Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-07
QriumphS ora
h MELVILLE DAWSON Posi-
Ne 1904 NEA Service. Inc

Sir" he said. 'are you, by
chance, a fortune-teller? I"
"A misfortune-teller," replied my
father, his face still held above the
crystal. II see here a misfortune to
Mr.. Anthony Gosford. L predict,
from what 1 see, that he will release
this bequest of moneys to Payton
Marshalls son."
Sir" said the Englishnian, now
provoked into a temper, do you
enjoy this foolery?"
You are not interested in crystal
gazing. Mr.. Gosford," replied my
father in a tranquil voice. well. /
find it most diverting. Permit ME to
piece out your fortune, or rather
your misfortune, Mr.. Gosford! BY
chance you fell in with this dreamer
Marshall, wormed into his conf
dence, pretended a relation to great
men in England; followed and per-
suaded him until, in his i'll health
you got this will. You saw it writ
ten two years ago. When Marshall
fell i'll, you hurried here, learned
from the dying man that the will
remained and where it was. You
made ure by pretending to write
letters in this room, bringing your
portfolio with ink and pen and a pad
of paper. Then, at Marshall's
death, you inquired of Lewis for
legal measures to discover The dead
mans will. And when you find the
room ransacked, you run after the
law"
NY father paused.
THAT is your past, Mr.. GoSford.
Now let me tell your future. 1 see
you in joy at the recovered will.
| see you pleased at your foresight
in getting a direct bequest, and at
the care you urged on Marshall to
leave no evidence of his plan, lest
the authorities discover it. For l
see, Mr.. Gosford. that it was your
intention all along to keep this sum-
of money for your own use and
pleasure. But alas, Mr.. Gosford, It
was not to be! l see you writing
this release: and Mr.. Gosford,"-
my fathers voice went up full and
strong-"I see you writing it in ter
ror-sweat on your facet"
THE Devil take your noneserse,"
cried the Englishman.
My father stood up with a twisted,
ironical smile.
IF you doubt my skill, Mr.. Cos
FORD, as a fortune or rather a mis-
fortune teller, l will ask Mr.. Lewis
and Herman Gaeki to tell ME what
they see."
The two men crossed the room
stopped over the paper, while
my father held the crystal. The
manner and the bearing of the men
changed. They grew on the instant
and fired with interest.
Il see it," said the old doctor, with
4 queer, foreign expletive.
And l." cried Lewis, ''see some
.hlng more than Pendleton's vision.
see the penitentiary in the dis
The Englishman sprang up with
In oath II leaned across the table.
he saw the thing.
My fathers hand held the crystal
ABOVE the figures of the bequest
in the BODY of the will. The
-ocused lens of glass magniied to a
great diameter, and under the vast
enlargement a thing that would
escape the eye stood out. The ton
of a figure s had been erased.
the bar of a 5 added. One could
the broken fibers of the paper
IN the outline of the curl, and the
of the five lay across the ton Of
he three and the top of the 0 be-
ind 1t like a black lath tackled
cross two uprights.
The figure 8 had been changed to
so cunningly a. to deceive the eye.
tut not to deceive the east mag
LITIGATION of the crystal. The thing
TODD out big and crude like a car
patch.
Gosford's face became expression
ess like wood, his body rigid; then
lie stood up and faced the three
nen across the table.
Quite SOL" he said in his
voice. Marshall wrote a 3
~ inadvertence and changed it. He
borrowed my penknife to erase the
My father and Lewis CAPPED like
men who see a penned-in beast slip
through an unimagined passage.
There was silence, Then suddenly,
n the strained stiffness of tho room
I'D Doctor Gaeki laughed. Gosford
lifted his long pink face, with its
'ropped beard bringing out the ugly
Why do you laugh, my good
nan " he said.
81 laugh replied Gaekt, because
figure 5 can have so man. colors."