The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-05-06
THE A SPIDER.

-Dedie Hayes Killian.
THE A SPIDER.
There vas once on one of the thor.
oughfares which grope into the maze
of lanes and alleys surrounding
Seven Dials, in London, a shop as
odd and repulsive as it's keeper.
"Beriah Hargon." painted over the
door, dimly proclaimed through a
coat of CRIME the name by which he
had long been known; but in the
minds of the neighborhood gamins
the nickname ''Gobelin'' had come
through a mist of superstitious fear
and ignorance. He was as ugly a
man as n could see in all the
metropolis. His face was almost hid
den by a gray, bristling beard, shaggy
eyebrows, and the long tangled curls
Of his dusty hal. His greasy and
rudely-mended clothes had been
forced to serve him for a quarter of
his so years. Though he shufled
about, supporting his bent form upon
a huge, twisted cane, he held his
head stiffiy erect, and two red-rimmed,
evil eyes glared with fierce watchful-
ness at every n he met.
The goods displayed in the one
dirty-glassed window, and upon the
shelves inside, showed Hargon to be
a naturalist and morbid anatomist.
There were cases of impaled insects,
numerous skulls, and a number of
jars of snakes. aseSell as portions of
the human frame, preserved~i in alco-
hol. The cracked bell hanging on q
spiral spring against the door seldom
announced the entrance of anyone but
Hargon himself. and this fact had
given rise to the belief that the
''Gobelin' had sold himself to the
devil and needed no customers.
Late one winter night this man
began a Hateful task, He closed the
shop, and satisfying himself that no
curious one was lurking without, he
carried a candle into the back room.
Placing it upon a table, he drew a
broken chair into it's brightest light
and sat down. An expression of
deadly intention rendered him hid
o u as he pulled toward him a black
book and opened it. Upon the right
page was a diagram of a monster spi-
der, which he carefully measured and
examined; then turning to the left
page he read in a hard, gruff voice:
HE who having solemnly compact
ed with the Power, essays to construct
and make live the Death Spider
must construct two. 1t is written,
and let him heed; he must construct
two."
Wrinkles of deep inquiry quilted
his black forehead and meshed his
eyes as he exclaimed:
.'Why twop"
Finding no satisfactory answer in
his own mind, he read on:
"He who desireth to create the
Death Spider may call the helper,
who will render assistance, instruc-
ton, and perform all necessary SER
vice. Place the palm over the picture
of the spider, call thrice aloud Girls
sikin,' and the helper will appear"
The gobelin obeyed these instruc-
lions without delay, and instantly
there appeared beside him-not en-
tering through a door or window, but
rs if a portion of the air had been
Solidifed and animated-a grotesque
being, who, rubbing his eyes and
yawning, said ill-humoredly:
81 am here, but not beholden to
you for waking me. No one has
called me for fifty years, and l was in
slumber. What is your wish?'
He was not taller than three feet,
and was dressed in a single tight fit
ting garment, much like a modern
jersey, which covered his entire
body, and revealed his singular form.
His legs were thin and wlry, and
tapered to little pointed feet, while
his arms we're muscular as those of
an athlete: but his head, dispropor-
tionately large, and face, especially,
ere startling. It was mi of those
smooth, puzzling faces which look
Youthful, but which bear an indefin-
able suggestion of age. Around. his
mouth and in the wrinkle of his
black eyes were indications of cum
ming, which flashed into a treach-
srous lesr whenever Hargon's sight
was turned from him.
"You would make the Death
Spider. eh?" he said, repeating the
old mans reply. "What forp'.
.'Must you know that" glowered
the gobelin.
''Verily, I must" retorted the imp,
impudently, leaping to the table,
and, with the burst OF merriment
poking his tapered foot against Har.
gon's breast. .sHow am / to work il
I know not thatp" ?
Not relishing this liberty, Hargon
moved his chair, and, looking hard
at his visitor, said:
: Twill tell you, them"
Grissikin caught his bent knee in
his c,,asped hands, and, turning his
head sideways, with his tongue
thrust hard into his cheek and hiE
bright eyes fixed OF the old man
YVES prepared to listen.
sin Kent there is a youth, Andrew
Fithington, whom l hate to the death
and he must die. His father merci
lessly and iHiquitously injured MT
wears ago, and l then consulted the
books of torture for Q death to SEND
upon him that would be q fitting re
venge, but apoplexy snatched hin
eway before / received the power t.
r,% tho doo%h ,,non him