s palmistry."

"I just take the words and play with them," Joan replied. "I truly do
not know whether there is anything in it--or not. It is only fun here."

"Look at me!"

This Joan refused to do.

"There is that line in my hand like yours"--Raymond was in dead
earnest--"what--does it mean?"

"I told you what it means," Joan faltered.

"Do you want me to read your palm?" Raymond bent farther across the
table.

"Yes, if you can!" Joan was on her mettle. She instantly spread her
hands to the bent gaze and prayed that no one would take the tables near
by. It was late; the rush was over and Elspeth Gordon, for the moment,
had left the room.

"You're not what you appear," Raymond began.

"Who _is_?" Joan flung this out defiantly.

"You're daring a good deal--to taste life. You're testing your line;
making it prove itself--_I_ haven't dared!"

Joan did not speak, and her small hands were as quiet as little dead
hands in the strong ones which held them.

"Does it pay--the daring, the testing?" Raymond's eyes, dark and
unfaltering, tried to pierce the veil.

"Yes--I think so."

"You make me want to try--do you dare me?"

"It does not interest me at all what you do." Joan was like ice now.
"You evidently misunderstand our play here. Let go of my hands!"

"I haven't finished yet. You've got to hear me out."

"Let go of my hands!"

"All right--but will you stay here?"

"I'll stay until I want to go."

"Very well. I know I'm a good deal of a fool--but sometimes a slight
thing turns the stream. I thought it was all rot--a play that you'd made
up--this line business." Raymond spoke hurriedly. "Of course I'd heard
of it, but I never gave it a thought. Just for sport, after that first
day, I got bushels of books and I've been sitting up nights reading.
There's something in it!"

Joan laughed. The man looked like an excited boy who had started a toy
engine going.

"See here! They say your left hand is what you start with; your right
hand what you have made of yourself--that line that you have and I have
is in my right hand--is yours in both?"

Joan tried not to look--but ended in looking.

"No," she replied. "I reckon it only comes in the right hand with
anybody."

"No, it doesn't; the lady I was with the other day hadn't it in either
hand!"

"Isn't she lucky?" Joan laughed.

"No, she isn't!" Raymond spoke solemnly. "Only the people who have
it--are."

"I'm going now." Joan got up; and so did Ray