The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-09-17
A Fortune
Telling System
By F. A. Mitchell

"N S -SS
had been playing euchre. She suggest
ed q game Of hearts.
"No, thanks" he said, Il am not so
stupid as to play a game of hearts with
q coquette. Your victims are already
sufficiently numerous without adding
so unworthy a person as myself"
You know very well what l mean.
You simply wish to say something
smart"
She was shutting the cards, but her
mind was not or them. What her
mind was on, or, rather, what was on
her mind, did not interest him. She
was right in inferring that his remark
vas intended for something smart.
While she was listlessly shutting the
cards she leaned forward so that the
perfume of a flower she wore in her
corsage was perilously ear his nose.
Her red lips were still nearer his. She
vas looking down at the cards, but
presently raised her eyes. They met
his resting upon her admiringly, but
she dropped them at once
"Shall I tell your fortune?" she
asked.
"Do."
She began to distribute the cards on
the table in four piles. Whenever she
put a card Oh the fourth pile she
paused and studied it. He asked her
what process she was using and she
told him it was one she had learned
from a 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 on
the second pile Of cards.
''That's q wealthy girl who is angling
for you," said the fortune teller.
"What's her name?"
II 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 a 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 viii 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. II don't see why the ten
| spots are a couple Of girls OF why you
infer those things. no matter what pile
they fall on"
'Of course you don't. What kind of
fortune would 1t be if you did,"
BY this time she had dealt all the
cards and. putting them together
again. shufied 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. 1.-THE expected has happened.
The rich girl has thrown you over for
IL man who is brutal"
That's the queerest fortune telling
system to understand I ever came
across" he said.
She continued to deal the cards very
slowly. They were both watching them
fntently as they fell. gradually bending
lower and lower v them. At last a
rebcllious strand of her hair grazed
his forehead. A fine wire is sufficient
to carry an electric current, and a few
hairs may carry a love current. The
ten Of hearts fell at the bottom of the
fifth column. She left her hand on
it. and. putting his hand IN it ut 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 mean
that the girl who loves me is"-
''Is what?"
what you're going to say about
her."
What am I going to say about her?'
This dialogue, spoken slowly and
softly. is not especially brilliant. but it
was quite sufficient to serve the pur-
pose Of these two-that is, keeping their
hands in touch. She raised her lashes
and looked into his eyes with some
thing that might have been %reproach-
full: it might have been inviting; 1t
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 per-
meated through it up into his brain.
1t would be sacrilegious to follow
further the blending of these two
young hearts. Besides, 1t would be a
repetition Of what has occurred since
Cupid first began his pranks. And yet
the little rascal has an infinite variety
Of ways Of practicing his profession.
and nothing. Is achieved in life in 90