The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-19
A STRANGE COMPACT.

nat was dreary night In winter many years ago.
AyOuIsde heavy fOg filled the narrow unsaVOIy
E3sireets OF the metropolis and tie lungs and eyes
RIOf such unfortunates as CHANGED 10 D. abroad.
II even invaded Tie small wooden sanctums OF
the night-watchmen, interfering with summers
to which the inmates were both by age and ONCE
entitled. Across the river. In the dingy, Ill
paved lanes Of the borough. the fog seemed AT lis
worst, 4 light warmsh haze being the only In
dcailOn Of the presence Of those shops which
still remained open and around which some
Ul-clad ulchins, with The most uumlslakab.e In
teutions, persstently lowered.
"A sweet ught for fooIpads," muttered young
Or. Mosiyn as lie dlsengaged himself from a
chance reuconter With post and felt his way
along by tapping with bis stick al the house walls,
a proceeding by which he had already severely
damaged the legs OF three Of his fellow creatures
and pOked large large hole In the Kitchen WIN
dow Of a fourth. "And nowS he CONTINUED, talk
ing TO himself for Tie sake OF company, Tor
home and supper and a fire. An, and patient
or two, peIhaps-whO knows !"
Al tits cheering prospect his spirits rose and
he banged nightly at the wall with his stick In
consequence, untilIat length, coming TO a small
street on his right, he turned smartly down, and
having made sure OF his own door, knocked
Who's there ?" cried a shrll female voice in
response.
ITS ], Bet" said her master. open the door,
my good girl"
:'Not if knows It," was the cheering reply
you take yourself OF, young man. whoever you
are. There's TWO bulldogs aud three men with
loaded guns standing by me, To say nothing"
Open the door, Bet Ioared her master
as IL 8 o'clock or Is II 11?" prOpOunded the
damsel, because If IFS 4 O'Clock my eyes d.
ceive me, and If IFS o'clock your voice decetves
Inc. for the doctor said he'd be at home al Il aud
not before, and, considering the fog, good deal
later"
''Open the door!" said the surgeon, sharply.
"Tm back already because my PATIENTS dead.
Come; open at once.
There was a cIeaking and shooting of bolts rs
he Finished speaking, ana the door being eau
tiousy opened, discovered an angular woman Of
some ye-amd-lhirty years. whose nervous face
cleared directly she saw her master.
" I'm asking your pardon for Keeping you so
long sir,' said she; but one never knows
who's who; aud judging from the noises aud
runnings there's been rare dongs around the
Anybody been, Bet?" asked the surgeon, as.
ten minutes later, lie sat down TO carefully
| grilled chop.
" Not soul" replied his handmaiden.
And nice person you would be TO open the
door, If an accident had occurred"
ION, should have opened IL at once" said
Bet with decision. " Directly they used the
word accident / should have opened 1t and
CHANGED IT,"
Her master, smiling at her devotion, drew his
chair to the fire, ana having carefully filled a
long clay pipe fell 10 smoking with an air of
great enjoyment and content. Then, thinking it
extremely unlikely that lie would be dislul bed at
that laIe hour, lie dismissed his retainer 10 her
quarter IN a neighboIing house ana being left
TO himself ap>ed Into 4 brown study.
II m Ight have been tile fog. or II might have
been the unexpected death OF his patient; what
ever the cause, lis thoughts took a very gloomy
direction indeed, and lie shook his cad despoud-
ingly as lie thought Of his future prospects. His
mood was not made more cheerful by the room
which was large and dark, aud paneledi with
OAK, and oinamented 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 ghOsily
not 10 say wooden manner. Besides all this, lie
| was In 10 We; and be had no sooner built mag
| nitcent caSlle-in the air-and placed her IN II,
| than an anything but airy landlord called for bis
| rent and tile dream was spoiled
He had been sitting thus for some time, nurs-
tFO a lGns FsValVN oil nj nor
| which he had prepared, when lie was disturbed
BY loud, Imperative knocking at The front
door, whereat lie snatched up one OF the gut
| teline candles and marched down The narrow
| stairs TO open It, The feeble light OF the candle
| when lie had done SO, showed him tall, strongly
| built man OF nnddie-age whose naturally line
| proportions were Increased by the fog, which
chung to them and exaggerated them. The
| surgeon noIed thai he was richly clad, and also
| that The embossed hit OF sword protruded from
the skirts Of his coat, While his face, from some
powerful emotion, was pale and drawn.
! Are you The suIGeon?" asked the newcomer
abruptly
AT Jour service" was the reply Come in"
The stranger Obeyed, and waiting until the
| surgeon had secured lie door, followed him up
| stairs.
Examine me-" said he taking oil his laced
coat and standing pale ana erect before him.
| "UnfaSten your Shirt SAID the Other failing
in with his strange humor and commencing
| careful examination.
| Well?" Inquired the stranger, when lie had
sound as a bell and as hard as oak"
"Not likely TO Ole suddenly" suggested his
! No. 1 should think that that would be the
last thing to happen to YOU" replied
the puzzled surgeon; " My what is The matter
No; l feel hale and strong, capable OF enjoy
ing life with tie best. Pve never had an Illness
| IN my life But for all that shall die at mid
night"
'of course said the surgeon, somewhat pro-
yoked at ali this mystery, 'if you are going 10
| Kill yourself, you can sneak with more authority
| as TO the time Than any body Use"
II have no Intention Of committing suicide"
was the stern rejunder Nevertheless, at mid
night my time expires. Tie manner of my death
| is unknown 10 me; but shall never see the lift
ing of this dreadful backness which upon my
| last night upon earth has MY tnteiposed Itself
| between me aud Tie heaven / have renOunced."
The surgeon. listening 10 this strange outbuist,
turned to the table and fixing glass with bran
| dy handed IL 10 his extraordinary patient.
twill put heart Into YOU" said he.
But not soul" said the other; and shudderlng
| cOnvulsively drank II at a draught then placing
| the glass upon the table, lie drew purse from
Fee nls p pocket and looked at lie surgeon your
Nothing. i know not what your trouble is,
| but wish much thai could help YOU"
| Jpn past all help" said the other sadly NOV
| lug toward The door; then pausiDg, The sur
geon took up one of the candles 10 light him
down. he said in iIresOluie tone: LAS you shall
judge If you care to hear"
| " By all meaus," said Mostyn, heartily, as re-
| placing tie candle, he pOked tile fire aud drew
| up a chair for his visitor.
Twenty years ago" said the latter, accepting
the pIohefed seat aud leaning toward the sur
geon, my circumstances were very different
| from what they are now. Young and strong
had al the death of my parents rejected The
bread OF dependence offered me by relatives,
and, fun OF hope had come to London TO make
my fortune. II proved to be harder work than
had anticipated and IN very short while was
reduced 10 The verge OF starvation. One dread
full night. OF which this is the twentieth annver-
SaIy, 1 was half craZed With poverty ana despair
For TWO days had not tasted food nor did see
the slightest prospect OF obtaining any. Added
10 this, was deeply in love, though uphappy
fha int 10 NJ I'm t,tttgh Haua haa
our best friends Kept US apart. As L crOuched
shivering in the garret, which served me FOR a
lodging, | think l must have gone d little bit
mad" He broke OFF suddenly as though unwil-
ing TO continue and stared gloomlly at the fire.
d" Well?" saia The surgeon VINO bad been list
ening with much interest.
"Have you ever head OF compacts with the
Evil 0ne?" demanded the stranger.
1" have heard OF such things" replied the sur
geor. on whose splits the occasion and lhe WIS.,
itor were beginning 10 tell.
al made one" said The other hoarsely.
"Cr0ucbed by the empty CRATE, which Knocked me
with It's cold bars and white ashes my thoughts
turned. as though directed by some unseen
power, 10 all that had heard and read of such
cumpacts. AS my mind dwet upon II the sub
ject lost much OF It's horror, until gentle rust
ling In The neghboIhood OF The fire drove me
with quakng heart 10 my feet. My fears, how.
ever, were but moneutary, and with fierce deter
mination called upon my unseen visitor 10 lend
me his awful aid. AS spoke The sounds sud
denly ceased, and voice seemed 10 cry In my
ear: "Writr. wrIte!" / dragged a small table
into the moonlight. which struggled through the
begrlmed panes OF The window, aud with my own
blood and the miserable stump OF pen wrote out
the terms OF agreement with the Prince OF Dark
ness, possessed. as / did so, with the horrible
consciousness OF something In the room watch
ing me- vowed that il for twenty years lie gave
ME wealth aud the possession OF her whom
loved better than my own life. my soul should be
the forfeit. II the next morning brought change
OF fortune should take II for a sign that lie had
accepted my condition. i signed IL and swooned.
When | awOke from the 81 ep into which the
stupor had merged. the sun was shining brightly
into my ioul lodging, and below was messenger
who brought M news OF a large fortune which
had iallen TO me through The death OF all uncle
God forbid that my rash vow should have had
ought TO do with III Since then everything has
prOspered with me. i married the woman
loved. We have large family. have Kept my
secret TO myself Tonight at II my time ex
piIes."
1.-The change in your fortunes was mere CO.
Incidence" said The surgeon uneasily.
"Another coincidence for you, then" said Iii
visitor whose lace was now livid. "ln the morn
ing when awoke, the agreement, which haC
LEFT ON Tile liable lad disaulhaIed.n