The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-20

he drew forth purse that certainly
held 1000
The night had closed in and the arch
itect was desperate. Ii money cannot
to pit you money shall force YOU" and,
springing toward the stranger, he
plucked dagger from his girdle and
held its point close to the breast of the
mysterious draughtsman in the attitude
to strike. In moment his wrists were
pinioned as with the grasp of vice, and
squeezed until he dropped his weapon,
and shrieked with agony. Falling on
the sands, he writhed like an eel upon
the tisherman's hook, and plunged and
struggled in vain. When nearly faint
ing he found himself thrown helpless on
the very brink of the stream.
"There, revive and be reasonable.
Learn that gold and steel have no power
over me. You want my cathedral, for it
would bring you honor, fame and profit,
and you can have it if you choose
"How? Tell me how"
"By signing this parchment with your
blood"
"Avaunt, fiend" shrieked the archi.
tect. 'In the name of the Savior bid
thee be gone" And so saying, he made
IUe sigh Vi lIc ClOoo, anu tAiS Iva OAAS
for it was he) was forced to vanish be-
fore the holy symbol. He made time,
however, to mutter, you'll come for the
plan at midnight tomorrow. =,
The artist staggered home, half dead
with contending passions, and mutter-
ing, "Sell my soul" tomorrow at mid
night" "honor and fame" and other
words, which told the inward struggle
going forward in his soul. When ne
reached his lodgings he met the only
servant he had going out wrapped in her
cloak.
"And where are you going so late?"
asked her surprised master. -.
ITO mass, for soul in purgatory,
was the reply.
sob, horror! horror! no mass will avail
me. To everlasting torments shall l be
doomedr'
And, hurrying to his room, he cast
himself down in tears OF remorse, lrreso-
luton and despair In this state his old
housekeeper discovered him on her re-
turn from her holy errand; and her soul
being full of charity and kindly religion
she begged to know what had caused such
grief, and spoke of patience in suffering
and pardon by repentance. Her words
fell upon the disordered ear OF the archi-
tect with heavenly comfort, and he told
her what had passed.
"Mercy mer' was her exclamation.
Tempted by the fend himself so
strongly, too!' and so saying she left the
| chamber without another word, and hur-
ried off to her confessor.
Now the confessor of Dame Elfrida
was the friend of the Abbot, and the
Abbot was the constant counselor of the
Archbishop, and so soon as the house
keeper spoke of the wonderful plan he
told her he would soon see her master,
and went at once % his superior. That
dignity Immediately pictured to himself
the hosts of pilgrims that would seek
cathedral built with skill from such Won
derful sketches, and (hoping himself one
day to be Archbishop he hurried off to
the bewildered architect.
He found him still in bed, and listened
with surprise to the glowing account of
the Demons plan.
"And would it be equal to all this ?"
sit would"
could you bnild it?'
81 could"
"Would not pilgrims come to worship
in such Cathedral?"
by thousands"
"Listen, my son! Go at midnight to
the appointed spot; take the relic with
you" and so saying the Abbot gave him
a holy morsel of one of the Eleven
Thousand Virgins. agree to the terms
for the design you have so long desired,
and when you have got it and the Evil
One presents the parchment for your
signature, show this sacred bone"
After long bordering, the priests ad-
vice was taken, and in the gloom of
night the architect was seen tremblingly
hurrying to the place of meeting. True
to his time, the Fiend was there, and
with smile conn limented the artist on
his punctuality. Drawing from his
doublet two parchments, he opened one,
on which he traced the outlines of the
Cathedral, and then another written in
some mysterious character, and having
yellow birthstone space left for q sigma
ture.
LET me examine what I am to pay so
dearly for"
Most certainly" said the demon, with
a smile and a bow that would have done
honor to the court of the Emperor.
Pressing it with one hand to his breast,
the architect with the other held up the
holy thtmb bone and exclaimed,
"Avaunt, fiend In the name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Vir-
gins of Cologne, J. bid thee, satan, at de-
| fancer
And he described the sign of the cross
directly against the devils face.
In an instant the smila md graceful