The herald., 1915-10-07
A Fortune
Telling System
By F. A. Mitchell

/
stupid as to play game Of hearts with
coquette. Your victims are already
sufficiently numerous without adding
SO unworthy person as myself"
You know very well what | mean
You simply wish to say something
smart"
She was shufiiing the cards, but her
mind was not on them. What hcI
mind was ON, or, rather, wlslt was on
her mind, did not interest him. She
was right in inferring that his remark
was intended for something smart
While she was listlessly shutiling the
cards she leaned forward so that the
perfume of Il flower she wore in her
corsage was perilously near his nose.
Her red lips were still nearer his. She
was looking down at the cards, but
presently raised her eyes. They met
his resting upon her admiringly, but
she dropped them at once.
Shall tell your fortuneT she
asked.
DO"
She began to distribute the cards on
the table in four piles. Whenever she
put a card on the fourth pile she
paused and studied it. He asked her
what process she was using and she
told him II was one she had learned
from fortune teller A spider laying
for a fly is not expected TO speak the
/ truth.
She put down four cards, then an
other four cards, the second fourth
card being the knave of spades.
That's you" she said.
I'm no knave"
But you're awfully smart You
scintillate with bright sayings"
He swallowed this little bit of pre-
| liminary bait, and it made him hungry
| for more
Presently the ten of diamonds fell Oh
the second pile of cards.
That's wealthy girl who is angling
for yOu," said the fortune teller.
"What's her name!'
Il know her name, but I'm not going
to tell you
The two of spades fell in the first
pile
"a black deuce indicates that she is
crafty. Better look out for her. She
will make you lot of trouble"
The ten Of hearts fell on the first
pile.
That's the girl who really loves you.
She is true hearted, and if you return
her love she will make you very
happy"
Il don't quite understand this
scheme under which you are working
all this out" he said, with a puzzled
expression. 81 don't see why the ten
spots are couple of girls or why you
infer those things, no matter what pile
they fall on
"Of course you don't. What kind of
fortune would it be if you did?'
BY this time she had dealt all the
cards and, putting them together
again, shuffled them and began anew,
this time laying them in six rows,
placing one card beneath another, so
that all were exposed. The third card
In the first column was the ten Of dia-
monds, and the fourth card In the
sixth column was the jack Of clubs.
Too bad! exclaimed the fortune
teller. THE expected has happened.
The rich girl has thrown you over for
a man who Is brutal"
That's the queerest fortune telling
system to understand l ever came
across" he said.
She continued to deal the cards very
slowly. They were both watching them
intently as they fell, gradually bending
lower and lower over them. At last a
rebellious strand of her hair grazed
his forehead. A fine wire is sufficient
to carry an electric current, and a few
hairs may carry love current. The
ten OF hearts fell at the bottom of the
fifth column. She left her hand on
1t, and, putting his hand on It at the
same time, he touched hers. She did
not withdraw hers, and he maintained
his position.
Don't go any further till you have
explained to me why this card falling
at the bottom Of the fifth column means
that the girl who loves me is
us what?"
What you're going to say about
her."
what am going to say about herr"
This dialogue, spoken slowly and
softly, is not especially brilliant, but It
was quite sufficient to serve the DUR
pose OF these two-that is, keeping their
hands In touch. She raised her lasbes
and looked into his eyes with some
thing that might have been reproach-
full; 1t might have been inviting: II
might have been anything he chose
to infer 1t to be. Meanwhile the fra
GRANGE Of the flower mingled with her
breath, circled about his nose and Der.
meated through 1t up into his brain.
1t would be sacrilegious to follow
further the blending of these two
young hearts. Besides, it would be a
repetition Of what has occurred since |
Cupid first began his pranks. And vet
the little rascal has an infinite variety |
OF ways Of practicing his profession. |
and nothing Is achieved In life In so |
many different ways as the drawing |
together Of pair Of lovers.
Il say, mummy" he said when their
daughter was receiving attention from
desirable parti, you'd better teach |
ner that fortune telling pama von