danes sat
in her boudoir and discussed amatory
drawn by the prcttiness of her manner
and her unouestonable good looks. came
cheerfuIly. TO hear that they would have
money from two sources" " or had
passed through the unintercsting COM
plants OF infancy without harm. In her
way, she was the event OF tho season.
powagcrs scolded her. but came again
TO probe family secrets. and learn the
hidden things about their husbands; men
fiocked 10 her to know what possibility
there was of an early return to the bliss
OF single life; mere boys vcntured upon
the hazard OF little mild tiirtatou-and
were at once shown the door by formid-
able lackey. Throughout her career scan
dal never lifted its voice against her, She
was engaged ultimately to Jack Lucas.
career had been fortunate.
When a curious chance and combins-
ton of events first brought me to ac-
egb5 With her she In fns Ssey
crowded daily In Dover street where,
with her mother. she had rooms-and II
was the thing TO consult her, yer ai nntlI
Oldneld, the collector Of cats eyes. AMI
Bracebridge, at the Bohemian club, hard
by her house. | had never heard of her.
The conversation turned during the soup
when talk Is always wetery-upon the
press Of brouGhams In the street with
out and Odfeld mentioned her history
TO me. and the surprising nature OF many
things she had told him.
1t Is easy enough" said he, TO look
at mans hand and deduce scarlet fe-
Yer and measles some where between two
and twelve years of age: but when a wo-
man tells you calmly that you we're ready
TO die for two other women at the age
of one and twenty. its thing TO make
which hope YOU did, exclaimed
Il did pause, Sir" said tho colonel
severely. "and that's where her clever
ness came In. She told me that neither
Of the women cared the snap Of finger
for me ard ! have really come TO the
conclusion that she was right Years put
a glamor upon most thngs. but 1T Is
hard. even at 80. To recall woman S no
Of thirty years ago.
Memory is a dangerous vice which
should be controlled. said BraGeorldse
forget. There should be no yesterday Tor
the man OF the world. But ] know the
morbid mind Of recollection YOU speak
about There was fellow here only
the other night who kept proposal book
lie put the noes on one side, and the |
ayes on the other, and balanced inc
left the book In a cab and has spent MS
time since going to Scotland Yard for II.
That comes of "reminiscences
II agree with YOU In the main. SAID |
the colonel. There is very little in any
mans private life which is OF concern
TO any one but himself. The lady we
are speaking OF knows this. and makes
her fortune by her knowledge. The |
truth is that we all love a little plain |
spokenness. There Is far too much praise |
about. Tell fool that he is not
clever man discreery. and you natter
him: inform him that he is brainless (
ass. and he will Kick YOU. But When |
you put q black cap on your hesa; s.a "a ana
guinea for the spectacle, the TOOL VIII
hear OF his folly cheerfully."
Then the girl you mention is a mere
vulgar fortune teller" said I. interven-
ing for the first time. "lts astonishing |
how little difference there is. when you
come to reckon II up, between the tastes
OF a grand dame and the tastes or her !
cook. The one goes in at the front door
TO get her hand read for a guinea: the !
other goes out Of the back TO have an |
equally plausible delineation for siHpence-
Credulty does not know any distinction
OF class: In the case | mention rank is
represented by one pound odd. Those
OF who nave no particular OpJeCuOp
To split salt. shIver to see the new moon
through glass. That man alone who |
tells you frankly that he believes. in all
superstilons is free fr9m from, the 6lemisn' oH,r9dsa
But common iortune-teiling' CONFESS
leaves me unmoved
"If ii began and ended I'm the mere
vulgar allotment OF tragedy and Of mar
riage. ] should agree with you" said
sracebridge. speaking with unusual
seriousness; but I am inclined to think
that this is n case OF noteworthy clever
l-o ,f t.stt Nnn
girl, possibly. is charlatan; but u one
half said Of her be true, she Is the
best at the profession We have known.
And. after all, it's an achievement 10
be the best at some occupation. II it's only
that Of picking pockets"
Speaking OF that" said Oldheld. ''G
once knew A man In the 'SiXtieth who
was proud because a society paper de-
scribed him as the finest ldler in Europe
That was negative distinction OF sur
passing beauty. you must admit. In the
lady's case, however. there is something
substantial 10 praise. She can talk OF
things OF which ] would not attempt 10
spell the name. with fiuency which Is
charming. IL IL Is not accurate. she has
a room full OF unreadable books, and |
believe there are a dozen men In town
who will swear that she has made dia-
should interest You. Sutton. 4 woman
who is the possessor OF what she calls
the. 'alkahest' OF universal solvent. is not
10 be interviewed for A guinea every day.
Besides, she might give you some useful
hints"
And who knows said Braccbridge.
what might come Of IL? / presume yo,
pay three pounds odd an ounce for the
genuine metal today. Under certain con-
tingencles. you. might get II for three
pence and a wife into the bargain"
I listened TO their banter with anluse-
ment for some minutes. and then cut in
a little seriously.
"I did not know" said J. that physi-
ognomy and alchemy usually ran we'll In
double harness. hut I must take your
word for IL. Anything OF this sort Is al !
ways amusing TO a jeweler though he Is |
apt 10 get little too much of IL. The |
last gold maker who came TO me began
ny promising To make a million in six
months and ended by wanting TO borrow
half a crown. I've seen scores Of that
Sort
You may laugh at her as much az
YOU please" said Old1eld; "but of one
thing he assured. II 7 am any judge |
OF precious stones AT all she can make |
rubies. and good ones. too, She cast one
for me when was last at her place. and
] offered her ESQ upon the spot for II.
A quack would have taken the money,