The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-10-08

money, and he often spent it foolishly
AS he walked along the suburban
streets this sharp winters night he
was rejecting on the folly Of spending
money on a fur coat. He was wearing
the coat, a magnificent affair Of beaver,
trimmed with sealskin.
II don't need this coat any more
than a pig needs side picket. It's too
hot for comfort in the city, even on
this cold night, and I'd carry it over
my arm only that would feel all the
more how absrlrdly heavy it Isl
Then he looked ahead through the
thickly falling snow, and although he
was man Of strong nerves, he started
and stepped back like a woman who
meets a cow.
''Jimminy Christmas!' he exclaimed.
The sight he saw was strange enough
in itself; seen in the sQualid, common
place suburban street it was bewilder-
ing. There ahead Of him walked Me-
phistopheles, dressed in red flannel
suit with yellow trimmings, all peaks
andspoints. And on the head of Me
phistopheles was an old, much-woIn
felt hat.
Wetherbee caugh Mephistopheles by
the shoulder and turned him around.
He was a slight, understood man of
perhaps fifty. whose mustache was
dyed an impossible black and served
only to accentuate the meager COM
monness of his features.
"Who are you" demanded Wether-
bee. -..... .asa.
'Sh-h-hr' said the shivering figure,
'let me go. I'm Mahatta::'
Wetherbee stared at him in amaze
ment. Was the man crazy or a walk
ing advertisement for some fakir?
cts all right, let me go. I'm Ma
hatta, the astrologer, the disciple of
black art. Why, don't you know? My
office is in Wood street,
Wetherbee had a dim membrance
that there was a Wood street through
which he had passed and also of a
gaudily painted shanty covered with
the signs Of the zodiac.
"My Office got afire this morning
from the bakers next door, explained
Mahatta, "and had to light out over
the back fence. Them people in that
neighborhood is mostly superstitious.
They ain't got no idea Of astrology.
They don't know it's science, and if
ordinary fire they'd think I was 10
sort of an astrologer. So l got out
quiet"
His teeth chartered SO that he made
ten syllables out Of sfquiet."
They don't understand the science
Of it," he continued, ''and the fire got
at my store clothes before I knew it.
So had to get out mighty quick. Now,
Jest let me go home, will you? This
here flannel shirt amt no fur over
coat
Wetherbee's coat came off his shoul-
derS in a minute. ..Put this on he
said.
'''Confound your as the man resisted,
@'put it on
The astrologer slipped into the coat
with gasp Of relief.
"Crickety," he cried, "but was
freezing"
do you live far from here?" Weth-
erbee inquired.
"Just a bit up the street. I'm almost
home now" replied Mahatta, his teeth
still chattering.
AS they walked along the road the
astrologer told his tale. He had been
in the astrology business for thirty
years, had travelled with Barnum and
had q gypsy tent in museums, but it
barely yielded him living Yet he
had, by rigorous economy been able to
gave enough money to build him a
4 house.
Elegant house, sir" he said. .sNot
what you may call large, but it's an
elegant house. / got the design out Of
q 10-cent builders book, sir. There
amt no use trying to do things cheap
when you're building a house,
BIT ks joy IN his house was coun-