The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-12
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S STORY
A STRANGE COMPACT WITH THE
PRINCE OF DARKNESS.
How Riches Came to an Old Man.
And How at Last He Died After an
Allotted Number of Years of Pros
perity.

ptElNEs
From the Hartford Times.
Mrs. Lavina Thompson, a native OF
Northumberland N. H., died recently at
the advanced age of 50 years. From her
youth up the good woman has enter.
tanned her friends and neighbors with a
strange tale of old-tme superstitions and
the general belief in them. The story de-
scended to her from an old maiden aunt
who was born, lived and died among the
rock-ribbed hills of Northern New Hamp-
shire. The latter years of this aunt's life
were spent as housekeeper for a mysteri-
GUS old widower, and it is with this old
man that the story has to do II runs in
this wise This man in his youth and
cary manhood was poor and unfortunate.
Hard luck seemed to be always his por-
ton, and nothing he undertook prospered
His farm was small and poor; his crops
generally failed to turn out well and his
cattle and sheep would only sell under
price. He married; several children came,
and he was beginning to feel more at
peace with the world in general. Then
the wife died, and one by one the chill
dren followed their mother until the ia
Their was left alone.
Then the old spinster came as house
Keeper. and the man sank into a settled
melancholy. He stunned his neighbors
and avoided all intercourse with them as
far as possible. This went on for a score
or more of years, then came change,
which was inaugurated by an unusual oc-
currence In the gloomy household
FOR some days the old man had been
even, more morose and distract than
usual and he seemed to be in a deep
study over something. One night the
old housekeeper heard her master arise
from his bed Just before midnight ana
some time. and on his return seemed 10
be IN state OF the greatest excitement
and uneasiness, For the remainder
of the night, and, indeed, all of the
next day and night, he paced the floor
of his room, and the old housekeeper's
calls and raps sat the door were an
sound Of muttered words and curses, and
not infrequently a stified groau. Whsr,
he emerged from his retirement an IN
aeesefloaole change had been wrought In
in an air of evil and mystery. His ewes
shone with a baleful light and a resi-
less, haf desperate, half frightened ex@
element possessed his whole being.
From that hour prosperity attended
OF an ms movements. Money flowed In
to his strong box. Yellow gold seemed
remarkable go5d fortune was the then,s
for conversation and idle specula tion
throughout the neighborhood The old
man was watched and very CLOSELY roo
but could not be detected in wrongdoine
OF any sort, and his sudden riches and
good fortune remained unRecounted for
lands and cattle; he tore down his baTns
and built greater and had a very com7
Portable house erected for himself
But he was still smofose and unhannv
and continued 10 avoid, as far as possi
Bile, all intercourse with his feIfow-he
ings. The MOST of his time was snsnt
in counting and boarding tip his conft5i,e
ally increasing riches Strong box altar
strong box was added to his store. ali
hlled with shining yellow gold.
IT'S the devils own doings .. miltterefl
the neighbors,s with solemn ana frigbten-
ed expressions, and grave shakes of their
heads. '' e'
The old housekeeper, taxed him with tho
charge, and as II longing for a con4idsnfs
and glad to share HIS secret. he told her
the whole story Of his strange prosperity
He had rebelled ana fretted and cursed
at the Fate that had decreed for him
such miserably hard and joyless exis
tence From his early boyhood davs she
seemed to have selected him as a sneeisI
object on which TO vent her spite and deal
her hardest raps,. and he retaliated with
bitter curses and deep hatred This seal
ing only increased as the years went hI,
and his loved ones were taken from him
and left him soured and embittered did
man.
One night in his dreams. he had
strange vision. A. frightful apparition in
human form stood at his bedside ana H.
deep and mysterious tones thus addrassedI
him:
IF you would have great riches and ex-
ceeding prosperity, go unto a square
formed by the meeting of four roads AZ
the hour Of midnight There halt ana
call three times in loud voice for vonT
Satanic majesty. the king of devils.'f Al
the third call ne VIII appear and will