The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-02-24
WARNED-AN IEFIDEL'S STORY.
BY BESSIE LOU BURGESS.


were grouped those who had loved me,
mother, father, brother, fercely be-
seeching me to prostrate nay soul in
prayer to Him whom l regarded as
yellow haired phantom OF the brain, =
a slender, childish devotee Of God, with
innocent eyes of baby-blue and face
like roseleaf. l was man, strong
and mighty, with the world at my feet.
I had pitted my strength against Him,
and DETAINED Him, and in the end He
had conquered, and J. stood, still de-
fiant, upon the verge Of the everlasting
blackness of Torment.
"Dost thou think that I fear Him
now? Nay; I defy Him and Death!"
And 1 shrieked aloud, amid peals of
wild, distrait laughter. 81 fear Him
not!" The shrillness Of my cry startled
me, and / saw those around me shrink
from me in abject terror.
But list louder, lower, gentler, more
distinctly rose and fell the smothOred
beats of drum in the distance. 1t beat
like human heart, with slow measured
sound. 1t was the dismal "Dead
March" that I had abhorred from child
hood. I sprung up wildly and flung
my arms tightly about my head to shut
out the low-toned, wailing cries of
music, but they rose with redoubled
lOudness, clearer than before. And
there loomed up before my eyes form
that froze the het blood in my veins,
and chilled my heart as though it had
been swathed in ice.
"Aye, Lucifer, l know thee nowl';
and I turned sickened away, to hide
his horrible face from nay sight. But
it was before me, smiling in hideOus
mockery. He came near unto mel
knew then that it was his blackened
heart which throbbed the dismal strains
of the "Dead March, y the music that
rang forever in his bosom. o, ye sons
of men! l defy ye to paint adequately
the form of the quivering deYil whose
kingdom is-Hell!
"Come thou vile sinner, unto thy
just reward, he said in voice which
seemed impregnated by a million Shiny
reptiles.
cart thou my saviour? Where is the
yellow-haired rescuer called Christ
Jesus?"
He turned upon me fiercely.
"Dare speak of Him!" he Missed il
hot rage. "Across yon impossible gull
He reigns supreme in land that reels
the brain with its fantastic rapture, but
downtown" with an evil grimace
"thou wilt find the home to which thy
sins consign thee"
81 am ready" l cried with naughty
anguish. "Take me to that blacl
region that reeks of birthstone and fire
have defied Him defy thee! TAKE
me, Lucifier, to thy bottomless pit"
He stood silent for one moment il
blank amazement. Then, "come" h.
said, and touched my face with his con
vulsive fingers. A thousand piercing
flames shot through nay being m,
brain grew giddy with an unearthly
pain.
Through the sound of roaring fire.
chat came upward, / heard the soft
sweet voices of strange beings saying
"He is dead, deadl And may Goo
have Mercy upon his soHl!" And l heart
my mother'smournful cry ring through
the boundary line of life and death
, Lucifer seized me in his burning arm
and sank down, down, down, into un
ending space. Through all the miser,
that racked my lost soul I heard tn
wave-like rushing of the greedy flames
ever leaping upward Iclosed the eye
that refused to gaze, and God"
muttered, as he loosed his hold upol
me and sent me reeling downward, int
| knew not what. Oh, if mortal ma
could but divine the emotions of Ruth
ven, the lost infidel at that moment
surely they would shrink from enter
ing Torment.
Where my fall ended I can not tell
I only know that | became suddenl
sensible of the fact that 1 lay writhin
on a crimson heated surface, with thou
sands of thin, distorted black imp
floating in shrill derision above me-
"Ruthven, the infdel--at lastl AL
lie there and writhe throughout tn
long lapse of endless ages, tho
wretched defamer of the great Enemy
1t is thy just reward for thy work
upon earth. "
: / strove to rise, but 1 sank bacl
pinioned there to burn forever-forev'
q and for aye! "Oh, God, my Savior
: forgive me and save mel" | cried brOl
: emily. Blindly l stretched out my arm
: only to be greeted by tempest
d cutting sneers.
a An indescribable, quivering agor
I" swept over me. Blackness fell like
= dark curtain across the bright crimsC
It stretch, aud in the darkness mingled
o wailing and gnashing of teeth. Hollo
y bones clanked disnally, while abo
a the horrible din Lucifer's voice cut Il
d heated air of He'll. A shrill laugh raj