The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-29
d
sHIOR ST Or I
y oanz RES Her Hand
~ JANE OSBORN.


BY JANE OSBORN.
w You are going to go to make a {.
fun you'd better not go at all,
said Maud as she jabbed
fork into the fruit salad she had
selected for luncheon at the care
teria.
Margaret agreed with this and
nodded her head vigorously, as she
Il and Maud watched the face of the
ske3tic Joan t'If you laugh or
even feel like laughing" explained
rs Margaret, you'll interfere with the
messages. He'll put you out II he
# knows that you are the one.
Joan, the third Of the trio OF
n stenographers who lunched to-
Eether at the cooperative cafe
terra. smiled with something very
like superiority. m not going TO
laugh. I am going because l want
ss to show you that it isn't really
mind reading, or spirit communl-
cation, or anything spooky at all.
s II he really does tell you things
about yourself that are true it Is
IA either coincidence or because he
e has grained himself to tell lot
about people just by their express
sions, their mannerisms, the way
they dress and the way they be-
M have generally. Any one with or
binary Intelligence could tell lot
more than they do II they just set
~ out to observe people closely
81 ..Well. you've a rigns to your
Opinion" said Maud. Come along
3si you want, only. don't laugh and
don't feel like making fun. Well
have dinner here at half past 81
gand then we can get there early"
Joan was the youngest OF the
trio; barely twenty, but she had a!
good brain somewhere behind
those round blue eyes Of hers. She
was no mere scoffer, either.
Goodness knows she told her
companion, "if he has any way OIL
q knowing US better than we kno"
"a ours elves or of knowing what is in
vi store for us, I'd be the first to-
s. want to profit by it. I certainly
a don't want to pound the keys all
my life If I'm going to meet a
man I love enough to marry 1 want
s to know it. If I'm not, then l want
4 to study nights so that I can get
e on IL the world
After the session with the spirit
n ual:stic character reader that
might, opinion was much divided.
55 In%the short time the girls had tol
~ Lalk-5 On IhelE way nome 1t seemed
.sc clear that the only part of the
ed them was that which referred
Ito their own present or possible
.44love affairs.
81 don't see why you weren't
more than convinced" said Mar
garet to oan. HE couldn't have
0 got things straighter about you If
ES he had known you all your life.
Said you worked and liked it, but
that you would be willing to mar
Y ny I the right man came along;
"a that you weren't easily suited and
Z. that & you didn't get acquainted
With en- easily. He said there
had been some one once who had
cared for you, but that he was not
Is 10 be your life partner, that you
s should walt for another. -
81 think any one could have
9 said that much just by looking at
,s me That mans a good observer,
s-but that's all. Any one with a
i keen eye and little sense could
n do as much.
Thereafter Joan tried to prove
"a the truth of her statement, assay
ing her own hand at character
She spent what had
# hitherto been tiresome minutes in
3s the subway observing and weigh
ling her observations. Before
many days had passed Joan could
tell - or thought she, could, an
Il amazing number of things about
~ most of.thes persons whom she had
a chance to study in this way.
Maud objected since no one
knew these people no one could
tell whether Joan was really maxi
ssss ing correct deductions. Thereupon
"a twas decided that Joan should
try Mr.. Davis. who had only just
s5 been transferred to the New York
s5office and about whom none of the
girls knew anything as vet. They
had not even heard hl!a speak,
but had merelyewatched him as he
Is had come ane gone with the older
members ofHthe firm. They would
remember Joan,s deductions. and
later when they knew his person
# al history they would see how
N#near# she came to being right.
\ loan felt that the vindication of
tciterS stand on the subject OF spool
Oh aracter revelation depended on
q her success Or failure-so she used
her eyes keen1y. Not only did she
ASwatch Mr.. Davis closely when he!
rs IN sight, but she thought about
IN when he was not. She tried
feei the personality of Mr.. Davis
Y that she would be better able toI
fSSw it. This continued for two
(ts The morning of the third
Joan met Margaret and Maud
bre office hours in the office to