, 1889-10-26
falling in with his strange humor and

commencing a careful examination.
'rWellT' inquired the stranger, when
he had finished.
''Sound as a bell and as hard as oak"
Not likely to die suddenly suggested
his visitor.
mo. 1 should think that hat would
be the last thing to happen to you, f" re-
piled the puzzled surgeon. "NNhy, what
is the matter with you? Do you feel illT'
mo; / feel hale and strong, capable of
enjoying life with the best. I've never
had an illness in my life. But for all
that, 1 shall die at midnight"
"Of course" said the surgeon, some
what provoked at all this mystery, eff
you are going to kill yourself, you can
speak with more authority as to the time
than anybody else"
81 have no intention of committing
suicide" was the stern rejoinder. 'Ney-
ertheless, at midnight my time expires.
The manner of my death is unknown to
me, but l shall never see the lifting of
this dreadful blackness, which on my
last night upon earth has fifty ~interposed
itself between me and the heaven / have
~renounced."
The surgeon, listening to this strange
outburst, turned to the table, and filling
a glass with brandy handed it to his ex-
traordinary patient. at will put heart
into you" said be.
But not a soul" said the other; and,
shuddering convulsively, drank It at a
draught; then placing the glass upon the
table, he drew n purse from his pocket
and looked at the surgeon. your fee?"
DNAtAfz- Gnnu- 80 ..l.4
trouble is; but / wish much that l could
help you"
I'm past all help" said the other,
sadly, moving toward the door; then
pausing, as the surgeon took up one of
the candles to light him down, he said,
in irresolute tones: "As you shall judge,
If you care to hear"
by all means" said Mostyn, heartily,
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 leaning
toward the surgeon, "my circumstances
were very different from what they are
now. Young and strong, / had at the
death of my parents rejected the bread
of dependence offered me by relatives,
and, full OF hope, had come to London
TO make my fortune. 1t proved to bo
harder work than l had anticipated; and
in n very short while l was reduced to
he verge of starvation. One dreadful
night, of which this is the twentieth an
niversary, l was half crazed with pow
erty and despair. For two days 1 had
not tasted food, nor did ] see the slight
est prospect of obtaining my. Added to
this / was deeply in love, though UNI
happily the interference of those who
should have been our best friends kept
us apart. AS l crouched shivering in
the garnet, which served me for a lodg-
ing, 1 think must have gone a little bit
mad" BE broke off suddenly, as though
unwilling to continue, and stared gloom
lily at the fire.
"WellS' said the surgeon. who had
been listening with much interest.
"Have you ever heard of compacts
with the evil oney' demanded the stran-
ger.
81 have heard of such things" replied
the surgeon, on whose spirits the occa-
sion and the visitor were beginning to
tell.
II 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 l 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. My fears, however, were but
momentary, and with fierce determine
ton 1 called upon my unseen visitor to
lend me his awful aid. AS l spoke the
sounds suddenly ceased, and a voice
seemed to cry in my ear; Write, writel
l dragged n small table into the moon
light, which struggled through the be-
grimed panes of the window, and with
my own blood and the miserable stump
of n pen wrote out the terms of an
agreement with the Prince of Darkness,
possessed, as / did so, with the horrible
consciousness of something in the room
watching me. Vowed that If for twenty
years he gave me wealth and the pos
session of her whom l loved better than
my own life, my soul should be the for
felt. II the next morning brought
change of fortune, l should take it for a
sign that he had accepted my conditions.
1 signed it, and swooned. When 1
awoke from the sleep into which the
stupor had merged the sun was shining
brightly into my foul lodging, and be-
low was a messenger who brought me
news of a large fortune which had fallen
to me through the death of an uncle.
God forbid that my rash vow should
have had aught to do with it'll Since
then, everything has prospered with me.
l married the woman l loved. We have
a large family. 1 nave kept my secret
to myself. Tonight, at 1a, my time ex-
pires."
THE change in your fortunes was a
mere coincidence" said the surgeon un-
easily.
Another coincidence for you, then"
said his visitor, whose face was now
livid. SIN the morning, when l awoke,
h agreement which l had left on the
liable had disappeared"
Mcstyn rose and, taking great care not
to extinguish the flames, snuffed the can
dies.
"As l supposed my death would be a