Evening star., 1901-11-16

the floor. and seating themselves upon it.
began to cast dice. Your SOUL My
SOUL" they kept saying in hollow tones
cording as they won or lost. At length one
of them-a tall man in a powdered wig,
with face extraordinarily pale-fung
hand to his brow, rose and staggered from
the room. The other sat waiting and twirI-
ing his black mustache, with an evil smile.
John, who by this time had found a seat
in far corner, thought I'm the most poi
sonous-looking villain he had ever seen; but
as the minute passed and nothing hap
pened, he turned his back to the light and
pulled out Penny Dreadful His literary
taste was shocking, and when 1t came to
romance he liked the incidents to follow
one another with great rapidity.
He was interrupted by a blood-curdliug
groan, and the first ruffian broke into the
room, dragging by it's gray locks the body
Of an old man. A young girl followed
hair, and behind her entered priest with
brazier full of glowing charcoal The girl
cast herself forward the old mans
body, but the two scoundrels dragged her
the dark one; and she drew from her bosom
small key and cast 1t at his feet. MY
promisei' demanded the other, and seized
her by the wrist, as the priest stepped for
ward. 'Quick-over this coffin-man and
wife," She wrenched her hand away and
thrust him backward. The priest retreated
to the brazier and drew out red-hot iron.
John thought it about time to interfere
Il beg your pardon" said he, stepping for
ward, but l suppose you really are
ghosts?"
We are unhallowed souls" answered the
dark man impressively, 'who return to
blight the living with the spectacle of our
awful crimes
Meaning me@' asked John.
Aye, sir; and to destroy you tonight If
you contract not upon your soul to return
with your bride and meet US here a twelve
month hence"
Him." said John to himself they are
three to one, and, after all. it's what
came for. l suppose" he added aloud
some form of document Is usual in these
cases"
The dark man drew out pen and parch-
ment Hold forth your hand he COM
manded; and as John held it out thinking
he meant to shake it over the bargain, the
fellow drove the pen into his wrist until
the blood spurted Now sign.'
Sign!' said the other villain.
Sign said the lady
on, very well. miss: IL you're In the
sWlndle, too, my mind Is easier" said John
ana signed his name with a flourish But
a bargain Is a bargain, and what security
have for your part in it?''
our signature! said the priest terribly
at the same moment pressing his branding
IRON INTO John $ ankle. A smell of burnt
hand over the scorched stocking When
ne looked up again his visitors had van
lsned; and a moment later the strange
light, too, died away
But the coffin remained for evidence that
ne had not been dreaming. John lit a can
die and examined it. Just the thing for
me, he exclaimed, finding il to be a mere
smell OF pine boards, loosely nailed together
and painted black. Il was beginning to
Sblyer. He knocked the coffin tn pieces
crammed them into the fireplace, and vert
soon had grand fire blazing before which
he sat and finished his Penny Dreadful
and SO dropped off into sound sIeen
The lord chamberlain arrived early in the
morning. and finding him stretched thars
at first broke into lamentations over Tho
fate or yet another personabIe young man
but soon changed his. tune when John Sal
up and, rubbing his eyes, demanded to he
told the time. "
But are you really alive? We must
drive back and tell his majesty at once -
stay moment" said John There's a
orotner OF mine, lawyer, in the CITY He
VIII De arriving at his Office about this time
ana you must drive me there for have a
document here of sort, and must have Il
stamped, to be on the safe side"
so into the city he was driven bas,da
the lord chamberlain, and there had his
leg stamped and filed for reference. an5
having purchased another was conycrad
TO the palace, where the king received b,n,
with open arms.
he was now favored guest at co,,-t ,n5
mad frequent opportunities of seeing ara
conVersing with the princess with woon
he soon fell deeply in love But az The
months passed and the time drew near er-
their marriage. he grew silent and t..o,Irht
full, for he feared to expose her eye., &,
his company, to the sights he had Wit
messed in the haunted house.
He thought and thought, until one fine