Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-28

surgeon.
"I-hope So said the other, shud-
dering.
s'Be guided by me, said the surgeon
earnestly. "Return to your home
and forget all about this mysterious
compact you fancy you have made. .
His companion shook his head and
turned to the door.
care you going to roam about in
the fog again. asked Mostyn.
'Unless you will let me stay here, .
said the other, glancing at him visit
fully. "You are not nervous? you
do not think [ shall die?'
"You will die of fright if you die
at ALL" said the surgeon sturdily.
''But stay and welcome if you will .
And to avoid the thanks of his guest
he poked the fire until the resulting
blaze almost caused the candles to
snuff themselves out of envy.
For some time they sat silent. The
streets were now entirely deserted,
and no sound save the Pickering of
the fire disturbed the silence of the
room. Then the surgeon arose, and,
upon hospitable thoughts intent, bus
led himself with the little spirit case
which stood on the sideboard; and
after sundry most musical gurglings
from the bottle as it conided it's con-
tents to the glasses, appeared in his
place again with two steaming pota-
tons and a sugar bowl. "Cogniac,"
SAID he, "with all its fiery nature
subdued, now in its tranquil old age. :"
"Thanks," said his visitor, taking
the proffered glass. "The last toast
I shall drink: Long life to you" He
tossed off the contents and again
lapsed into silence. while the surgeon
slowly smoked his long pipe, remov-
ing it at intervals in favor of the spir-
it he had so highly commended.
Half an hour passed, and a neigh
boring church clock slowly doomed
the hour of eleven. One hour more.
The surgeon, glancing at his compan-
ion to see what effect the sound had
on him, saw that his eyes were clos
ed and that he breathed heavily.
Rising cautiously to his feet, he felt
the pulse of the strong, sinewy wrist
which hung over the side of the
chair, and, then, returning to his
seat, sat closely regarding him, not
without casting certain uneasy glanc-
es into the dark corners of the room.
His pipe went out; the fire burnt
low, and seen through the haze of
fog and smoke, the motionless figure
in the chair seemed suddenly to loom
large in front of him and then to be
almost obscured by darkness.
For a few seconds it seemed his
eyes closed. When he opened them
the fire was out, and the figure in
front of him still sat in the chair, tho
it's head had now fallen on its breast.
Full of a horrible fear, he glanced
hurriedly at the clock and saw that it
was just upon the stroke of four, then
he sprang to the side of his guest
and sliced the wrist nearest to him.
AS he did so, he started back with a
wild cry of horror, for some slippery
thing, darting swiftly between his
feet,vanished in the gloom of a neigh
boring corner.
Ere he could recover himself, the
man in front of him stirred uneasily,
and rising unsteadily to his feet, gaz-
ed stupidity at him. ''What's the
matter?" he asked in dazed tone.
''Matter p shouted the still trem-
bling surgeon. "Why, it's four
hours past midnight and you are
alive and WELL
With violent start, as he remem-
bered his position, she stranger glanc-
ed at the mantel shelf. ''Four
o'clock p said he-''4 o'clock Thank
God, there was no compact Then
another fear possessed him "Is it
is the clock right?''
s'To the minute said the sur
geon, standing gravely by with avert
ed head, as his visitor, needless of
his presence, fell upon his knees and
buried his face in his hands.
AS he arose to his feet the old
church clock slowly struck the hour
of four, appeared to both the listen
ers to do so with an emphasis as un-
usual as it was welcome. AS the
last stroke sounded the stranger, who
could even now hardly realize his po-
sition, threw up the window and ex-
tended his head. The fog had dis
the air was crisp and clear
and the distant rumbling of the early
market carts betokened the beginning
of another day.
elbow came to sleep?" he inquir-
ed, closing the window and turning
to the surgeon.
81 drugged your drink. 1t was
the only thing 1 could do. You were
in such strange state of alarm that
you would either have died or gone
mad if [ had not done So
The stranger extended his hand
and caught the young surgeons in
mighty grasp. You ran a fearful
risk. Suppose that had died. My
death would have been attributed to
the drug, and you would have been
accused of a MURDER