South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-04
THE FORTUNE TELLER.

IL was an ancient diary in faded
leather cover. The writing was due
and delicate and the ink yellow
with age. Monsieur Jonauoile
turned the pages slowly and with
care. for The paper was fragile. We
had dined early and come In later
10 his house on the Faubourg 81.
German in Paris.
lie wished 20 show me this old
diary that had como down TO him.
from a. branch OF his mothers fami-
~ IN Virginia. branch that had
gone cut with a Kings Grant when
Virginia was a crown colony The
collateral ancestor Pendleton had
been a Justice OF the Peace in Vir-
Einia, and a spinster daughter had
written down some OF the strange
cases with which her father had
been concerned. Monsieur jon
quelle believed that these cases
In their tragic details, and their
inspirational deductlve handling
equaled any or modern times. The
great library overlooking the FauO-
burg St German was curtained off
from Paris Monsieur Jonquelle
read by the fire: and 1 listened. re-
turned a. by some recession Of
time TO the Virginia Of vanished de-
oade. The narrative or the diary
follows
II was big sunny room. The
| long windows looked out on a for
mai garden. great beech trees and
the bow OF the river. Within it
was a sort or library. There We're
bookcases built into the wall. 10 the
height OF a mans head, and AT in
tervals between them, rising from
the floor TO the cornice OF the
shelves. were rows or mahogany
drawers with glass knobs. There
also a fat writing table.
II was the room OF a traveller a
man OF letters, a dreamer. on the
table were an inkpot of carved jade
"A paperknife Of ivory with gold but
terfiies set In: three bronze storks.
with their backs together. held an
exquisite japanese crystal.
The room was in disorder-the
drawers pulled out and contents
ransacked
Ny father stood leaning against
the easement OF the window. look
Ing out The lawyer. Mr.. Lewis.
went on. Mark my word, He
comes here when Marshall is dying;
he forces his way to the mans bed;
he puts the servants out: he locks
the door. Now what business had
this Englishman with Marshall on
his deathbed2 What business of a
secrecy so close that Marshalrs son
is barred out by "A locked door,
He paused and twisted the seal
ring on his finger.
When you and 7 came to visit
the sick man. GosfOrd was always
here. as though he kept "A watch
upon US. and when we left he went
always TO this room TO write his let
ters as he said
And more than this. PendletOn;
I Marshall is hardly I'm his grave be-
fore Gosford writes me to inquire
by what legal process the dead
mans papers may be examined for
a will And it Is Gosford who sends
a negro riding, as if the devil were
on the crupper. To summon me in
the name of the Commonwealth of
Virginia. to appear and examine
into the circumstances OF this burg
larry.
Il mistrust the man. lie used 10
hang about Marshall i'm his life,
upon some enterprise of secrecy;
and now he takes possession and
leadership IN his affairs, and sets
the mans own son aside In what
right. PendletOn does this advent
urous Englishman feel himself
secure ."
My father did not reply to Lewis
discourse. His comment was i'm an
other quarter
Here is young Marshall and
Gaeki." he said
The lawyer rose and came over to
the window.
Two persons we're advanCine
from the direction OF the stables
a tall. delicate boy, and a strange
old man. The old man walked with
a quick. jerky stride. tt was the
old country doctor Gaeki And uu-
Ike any other man Of his profession
he would work as long and as care
fully on the body OF a horse as he
would on the body OF a man. snap
ping out his quaint oaths and in a
stress OF effort as though he strug-
. sled with some invisible creature
for its prey The negroes used co
say that the devil was afraid of
Gaeki. and he might have been. ii
70 disable a man or his horse were
the devils Will But 7 think rather
the negroes imagined the devil tc
FEAR what they feared themselves
Now. what could bring Gaell-
here" said Lewis
IT was the horse chat Gosfori
overhcated iu his race Co YOU" re-
piled my father. II saw him stop .r
the road where the negro boy was
leading the horse about. and chen
cali young Marshall"
eft was no fault OF yoUn9 Mar
srsH. Pendletou," said the lawyer
Bus. also. be IS no match Tor Cos
ford He is duettautc. Tie paints
little pictures after the fashion hg
learned in Paris. and he has no
force or viEor .n him HIS father
was "a dreamer. q wanderer. one who
loved the world and its frivo,ities
and the son takes that temperament
softened by his mother Tie ough,
30 have a guardian"
He has one replied my father
a guardian repeated Lewis
what court has appointed guar
dian for young Marshall
nGk wLief~ 4