Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-11-30
A STRANGE COMPACT,

/ filled the narrow, unsayory streets
Of the metropolis and the lungs and
eyes of such unfOrtunates as CHANGED
to be abroad. 1t even invaded the
small wooden sanctums of the night
Waterman, interfering with slumbers
to which the inmates were both by
age and office entitled. Across the
river, in the din@y, ill-paved lanes of
the borough, the fog seemed at its
worst, light warmish haze being
the only indication of the presence
of those shops which still remained
open, and round which small, iIl-clad
urchins, with the most unmistakable
intentions, persistently hcvered
a sweet night for footpads," >
muttered young DR.. Mostyn, as he
disen@aged himself from a chance
recontre with post, and felt his
way along by tapping with his stout
stick at the house walls, a proceed
ing by which he had already severely
damaged the legs of three of his suf-
| fering tellow-creatures, and poked a
large hole in the kitchen window of
fourth. "And now" he continued,
talking to himself for the sake of
company, for home and supper and
a fire. All, and patient or two,
perhaps. Who knows?"
At this cheering prospect his spirits
rose, and he banged nightly at the
wall with his stick in consequence,
until at length, coming to small
street on his right, he turned smart
| ~ down, and having made sure 0
his own door, knocked brirkly at it.
Who's there?'' crieda shrill female
voice in response.
Its |, Bet" said her master.
"Open the door, my good girl"
Not il | knows it. was the cheer
ing reply. you take yourself off,
young man, whoever you are.
There's two bulldogs and three men
with loaded guns standing by me, to
say nothing
open the door, Bet!" roared her
master through the keyhoIe. Don't
you know me?"
Is it 8 O'Clock or 11?" PROFOUND
| ed the damsel; because; if it's IL
O'Clock, my eyes deceive me; and if
it's 8 O'Clock, your voice deceiVes me;
for the doctor said he'd be home at
IL and not before; and considering
the fog, | should say a good deal
arter"
"Open the door," said the surgeon
sharply. 'I'm back already because
my patients dead. Come; oDen at
once!'
There was creaking and
shooting of the bolts as he
finished speaking, and the
door being cautiously opened,
dissolved an angular woman of some
30 years, whose nervous fnce cleared
directly she saw her master.
Pm asking you pardon for keep
ing you so long, sir, said she; but
one never knows who's who; and
| judging by the noises and trimmings,
there's been rare doings round the
corner tonight"
Anybody been, Bet?" asked the
surgeon, as, ten minutes later, he sat
down to carefully grilled chop.
mot, soul, replied his hand
maiden.
"And nice person you would be
to open the door, if an accident had
| arrived"
"Oh, l should have opened it at
once said Bet with decision. direct
ly they used the word accident" |
should have opened it and chance1
it,"
Her master, smiling at her deyo-
ton, drew his chair to the fire and
having carefully filled a long clay
pipe, tell to smoking with an mir Of
great enjoyment and content. Then,
thinking it extremely unlikely that
he would be disturbed at that late
hour, he dismissed his retainer to
her quarters in neighboring house,
and being left to himself. lapsed into
n brown study.
1t might have been the fog, or it
mighthave been theunexpected death
of his patient; whatever the cause,
his thoughts took a very gloomy
direction indeed, and he shook his
head despondingly as he thought of
future prospects. His mood was not
made more cheerful by the room,
which was large and Gs;rk: and pam
eled with oak, and ornamented with
battered oil-portraits OF dead and
gone worthless, with whom he claimed
some kinship more or less remote,
who seemed to stare at him tonight
in particularly ghostIy not to say
wooden manner. Besides all this, he
was in love; and he had no sooner
built magnificent castle-in the air