, 1889-10-26
.1-hop0 So" said The other. shud-

dering.
"Bs 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 againY" asked Mostyn.
UNLESS you will let me stay here"
said the other, CHANGING at him visit
fully. you are not nervous? you do
not think l 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 with 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, busted himself with the
little spirit case which stood on the side
board; and after sundry most musical
gurglings from the bottle as it confded
~ OhhNhN " Nh0 6Aaootof &pDEtltd Ill
his place again with two steaming pota-
tions and a sugar bowl. "Cognac,'' said
he, with all its fiery nature subdued,
now in its tranquil old age"
Thanks" said his visitor, taking the
proffered glass. 1.-THE last toast 1 shall
drink: Long life to you" He tossed off
the contents, and again lapsed into
silence, while the surgeon slowly smoked
his long pipe, removing it at intervals in
favor of the spirit he had so highly COM
mended.
Half an hour passed, and a neighbor-
ing church clock slowly doomed the hour
of II. One hour more. The 2
glancing at his companion to see what
effect thes sound had upon him, saw thai
his eyes were closed 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 cast
ing certain uneasy chances 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 motion
less 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, though its head had
now fallen on its breast. Full of a hor-
rible fear, he glanced hurriedly at the
clock and saw that it was just upon the
stroke of A, then he sprang to the side of
| hIG O11auf mud Gnfza1 The r.vr,cN ,,0o .,,N -
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 neighboring
corner.
Ere he could recover himself, the man
in front of him stirred uneasily, and ris-
ing unsteadily to his feet, gazed stupidity
at him. whats the natter" he asked
at length in dazed tones.
"Matter!" shouted the still trembling
surgeon. "Why, it's four hours past
midnight and you are alive and we'll"
With a violent start, as he remember
ed his position, the stranger glanced at
the mantel shelf. "Four o'clockl' said
he-"4 o'clocki Thank God, there was
40 compact Then another fear possess
ed him: sis it's the clock right?'
"To the minute" said the surgeon,
standing gravely by with averted head,
as his visitor, needless of his presence,
fell upon his knees and buried his face
in his hands.
As he rose to his feet the old church
clock slowly struck the hour of 4, ap-
pearing to both the listeners to do so
with an emphasis as unusual as it was
welcome. As h last stroke sounded
the stranger, who could even now hardly
realize his position, threw up the window
and extended his head. The fog had
disappeared, the air was crisp and clear
and the distant %rumbling of the early
market carts betokened the beginning
of another day.
How came l to sleep?' he inquired,
closing the window and turning to the
surgeon.
81 drugged your drink. 1t was the
a strange state of alarm that you would
either have died or gone mad if / had
not lone So"
TIL stranger extended his hand and
caught the young surgeons in a mighty
grasp. You ran a fearful risk. Suppose
that 1 had died. My death would have
been attributed to the drug, and you
would have been accused of murder"
81 Glanced it," said Mostyn simply.
"There was no time for consideration"
ut has been a strange business" said
the other. "What could it nave been
that was in my garnet that night, and
what could have taken the agreement"
"Rats," said Mostyn, smiling. Zone
of them frightened me terribly Just now;
but it would not nave done so if / had
not been in a very excited condition.
The same state of mind perhaps, though
in a milder form, that you were in on
the night you wrote your agreement"
There were rats in the room, 1 re-
member" said the stranger; ''but /
never nee thought of them. You have
saved my reason, if not my life" and he
again grasped him by the hand. "You
shall not find me ungrateful."
No did he; for, aided by his influence,
the young surgeon rose rapidly to fame
Ind fortune, which he shared in the
most liberal manner with the piri for