Wichita eagle., 1888-02-11


Damp shining fingers passed carefully ovel
the central surface of the back of my head
Just as I thought. Now in combative
ness feeling behind the ear 'tyou are de
ficient.n
| If there was comparison in my feeling
just then, I was glad when the cold finger
were removed from my head.
$50 you appreciated Mephistopheles-tht
sham Mephistopheles eh! Well, grant yor
1t is q fine performance, a wonderful mimicry
! for q man! l have sat, in my guise Of
mortal, and watched this mimicry of my
self many nights, very many nights 1t la:
pleased my fancy, it has flattered me-with
the sincerest flattery. / have over and over
and over again watched carefully the play
ers; ard over and over again, still more
! carefully, the spectators. And until this
night, young man, no mortal has witnessed
I those scenes and, in his heart. thrown in his
! lot with Mephistopheles. You never took
your eyes of this mock satan; and as you
/ gazsd, read in your eyes admiration, awe
and even reverence; anon exultation and
gloating, then again only admiration"
! Areader Of thoughts! but could l wonder
at that ill
And since you fell so deeply in love with
the sham demon, l, the real demon, deter
mined-ha, ha!-to reveal myself to your
/ Surely the night must be waning now. The
pale blue stars had changed their positions
since my enforced contemplation of the only
stationary body among them And if the
night was waning, daylight must ensue. And
surely daylight would dissipate this fiend-or
phantom! Or l should awake-no! l was
awake already Oh, God. that could think
all this dream! But if not a dream, what
was it! what!
Mortal, it is time to tell you why FOL
lowed You, and sought you out alone Can
you guessg'
l shook my head
Il brought you alone to lonely place for
the forming of contract, the like Of which
you saw made in the early part of that play.
You are to sell your will to me-
You are to sell your will to mel But do
not think of reward, like the reward of
youth that the spurious spirit held out to his
victim. offer no reward-but eternity with
me! Give ms your hands, and look in my
eyes!"
placed my limp, numbed hands within
the cold, bony hands held out to me- The
dark face, less lurid now, but shining still,
came close to my face. Dark fiery eyes trans
fixed my eyes,
We stood thus, motionless, for know not
how many minutes. Then, without move
ment or flicker of the steady gaze, the hands
were withdrawn from mine, ard gently
waved to and fro before my face. Then back
to their grasp of my hands.
''Do you surrender your will to my will:'
no more than heard the words Some
mental cord seemed to have snapped. heard
and saw distinctly, but ! did not connect
what heard and saw with thought. Instinct
lively repeated:
81 surrender my will to your will!''
A long pause Then with subdued triumph
my companion spoke:
"You are in my power-mind and soul and
body-in the power of him you call the Evil
Onel"
The deep voice sounded metallic and far
away. felt no longer an actor in this grim
scene by the old railway bridge, but be-
holder-even as had been a beholder of the
Brocken's hideous orgy. l could now con-
verse dispassionately and mechanically, for
felt that the power of speech had returned.
My companions eyes never relinquished
their steady gaze into mine. He spoke again.
How far advanced is the nightr'
"1t is almost 4 O'clock" l said, peering
closely at my watch.
-Four. In another hour the first streak of
dawn will show in the east. And in another
hour-at S, think you said-the first morn
ing train passes this place"
1.-THE train is due at Flower Bank three
minutes past 5"
'Come, then; let us move from here and
:tand upon the metals"
No wonder at this proposition, no curiosity
concerning motive disturbed the calm of the
stupor into which my senses had merged.
My hands still in the grasp of the hands of
my companion, his eyes still on mine l was
pushed gently to the fence. The fence was
low here, and the hedge broken. 1 stepped
over with little difficulty, and he followed
We stood in silence. The distant church
clock, the sound of whose chimes had reached
us from time to time, chimed the quarter
after the hour.
"What was that?' The questioning voice
sounded far away as the chimes.
"a quarter past t."
Then we have three-quarters of an hour
more of this"
SIS that ala" asked, languidly.
"At 5 this ends"
''Do we part then9'
"For time"
and where do go them"
''To hellr
The words, the hoarse tone, did not disturb
me. felt only dimly puzzled.
"How do you mean!n
''At ) you die
AT diet" repeated dreamily "Howr'
by suicide"
Suicide! What was that! used to know
but now-no; l could not think.
Tell me-" said YEARLY, ''howl l do not
understand"
by laying your body across these metals
The early train will do the rest"
"Ah!n
Observation-Disclosures Half-pas.
4 from the distant church spire.
A pause. Eyes and hands unaltered. At
last.
What of yours I asked
II look on"
''But you will be Scent"
"No"
NO. How is thatTr
Because ] am invisible"
A pause of minutes
II am Invisible TO all mortals on thi, earth
save you. To YOU have revealed myself
before taking you to my realm forever
Observation-Disclosures ding doug
dell.
A quarter to g. The figure opposite seemed
more distinct in form and outline. Yet SUI
rise would not be for more than an hour
Yes, sunrise is not until 6 o'clock And
you will never see the sunrise"
That my thought was read occasioned me
no surprise. / merely repeated d"earnily:
And shah never see the sunrise"
Never. Ha, ha, haI" A fiendish laugh.
This morning you breakfast with Pluto,
With Plutoi No. no. With me! With Satan
in his own reairnI"