Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-07
The Fortune Teller
Begin Here Today

Begin 6cTc lONat
Seated in the quiet OF his Paris
study,
detectives, reads from his fathers
diary the tale of a crime that
took place years ago in far-oh
Virginia.
The diary tells how the son of
PEYTON MARSHALL stole his
fathers will because he believed
his father at his death had been
strangely influenced by the Eng
lishman,
MR.. GOSFORD, and that under this
influence had left Gosford al! his
$4,000 estate instead OF keeping
his promise and leaving his son
$4,000.
The writer of the diary recounts
how his father and the lawyer,
Mr.. LEWIS, were suspicious of Cos
ford. The son admits he took the
will and surrenders it to the ex-
ecutors who are gathered in the
plantation library with Gosford
and the old doctor,
9AEKI.
Go on With the Story
CHAPTER III
II was my father who broke the
silence.
sGosford." he said, "what
scheme were you and Marshall
about?'
sYou may wonder. SIR" replied
the Englishman, continuing to write
his notes: "I shall not tell you"
"But I will tell you," said the hoy.
sMy father thought that the states in
This republic could not hold together
-rAA I1~pa~ He hp1iAUpd that
the country would divide and the
South set up a separate government.
He hoped this might come about
without a war. He was in horror of
n war. He had travelled; he had
seen nations and read their history,
and he knew what they were talking
when they urged war"
He paused and looked at Gosford.
'sMy father was convinced that the
South would finally set up an inde-
pendent government, but he hoped a
war might not follow. He believed
that IL this new government were
Immediately recognized by Great
Britain, the North would accept the
inevitable, and there would be no
~b1oodshed. My father went to Eng
land with this scheme. He met Mr.. |
Gosford somewhere-on h ship, L
think. And Mr.. Gosford succeeded
in convincing my father that f he
had a sum of money he could win
over certain powerful persons in the
English government. and so pave
the way to an immediate recognition
of the Southern Republic by Great
Britain. He followed my father
home and hung about him, and so
finally got his will. My father was
careful: he wrote nothing: Mr.. Cos
ford wrote nothing: there is no evil
dence of this plan, but my father
told nae, and it is true"
My father stopped by the table
and lifted his great shoulders.
"And So" he said, "Peyton Mar
shall imagined a plan like that, anu
left its execution to a Mr.. Gosford!'
The Englishman put down his pen
ind addressed my father.
II would advise you, sir, to re-
luire a little proof for your coIclu-
lions. This is a very pretty story,
tut it Is prefaced by an admission of
evidence, and it comes as a spe-
pleading for a criminal act. Now,
fr, II / chose, if the bequest re-
uired 1t, I could give a further ex-
'lanation, with more substance; Of
moneys borrowed by the decedent in
is travels and to be returned to me.
tut the will, sir, stands for itself, as
fr. Lewis will assure you"
My father seemed brought UP in
cul-de-sac. His face was tense and
disturbed. He stood by the table:
nd now. as by accident. he put out
is hand and took up the Japanese
supported by the necks OF
he three bronze storks. He ap-
,eared unconscious of the act, for
Ie was in deep reflection. Then, as
the weight in his hand drew
lis attention, he glanced at the
hing. Something about it struck
him, for his changed. He
Ipread the will out on the table and
to move the crystal over it,
mis- face close to the glass. Pres
his hand stopped, and he stood
over, staring into the ORR
crystal, like those prac+icers of
art who predict events from
What they pretend to see in these
OF glass.
Mr.. Gosford, sitting at his ease,
n victory. regarded my father with
4 superciious, ironical smile.