Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-08-09

to close his eyes. The Devil picked
him up and carried him into n richly
furnished room and put him down on
a couch piled with cushions. There
were ribbons, laces, satins and silks,
in chairs, on tables, everywhere in
elegant Drofusion and confusion, but
what impressed Macmanara most and
what he could hardly take his eyes
from was table in the center of
the room on which was piled, as gen.
erouslyias pebbles on the beach, every
known gem. Diamonds, rubies, opals
and pearls threw shade over their
smaller sisters and tried hard to out
shine each other in their fascinating
glow and glitter.
"My angels are out tonight on 9TH
er missions, but 1 shall do my best
to entertain you, and shall be more
sorry than l can say if 1 fail" and
the Devil bowed courteously to his
guest.
While he was speaking he placed
a diamond scarfpin and opal ring on
the table. They Immediately began
to sparkle challenge to their neigh
bors. What familiar look they had
to Mcnamara! The Devil drew
chair close to the couch, picked up
guitar, and the last thing Mcnamara
remembered was hearing a rich tenor
voice singing a popular melody.
The next morning when Macmanara
awoke he was in his own room. The
fire in the CRATE was burning chcerily,
and through the open door he could
see his valet preparing his bath. Out
side the sun was shining brightly,
taking away the snow as fast as it
had fallen the night before.
"What dream." Mcnamara
thought, as he sprang out of bed. His
clothes were hanging on the back of
chair, and there were tiny rivulets
where they had dripped the melted
snow He went through his pockets
and his face fell. Yesterday he had
drawn $4,000 from the bank, vowing
in his heart to go as far from Louis
vile as the money would take him.
This morning there was not dollar
in his poclet-not even the little
pearl-handled knife he had carried for
years.
When he went down to breakfast
his aunt, who was also his house
keeper, looked beyond him after say
ing good morning, evidently expect
ing to greet some one else.
"How mistaken one can be, Otis"
she said. 81 expected you to bring
company down to breakfast this
morning, for when 1 heard you come
home last night / was sure some one
was with you"
Maybe there was, and maybe there
wasn't. What would you say, aunt, if
were to tell you l don't know?"
"If you were anyone else but Otis
Mcnamara 1 would say you were
drunk, but as you are Otis 1 shall say
you are poking fun at your old aunt"
When the papers were brought in
Mcnamara glanced over the head
lines of the Courier-Journal, as was
his custom, and the following fast
ened his eyes:
"AT THE MoRGUE."
Found drowned in the river at two o'clock
this morning, the body of young man
of medium size, fair complexion and
blond mustache. A lace handkerchief
marked Oracle" was all that was found in
the dead mans pockets.
"That's the Devil!" and with the ex.
clamation Mcnamara rushed for his
hat and overcoat, leaving his startled
aunt to think he had gone insane.
"Yes," the morgue keeper replied
to Macmanara's eager questions, 1.-THE
poor fellow was brought here at an
early hour this morning. This hand.
Il sDf ~ oh -
him that may lead to his identity,
and that has only one chance in a
thousand. If his sweetheart reads
the morning papers-and of course
the handkerchief is his sweetheart
she will be here in a short while,
and, if she doesn't read them, he may
go to his grave unnamed"
Mcnamara examined the features
of the dead man closely. 1t was his
Devil of the night before, minus the
black hair, in place of which there
was a closely-cropped blond head. AS
Alacmanara was leaving the morgue
he almost ran over Grace Langdon
who caught his arm and cried out:
"Oh, Otis, it is really you, and you
are not drowned, with my handker'
chief in your pocket? ] was going to
the OPERA" the little lady explained
"and something got wrong with the
Ihorses as we were leaving Chestnut
street, and the coachman stopped to
see what it was. My escort opened
the carriage door for the same pur-
, pose, when / saw you and dropped
, my handkerchief to see If you would
j pick it up, and the way you pounced
upon it kept me happy for the rest
! of the evening. / lost my opal ring
too, but / don't care, for it was al
ways bringing me bad luck"
Mcnamara thought of the ring as
he had last seen it flash by the side
of his scarfpin on table with thou
, sands of other jewels, but he did not
,, tell his wife-to-be of his adventure
NTH tho navil He aclyp1 instead.