The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-04
q tils1r1phl|S Of q
Mo1tJllelle5
BY MELVILLE DKVlsSoH Posi-
olea9& sNEA Service 4. Inc

The Fortune Teller

llle rofIl
n was an ancient diar3 in q
AIDED leather cover, The writing
was fine and delicate and the ink
yellow Win ase Monsieur Jon
uuelie turned tie tpases slowly
and with care, for the paper was
fragile, We had dtned eafly aud
come IN lat6r to- his house on tie
Faubohfe 81 Gefnaine Id Paris.
He wished u show me this %
diary that mad Come down tohiui,
from abfaneh of his mothers
family III yira did ID bfaith. that
had gohe otitS%ith 1 Kings Grant
when VifgihiA was q crown col:
ony The collateral ancestor Pen
diefon had been a Justice Of the
Peace IN Virginia. and a splnster
danEhtef had Written down sonie
of tlie strange cases with which
her fithef had been concerned.
Monsieur Johdifelle believed that
tifase cases III their tragic details,
and their inspiratio1ai deductiye
<llndithg eqnaleds any Of modoru
inS Inc iatib6ufg st. Gefmain was
curtaiIed OF from Paris. Monsieur
times. 1,he great library overlook
Jonqueiie read by the fire; and l
listened, retufhed as BY sotie re-
cessip nof time TO the Virginia ct
Vanished decade. The narrative
Of the duty follows:
II was "a big sunny room. Tie
long windows looked put on
formal garden, great beech trees
aud tee ijowzo the river: Within
IL was d sort Of library. There
were biol 6asss 6uilt into tthe
wall, 70 tie height o.. 4 MANS
head. ind DC intervals between
chem. fising from the floor 10 tile
oorniee OF tie shelves, were rows
OF mahogany drawers WITH glass
knobs There Was also a fiat wits
Ing table. ~
Ii was the room Of d travlet, .
man Of letters, q. dreamer On the
table were an lnkpot Of carved
hide. d paper Knife Of ivory with
cold btitteftiies,setE III; three
brouze storks with theft back to-
sether, held an exquisite Japanese
crystal
The room was IN dlsotder-the
drawers pulled out and the con-
tents fansaeke ds
nv father. stood leaning against
the easement Of the window, look
ing eli, The lawyer, Mr.. Lewis.
sat Iii alehaif beside the table, MS
dtes Oh the violated room.
GPendletoh, = he said, II don't
ME tiiis Engiishnlan Gosford."
The words seemed to arouse my
father out; of the depths OF some
reflection, and he turned. to the
iawyet AtT. Lewis. }.
fGosfordl,, heseeh6ed.
die ID behind this Business.
Pehdiet6h, the lawyer, Mt. Lewis.
went on Mark my word! He
conies here when Marshall u i?-
ing he forces his way TO tho
nianls bed, he puts the servants
otit. lie locks the door. Now,
witat business had this Ehglls.t-
man With Marshall on his death
beds What business Of. a secrecy
10 ciesesthat Marshall's son Is bar
redsoatSbS a locked door.
Hefpaised and twisted the seal
ring on his finger.
when you aud I carne to visit
the siCk man, Gosford was always
hefe, as though he Kept q. watch
Siponsus, and when we left. he wen
aiways to this .oom to write his
letters, asShe said.
And moro than this, Pendieton,
Marshall Il hardly ID his grave be.
fore Gostord writes mo TO inquire
~ what legal process the dead
mati.S papers may be examined for
q wiii! And ~ ID Gosford who sends
4 negro riding; as II the devil wero
on the crupper. to summon mo IN
the name OF tho Commonwealth Ut
Virginia. "a. appear aud examine
into tho Circumstances Of this bur-
stmlstruBt the man. He used 10
hang about Marshall in his liza,
Upon some enterprise OF. secrecy;
and now he takes possession AMI
leadership IN hie affairs, and sets
The mans son aside. In what right,
pendleton, does this adventurous
Englishman feel himself secure?"
NV father did not reply to Lew.
Isl diseourse. HIS comment was
ID another quarter.
Here is young Marshall and
Gaeki he said. y
The lawyer rose and came oyss
to the window
Two persons were advancing
from the direction OF the stables
q tall, delicate boy, and strange
oldfn1ans The old man walked VITA
q quick, jedhy stride. It was the
old country doctor GaeEi. And, un.
like any other man OF his profes.
sion he would work as long and as
carefully on the body Of a horse a3
he would on the body OF a man,
sranping out his quaint oaths and
IN q stress OF effort. as though he
struggled with some invisible crea
ttire for Its prey. The negtoeyusei
20 say that the devil was afraid OF
Gaeh and he might have been, II
10 disable q ma1 or his horse were
the DEVILS will .5But I think, ratli.
81. the negroes imagined the, dew,
TO fear what 9hAv- fearad thar