Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1901-08-09
I The Devils Demise A;
y BY Srowder King. ,
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Copyright, 1901, by Authors Syndicate)
BY Snowden King.
1.-TWO HOURS ago Otis Macmanara

1.-TWO HOURS ago Otis Mcnamara
had received the disappointment
of his lfe-a woman's mol" He had
been trampling the streets of Louis
willie ever since, smoking number of
cigars and wondering what he should
do with the rest of his life.
Common sense kept whispering that
Grace Langdon was not the only wom-
nm in the world, and that he, Macma-
mara, was young, handsome, and
wealthy, but his heart was beating to
another tune, and he knew it would
Keep to that same tune until life was
put away.
As the gas and electric lights began
their rivalry, common sense gained the
supremacy so far as to cause the young
man to buy book and tell himself he
would go home and try to read it. He
had Just come out of book store and
was turning the storm collar of his
coat up against the driving snow, when
n voice very low and very clear, and
also very close said: at is warm in
my home"
"Did you speak to me?" Mcnamara
asked of a gray shadow leaning against
q lamp-post.
al Said it is warm in my home"
Macmanara laughed. "There is moth
ing so very novel in that fact, my good
fellow; there are millions of homes to-
night as warm as the tropics, in spite
of the weather outside-my own, for
Instance, to which l am going now"
care you going?" 1t was not the
question only; the voice held a soft, en-
chanting cadence that fascinated Mac
manara.
"Well, yes, am sure / shall start for
home as soon as my car turns the COR
ner."
go with me-"
"Since you are so sure of it will you
tell lme the name of my would-be host ?'
and Mcnamara listened somewhat t
eagerly for the answer which came
without hesitation.
"I am the Devil"
This is interesting. have had nu-
merous indirect invitations to visit
you, Mr.. Devil, and a number of my
friends have predicted that my final
resting would be with you, but l never
expected you to step up in the flesh
and invite me, and the fact is, never
in all my life felt so much like going to
you as / do tonight"
At that moment a carriage stopped
outside the curbing, and the coachman
came down to examine the harness.
The carriage door opened and one of
the occupants asked the cause of the
delay. Mcnamara caught sight of the
face that had caused both his Joy and
his sorrow. When the carriage moved,
a delicate lace handkerchief cleaned
white beneath the gas light. Only an
Instant it lay there-the next it was
reposing in Macmanara's coat pocket.
The name daintily written in one cor
gner of the handkerchief was "Gracie." !"
Good night, Mr.. Devil really must
be going. If you will take my advice
you will go back to that very warm
home of yours and stay there until
spring, for, as one who knows his
world, I can tell you the weather here
is going to be very much worse before
long"
The gray shadow stepped out into
the full glare of the Pickering light, re-
vealing handsome young man dressed
in a stylish suit of gray.
81 am disappointed" and Mcnamara
'whistled. "Why, you are young man
and l thought the Devil was as old as
the world. A young man with blond
mustache and no horns! If you want
to masquerade as the Devil-why don't
you make up for the part?"
The self-confessed Devil doffed his
nat. ''Feel," he said.
In striking contrast to a fair, aim ost
'womanish complexion and blond
mustache, his hair was black as night
Macmanara's hands glided slowly over
the bowed head in search of the horns
They were there, and thrill crept
down Macmanara's spine as he touche I'd
them He had jested with the man, be
aieving him to be crank, but now, for
some reason, he did not understand
He was startled.
"You are convinced, and will go with
'me"" Always soft and low, yet very
clear, the DEVILS voice was a melody.
Macmanara looked up. A pair oi
clear blue eyes, behind which there
seemed to burn a flame-eyes unlike
any he had ever seen before, looked
straight into his own. The Devil had
possession of his man in a moment
but even with his sense enthrallet
Macmanara shuddered as he asked:
Il must die first?"
NO" the Devil answered, emphat
Ffcally, 81 want you to go with me
and see and feel the beauty, comfort
and happiness in my home and ther
come back to the world in the flesh
and tell how basely have been ma
Ugned."
While the Devil was speaking they
were moving straight toward the
river, and when they reached it he
unlocked a skIff and invited his guest
to step in. AS the boat went scud
ding down the river Mcnamara won
~dered where the Devil had learned his