Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-10-19

wv "aA@S Aet ~ - 80 fNFN
full emotion. was pale and drawn.
Are you the surgeon?" asked the
newcomer. abruptly.
AT your service" was the reply.
Come in"
The stranger obeyed, and, waiting
until the surgeon had secured the
door, followed him upstairs
Examine me-" said he taking os
his laced coat and standing pale ami
upright before him.
'Un'as,eu you- shirt said the
Other, failing in with his strange hu-
NOR aud commencing s careful exAa-
jnation.
"Well." inquired the stranger, when
he had finished.
Sound as s bell ana IS hAca IS
oak"
Not likely to die Suddenly sse
Sested his visitor
No should think tAa; woa,a he
the last thing 10 As2qsa 10 yoa"
replied the paa7,e3 surgeon WAY
what Is the matter With yoe, NJ yol
teelil,:7
No; lies, haze sSS strong ospSsie
Of es!oyiac lie wja lie hest I've
never hSd 81 alaass in ny liza Bat
Ter 81 that. >a&l 5se ST midnight
"0ico2~A a5 the surgeon some
VIA: provoked s; a., tss> mys,e-r ~
ven as -o.a-ta yoa~sL yoa osa
sneak VIII aetao-iy s. 10 The
tine 1eaa a-y a,5y e<a
81 have no s1tssto2 .. oaznv sag
saa+AIwlS he S;e-- - ntss
'Neve-:h. 81 zcs' rs uzs
cxp.-a> - ns-7s- q ~ 5as,A :
unknown Il re bal So a5rs @
the lifting e.. LIS 9se5@ Natk-os>
which On =y .Asinsat 22aa cara. as
G,,y !r.e-clsal .:sst Ss;vee- - &@z
the heaven aAys -szoa7>a4
The surgeon, listening - iA.s
strange cG;1a-st ta--es 10 lie iSh,a
and a.ia- : -.a>s Win brandy as1s41
i,toAis extraordinary 02t:s-, Ten.
put hear; ia:o yoa, s4.3 h&
Bat no. soul sad the cihe-
and ~sal3ie-.ag co1vl,s.ve.y drank IL
4. 4 iragsat; then p'ae.as ;h- -.2ss
upon the table. he i-eS $ purse 'ooa
his pocket aud looked =; Tie surgeon
"Your iee3"
Nothing. I know no, VIA; yo1,
trouble is; ba; I wish much ;ha; l
could help Won
I'm pas, al. help" said the other
sadly, moving towards tn, door; then
palsing, a the surgeon took up one 0:
the candles to light him down. he said
in ire ,o.ute tones: las YOU shall
judge, if you care Il hear?'
by all means" said Mostyn hearth
ly, as. replacing the candle, he poked
the fire and drew up a chair for his
visitor.
Twenty years ago" said the latter,
accepting the proffered seat and lean
ing towards the surgeon, my circum-
stances were very different from what
they are now. Young and strong. |
had at the death Of my parents re-
jected the bread of dependence offered
me by relatives, and full OF hope had
come to London to make my fortune,
1t proved to be harder work than |
had anticipated; and in a very short
while | was reduced to the verge of
starvation. One dreadful night, OF
which this is the twentieth anniver-
sary, | was half-crazed with poverty
and despair. For two days had not
tasted food. nor did | see the slightest
prospect of obtaining any. Added to
this, | was deeply in love. though un-
happily the interference OF those who
should have been our best friends kept
us aYart. As crouched shivering in
the garnet which served me for a
lodging. think l must have gone a
little bit mad" He broke off suddenly.
as though unwilling to continue, and
stared gloomily at the fire.
"Well" said the surgeon, no had
been listening with much interest.
Have you ever heard of compacts
with the Evil One" demanded the
stranger.
al have heard Of such things" re-
piled the surgeon, on whose spirits the
occasion and the visitor were begin
ming to tell.
al made one" said the other, hoarse-
ly. "Crouched by the empty CRATE.
which Knocked me with its cold bars
and white ashes, my thoughts turned.
as though directed by some unseen
power, to all that had heard and read
of such compacts. As my mind dwelt
upon it, the subject lost much of its
horror, until a gentle rustling in the
neighborhood Of the fire drove
me with quaking heart to my
feet. Ny fears. however, we're but
m~omentary, and with fierce determin-
alton | called upon my unseen visitor
to lend me his awfu, aid. As | spoke,
the sounds suddenly ceased, and II
voice seemed to cry in my ear: Write,
writen | dragged Il small table into
the moonlight, which struggled
through the begrimed panes of the
window, and with my own blood and
the miserable stump OF a pen, wrote
out the terms of an agreement with
the Prince Of Darkness, possessed, as
| did so, with the horrible conscious
ness of something in the room went,
ing me. soEe me wealtn and the DOS,
Session of her whom | loved better
than my own lille, my soul should be
the forfeit. II the next morning
brought change OF fortune. ! should
take it for a sign that he had accepted
my conditions. | signed it, and
swooned. When l awoke from the
sleep into which the stupor hat
merged, the u was shining brightly
into my foul lodging, and below wa q
messenger who brought me news OF ,
large fortune which had fallen to me
through the death of an uncle. Goo
forbid that my rash VOW should have
had aught to do with III Since tbap