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Show TOBIN'S PALM - : By O. Henry 1 (CopriffM 1?0, by Doubltday, Page Cs.: published by special nrrmnement with lh W heeler .Syndicate. Inc.) Tobln and me. the two of us, went down to Coney one day, for there u four dollar- between ua, and To bin had need of detraction. For there waa Katie Mahorner, hla sweetheart, of County Bltgo, Joat alnco she started for America three months before with two hundred dollar, her own savings, and on hundred dollars from the sale of To-btn's To-btn's Inherited estate, a fine cottage nd pig on the Hoc Hhannaugh. And luce the letter that Tobtn got saying that she had atartad to come to htm not a bit of news had he heard or seen of Katl Mahorner. Ma-horner. Tobtn advertised In the pipers, but nothing could be found of the colleen. Ho, to t oney me and Tobtn went, thinking that a turn at the chute and th smell of the popcorn might raise the heart In his bosom. But Tobln waa a hard headed man, and the sadness stuck In his skin. He ground his leeth at the crying balloons; he cursed the moving pictures; and, though he would drink whenever asked, he scorned Punch and Judy, and was licking the tintype men as they came. - Ho 1 geta htm down a side way on a board walk where the attractions were i some lena violent. At a little six by eight Tobln halts, with a more human look In his eye. " 'Tis here," says he, "I will be diverted. di-verted. I'll have the palm of me hand Investigated by the wonderful palmist of the Nile, and see if what la to Im will be." Tobln was a believer in sign and the unnatural In nature. He poesetieed illegal convictions In his mtnd Along the subject of black eats, lucky numbers and the weather predictions In the papers. W went Into the enchanted chicken coop, which was fixed mysterious with red cloth and pictures of hands with ltnea crossing 'em like a railroad center. The sign over the door say It I Madame 2oa tho- Kgypttan Palmlwt. There wa a fat woman Inalde In a red Jumper with pothook and beaatle embroidered upon be -ran to look out for him, for the man's adversities were becoming frequent. He wan apt, when pushed so cloae by hard luck, to kick the beat dressed man he could see, and try to take command of the boat. Presently Tobtn grab, my arm and says, excited: "Jawn," say he, "do ye know what we're doing? We're taking a voyage upon the water.' "There now," say 1; "subdue yerself. The boat') land In ten minutes mere." "Look, says he. "at the light ' lady upon the bench. And have ye forgotten the nigxer mien that burned rn ear? And ln't the money I had gone a dollar sixty-five It wast" I thought he waa no more than summing sum-ming up his ratatrophiea o aa to get violent with good excuae, a men will do. and I tried to make him understand such things was trlfls. "L.iten," say Tobln. "Ye've no er for the gift of prophecy or the miracle of the Inspired. What did the palmist lady tell ye out of me hand? 'Tie coming true before your eyes. 'Look out, say he, 'for a dark man and a light woman; they'll bring ye trouble.' Have ye forgot the nigger man, though he got some of; It back from me fist? Can ye ahow me a lighter woman than the blonde lady that was the cause of me hat falling In the i water? And Where's the dollar sixty-, flv had In me vest when we left the hooting gallery?" The way Tobln put it. It did seem to corroiwrate the art of prediction, though it looed to me that these accident could happen to anyone at Coney without-the Implication of palmistry. Tobin got up and walked around on j deck, looking close at the passenger out ; of his little red eye. I asked him the ! Interpretation of hta movement a Ye never know what Tobln ha In his mind until he begins to carry It out. "Ye should know," says he, "I'm working work-ing out the salvation pro mined by the line iiijna -palwh i'm-tookltigfor th crooked nosed man that's to bring the-good the-good luck. 'Tl all that will save us. Jawn, d:d ye ever see a atralghter nosed smuggle the letter Into the penultimate syllable." " Tla well," says Tobin. "Te'rc in the presence of Jawn Malone and Daniel Tobin." " 'Tl highly appreciated' says the man, with a bow. "And now since I cannot conceive that ye wouid hold a spelling bee upon the street comer, will ye name some reasonable excuse for being be-ing at large?" "By the two signs," anawers Tobin, trying to explain, "which ye display according ac-cording to the reading of the Egyptian palmist from the sole of me hand, ye've been nominated to offset with good luck the line of trouble leading to the nigger man and the blonde ladv with her feet croased In the boat, besides the financial loss of a dollar iix'v-'v all so far fulfilled ful-filled according to Hoyl. The man sioppeu iosing and looked at me. "Have ye any amendments," he asks,' "to offer to that statement, or are ye one, too? I thought by the look of ye. ye mlvht have him In charge." . "None," says I to him "except that a one horseshoe resemble another, so are ye the picture of good luck as predicted pre-dicted by the hand of me friend. If not. then the lires of Danny's hand may have been croased, 1 don't know." "There's two of ye," says the man with the nose, looking up and down for the sight of a policeman. "I've enjoyed your company Immense. Good night." "Usten, man," says I to him. "Daniel Tobtn is as sensible aa he ever was. Maybe he is a bit deranged on account 1 of having drink enough to disturb, but : not enough to settle his wits, but he 1 no more than following out the legitimate legiti-mate path of his superstitions and predicament, pre-dicament, which I will explain to you." With that I relates the facta about the palmist lady and how the finger of suspicion sus-picion points to him aa an Instrument of good fortune. "Now, understand," I concludes, "my position In this riot. I am the friend of me friend Tobin. according ac-cording to me interpretations. It strains the art of friendship to be true friend to it. Tonin gives her lv cent and extena one of his hand. Hhe lift Tobin' hand, which I own brother to the hoof of a dray horse, and examine It to see whether tia a stone In the frog or a cast shoe h has come for. "Man." says this Madame Zoao, "the line of your fate shows " " 'Tl not me foot at all." says Tobln, Interrupting. "Sure, 'tl no beauty, but ye hold the palm of me hand." "Tha Una show,' says the madatne, "that ye've not arrived at your time of life without bad luck. And there's more to com. The mount f Venu or I that a stone bruise? shows that you've been In love. There's been trouble tn your life on account of your sweetheart." " Tis Kate Mahorner she has references refer-ences with," whispera Tobln to ma In a loud vole to on side. "I see," says the palmist, "a great deal of Sorrow and tribulation with on whom he cannot forget. I ae the line of designation des-ignation point to tha letter K and the letter M In her name." "Whlat' aaya Tobin to me; "do ye hear that" "Look out," goes on the palmist, "for a dark man and a light woman, for they'll both bring ye trouble. Ye ll make a voag upon the water very soon, and have a financial losa. I ae one line that brings good luck. There's a man coming Into your life who will fetch e nana or neiuons in tne days or your life?" 'Twas the :S0 boat and we landed and walked up town through Twenty-second etrect, Tobln being without hia hat. On a-street corner, standing under a gft light and looking over the elevated road at the moon, was a man. A long man he was, dressed decent, with a eegar between his teeth, and I saw that hi no made two twists from bridge to end. like the wriggle of a snake. Tobln aaw It at the same time and I heard him breathe hard like a horse when you take the saddle off. He went etralgnt up to the man and I went with him. "fjood night to ye," Tobin says to the man. The man takes out his segar and paflea the compliments, sociable. "Would ve hand us your name?" asks : Tobln. "and let ua look at the slxe of If It may be our duty to become acquainted i with ye." , "My name, says the man, polite, 1' Prlclenhauman Maxlmus G. Frleden-hijumann," Frleden-hijumann," "'Tis the right length." aaya Tobln. "Do you spell it with an 'o' anywhere down the stretch of it?" "I do not," any the man. "Can ye apell It with an 'o'?" Inquire Tobin, turning anxious, "If your conscience." says the man with the nose, "la Indisposed toward for-T for-T lViJ'!ln,mi ymprhT to n1ee vmir"'fj I s oorn iooi. Ana inui wnai i m noing, says I, "for, in my opinion, there's no fortune to be read from the palm of me hand that wasn't printed there with the handle of a pick. And, though ye've got the crooked est nose in New York City, I misdoubt that all the fortune tellers doing btifiinesa could milk good luck from ye. But the line of Danny's hand pointed to ye fair, and I'll assist htm to experiment with ye until he's convinced ye're dry." After that the man turns, sudden, to laughing. He leans against a corner ami laughs considerable. Then he cIhps me and Tobin on the back. of us and take us by an arm apiece. " 'Tis my mistake," says he. "How i could I be expecting anything so fine and wonderful to be turning the corner upon me? I came near being found unworthy. Hard by," says he, "Is a cafe, snug and suitable for the entertainment of idiosyncrasies. idiosyn-crasies. - Iet us go there and have a ' drink while we discuss the unavailability I of the categorical." So saving, he marched me and Tobln I to the hack room of a saloon, and ordered .the drinks, and laid the money on the table. He look at me and Tobin like brothers of his. and we have the sugars. "Ye must know." say the man of destiny, des-tiny, "that me walk in life Is one that Is called the literary. I wander abroad be night seeking idioryncraslea In the masses and truth In the heavens above. 'Tia ni. Iiin tn ha nltinn Kw,Lr Ia a.v fowl and cbtrae and a bottle or two of air. Ye will be welcome to enter and eat. for I am indebted to ye for diver-alona.' diver-alona.' The appetite, and connclence of me nnl Tobln wx congenial to the proportion, ' though 'twas stirklnir hard in Uanny'n miperatltlona to think -that a few drinks and a rold lunch should represent lha good fortune promised by the palm of his hand. "Step down the steps," says the man with the crooked nose, "and I will enter by the door above and let ye In. I will ssk the new irirl we have In the kitchen." snys he. "to make ye a pot of coffee to drink before ye bo. 'Tis fine coffee Katia Mahorner mskes for a arreen Klri just landed three months. Strp In," says tha nun, "and I'll ronj h?r down to ye." gooa lonun. i ? ii snow mm wnen je see him by his crooked nose " "Is hta name set down?" asks Tobin. M 'Twill be convenient in the way of greet i nit when he back a up to dump off the ffood luck." "Hla name," says the palmist, thought- i ful look inc. "la not spelled out by the ! lines, but they Indicate 'tis a lone one. j and tha letter V should be in It. There' ; no more to tell. 2ood evening. Don't j block up the ioor." I " Tla wonderful how she knows," j says Tobin as we walked to the pier. ' As we squeesed through the gates aj nigger man sticks his lighted cigar, against Tob!na er. and there la trouble. I Tobtn ha m mere h- neck, and the women ' squeal, and by presence of mtnd 1 drag the ittW man out of the way before the police comes. Tobin la alwayn In an ugly mood when enjoying himself. on the boat going back, when the man calta. "Who wants the good looking waiter?" Tobln tried to plead guilty, feel- Ing the desire to blow the foam oft a i crock of auds. but when he felt In his j pocket he found htmef discharged for ' lack of evidence. Homebody had dts- turbeJ hlshanfe during the commotion. Ho we aat. .dry upon ike stools, listening, to the dagoes find ling on deck. If any ' thing. Tobin was Kwer in spir.ta and less ' congeals with hi misfortunes than i when we started. I I (n a seat against the railings was a young woman drsd suitable for red automobiles, with hair the color of an unemaked meerschaum. la passing by Tobln kicka her foot without intentions, and. being polite to ladies when in drink, he tries-to give hie hat a twist while apologising. But he knnrks It oft and the wind carries it overboard. Tobia aunt back and sat dowa. aod 1 i t plain the strange things I have discovered in life." "The talk of ye." says Tobin. blowing throug bis mustache and pounding the table with his fist, "is an eyesore to in patience. There was good luck promised out of the crook of your ncuc. but e bear fruit like the bang of a Uutn. Ve resemble, re-semble, with your noise of books, the ; wind blowing through a crack. Hure. now. 1 would be thinking the palm .of I me hand lied but for the coming true of i the nigger man and tha blond-e lady and " "Whist!" says the long man, "would ye be led astray by physiognomy? Me-none Me-none will do what it n within bound. 1-et us -have these glasses filled again, for Mis good to keep ..Hosyncrasies well moistened, they being subject to deterioration deterio-ration in a dry moral atmosphere." So. the man of literature makee good, to my notion. ior he pays, cheerful, for everything, tbe capital of me and B Tobin being exhausted by prediction. But Tobin To-bin is KOre. and drinks quiet, with Hie red showing in bis eye. By and bv we moved out. for 'twas eleven o'clock, and stands a bit upon the sidewalk. And then the man sayd he must be going home, and invites me and Tobin to walk that way. We arrives on a sitle street two blocks aw:ty where there-Is there-Is a stretch .of brick houses with high stoops and Iron fences. The man stops st one of them and looks up at the top windows which he finds dark. "'Tis me humble dwelling," say a he, "and I begin to perceive by the" signtr that me w f e hi. re 1 1 red to si u m be r. Therefore. 1 will venture a bit In the aay of hospitality. 'Tie me wih that ye enter the baeement room, where a dine, and partake of a reasonable refreshment. re-freshment. There will be some fine - |