The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-02-24
BEELZEBUB.
BY CHAS. X. HARKER.

GLOW is it? All full2 Anything for
him, Pepin?' said Mr.. Hurley, bending
over a desk and writing rapidly.
"No," "jerked out the man at the desk,
never stopping the scratch, scratch of
his pen, nor raising his head to notice
what effect the blunt monosyllable had
on a flabby, ragged individual who stood
at the door.
Over the weak, irresonte, dissipated-
looking face ofthe applicant there fitted
scarcely perceptible shade of disap-
pointment. Then he turned without a
word, pulled q NANCY cap trife lower
over his eyes, and was going out, when
portly Mr.. Hurley tipped back in his
chair and said:
"Hold on, my mani Did any one
"What sir?" stammered the ragged
wretch, looking round with watery ewes
that wavered and blinked, and seemed
TO defy their owners power 10 set them
squarely toward an object.
"Did any one send your? repeated
Mr.. Hurley.
eyes, the little one-top the hill-the
girl-she said"
II thought as much, )" Interrupted Mr..
Hurley, slapping his knee. FIf Lily
doesn't stop this sort of business we'll
quarrel. What paradise this world
would be for bummcrs, if we were oil
as tender hearted as she. Eth, Pepin ?v
The rich manufacturer chuckled to
himself moment, and then said abrupt
ly to the dissipated specimen of human
ity before him:
"What's your name?"
"Bcelzebub, answered the tradcsman
in q rather apologetic tone, with his
bleared eyes on his gaping, dusty boots.
Even Pepin paused, and looked ND
from his work with his methodical colln-
tenance expressing as much surprise as
it was capable of.
''Beelzebub," echoed Mr.. Hurley.
'You don't mean to tell me that's your
real name?'
The mans moist eyes fiickercd dimly
at Mr.. Hurley again,
"Thats what they called me over to
Hawksbury-I kim from Hawksburv, :"
he said, feebly drawing his fingers over
his thin, struggling beard.
"Who under heaven gave you such a
name" asked Mr.. Hurley, growing Gu
rious.
Don't know; that's what they called
me over to Iawksbury," replied Beel-
zebub, with vacant sort of smile, as he
twirled the solitary button ON his coat.
and unconsciously lost part ofhis abject-
ness rs he saw he was interesting the
rich man and his clerk.
And that was all they could get out of
the totlering, nerve-shaken vagabond.
Questioning did no good. He had cvi-
IDENTIFY lived drunken, scottish life, and
either would not disclose, or-which
was more improbable-never knew any
other name than the strange one which
he gave. Mr.. Hurley gazed at the dirty,
repulsive-looking ragamufiin from head
10 foot, contrasted him with his own
well-fed, well-clothed, comfortable self,
and remembering that the man had
asked for work, not for aims, then said /:
"Pepin, take him down stairs to
Holmes. suppose we must find some
thing for him to do, now Lily has sent
him here. And, Beelzebub, you must
spruce up! have no such looking men
as you are now in my employ. There's
stuff In you yet. You are not SO old as
you look, / take it. Clean yourself up,
Iuduj anu sldIl Otef again.
Mr.. Pepin glanced at Beelzebub with
an air that strongly resembled disgust,
and, rising like machine, he took his
hat from nail and walked out of the
door, Beelzebub shufiling after him.
Mr.. Hurley, left alone, complacently
soliloquized that, if he were not SO loud
mouthed In his charity as some, he had
dragged one looking wretch from
the Slough of Despond' this morning
and done II in a very sensible fashion.
This was the manner in which Beel-
zebub came to Hurley's mill. IIe soon
grew TO be as much of II fixture of the
place as even the automatical Pepin
himself. AT first, the smeary, blear-
eyed, old-young man was received with
small favor by the workmen. Many
were the jibes and bad jokes at his ex.
pense. But the wise old saw says that
1t takes two to make quarrel, and Be.
elzebub was always the one lacking
md at last he was favoriie rather than
otherwise with the men!
He grew in his employers esteem al
SO. His eye was still wavering, hi,
manner as servile and cringing as al
ownerless spaniel but his dress by de.
StOto 6iOW tidlt uuu Hc was Clcdll dll
wholesome to look at, If no more. Lily
the manufacturers golden-haired daugh
ter, tyrannized over Beelzebub outrag
eously. He was her complete and will
Ing serf, obeying her every whim, ask.
ing no reasons, and apparently regard
Ing her as sort of terrestrial angel Of
light, the latchet of whose dainty little
shoes he was not worthy to unloosc.
II was In war times, during the period
when northern manufacturers We're mn
easy over incendiary rumors, An extri
watchman was appointed at Hurley.
mill, and Beelzebnb was the man. Ii i,
true, Pepin sneered at his selection, but
Sir. Hurley had grown to place consid
cradle confidence In the taciturn. weak
kneed man he had pulled from the mire
Beclzebub's new duties were at night
and his days were AT his disposal. HI
never passed much time in sleep. Ii
summer, when he should have been II
bed, You would very likely see him in
tiny white boat, untringly rowing little
Miss Lily Hurley round the pond bacl
Of the mill, she guiding his course TO al
her fayorite hooks ON the shore, or i'm
pefiously ordering him up into some lit
tie inlet where water lilies grew II
creamy gold pronision, where he woult
bare his lean, brown arm. aud reaching
down into the limpid depths, pull III
for her one by one her snowy name
,akes.
So lac Went on growing brighter ant
] int Al