The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-02-07


for the sake of securing Euhice's soul
81 should be DEVILS prize withou
her." unused Garrick Howton. 9Th
children have tied in wedlock of des
pair. the Uniformed souls | have man
acled to the selfish fiends, the head
strong schoolgirls | have made III
legal slaves of hideous skinhints, ant
who have in few months awakened
to everlasting repentance and horror
would troop into my lonely hom
among these mountains and drive m
crazy with their curses. | should =,
mad! But Eunice, she will guard M,
door and warm my heart and brin:
other angels like her from heaven Il
my relief and comfort"
1t was plain that the hypocritical
old gentleman was becoming slightly
hysterical.
Weasley Howton had been notified
by his father that he must go west and
establish his own congregation of the
peculiar zionskites.
He was sent to the garret to study
discipline and thoroughly contemplate
the scriptures.
One day Eunice stole up into the
garret, while the bishop was marrying
one-eyed man of GO TO a girl of IS
aud Sc met different scene there
from the penance and prayer she had
expected.
| Weasley was rugged out in suit oi
! theatrical clothes taken from Eunice'I
! parents trunks, and was executing q
wild and fantastic Jig.
The bishop had told Eunice that in
the said trunks was the devils ward.
robe. The young people locked the
door and examined the wardrobe
thoroughly.
What places are garrets for rain and
love! How it drops upon the roof
How it does pit-a-pat in the heart
How the heart is raining suddenly
through the eyes and the roof is beat
ing with the palpltations of the wind.
! Old men seldom 60 to garrets. Bad
/ old men like Garrick Howton never
do
Next week Weasley HowtOn was to
start for Indiana to be an apostle on
the Wabash.
His trunk was packed and his ticket
for the stage was to be paid for the
F., great national road from Hagerstown
to the far west.
"Fifty dollars fare" exclaimed the
bishop, as he walked the upper porch,
''what a sum of money! But the next
week it shall be made up out of Eu-
nice's fortune, which will then be
mine, with her fadeless beauty, till
death do us part The rascal!
AS he looked there came a cloud of
dust mp the Leistersburg road from
the south. where somebody was driv-
ing hard--somebody in desperate
| hurry.
1t looks like runaway couple, "
exclaimed Garrick Horton, reaching
for his eyeglasses. But the shade of
the north mountains, where the sun was
upon the landscape, like the moons
total eclipse. When the sound of the
wheels came to the door and Garrick
heard the knock, he descended and
found strange man in the parlor,
which had no lights.
''Sare," the stranger said, II have
ze honaire to say Eat l am in ioave.
But re lady is too leetle; she has not
re grad age. 1t will be all re same;
because she loaves me and her fathair
have so much shame he nevair will
say nothing. give you 500 to make
me her husband ut once, sare!''
Fifty dollars! the bishops avari-
cious neart responded. lit is Weas-
ley's whole fare. The good demon
must have sent this man here"
Then the business piety returning
the bishop spoke aloud and most unc-
tuously:
What are the names of the partiesP
Marriage my brother, the apostle say,
is honorable in all-Hebrews xiii. 4.
see not that l may not be honorable in
thee.n
''Ze names are on certificates we
have filed. Zee fee pay you is ex-
traordinare, MONSIEUR. For re $50 we
make two demands. Au premiere, zat
you marry ze bride yelled! Au second,
zat you sign two certificates for us. to
protect ze lady and moi meme"
1.-The age of the bridep" asked Gar
rick Howton.
"What matters zata You have made
re wife at IA many Il time. My bride
SIG. saire. Come. re money! Here is
re money"
He felt the bank bill in his hand,
and it dried up his compunctions of
heart; he felt quill put in his fingers.
and the stranger with something ike a
fusee made flame that contained
birthstone and seemed yellow and
blue.
Externally be mine, as zis papair
you sign," the strange man exclaimed.
al mean ze lady child, re lady, par
bleu."
The voice had a deep. sepulchral
tone to it, and by the foreboding flame
Garrick saw person whose forehead
was all in patches, with French mus
taches under his nose and blackened
eyebrows drawn nearly through to the
edge of colorless. inky wig. So
"You must give me some name,
spoke the bishop as he signed, sal
though l cannot read by such a light. "
IL am ze Marquis Beelzebub."
Bring in the ladyr' f
Low laughter seemed to be eircling
around the apartment as the uniting
words were said by the bishops falter-
ing and fatigued tongue. Loud laugh
ter broke from the carriage windows
as the scoundrel drove away.
Here, Weasley! Eunice! Lights
Lightsr exclaimed old Garrick How
ton. II haye got my last marriage
fee."
No voice REPLIED; the dark noun
tains through the windows showed
bridal wreaths of stars upon their for
bidding brows. like the awful presence
of the marquis who had but now de
parted with childhood's purity in hi
false. black eyes and wig.
The bishop took fire and lighted {
candle. He saw paper lying upol
the floor with his signature to it. H'
read with horror that he acknowledge
the sale of his soul to Beelzebub for
thousand years.
''Ha! hap he cried, ''Satan has drop
ped the contract he entrapped me t
sign. To the fire-to the fire with it?
A voice seemed to sound from th'
garret on the wailing of the wind.
You signed two such certificates
You have married Eunice to the devil.
Father" cried Weasley HowtoI
next morning, 'Eunice is not to b
found. Would you forgive her if sh
has married--if she has married me?
Bishop Howton lay on the foo
dead. .-George Alfred Townsend.