Evening journal., 1901-11-27
A Phantasv

PnantaSy
often had leard Of people being
possessed of the devia or possessing a
personal devil, but regarded the state
ments as one Of the numerous figures
of speech which adorn the English Ian
lguage. l never expected that such a
thing could be true literally in these
days. but it is the unexpected That hap
pens, and TO my horror and amaze
Iment ! found myself in possession of
a personal devil.
He was such a little fellow. He did
not seem even ten inches in height
and he was red i'm every detail a per
feet MephistO of Morrison creation in
miniature. but in his small body were
concentrated all the Vaccinations of
a hundred ordinary devils. He ha-
rassed me almost beyond the point of
Endurance by his tricks and torments
and the most trying thing about him
was That he was invisible to every
body but myself
He first appeared to me one sunny
AFTERNOON as l was hemstitohing
table cover which / intended to give
Auntie for a Christmas present The
thread knotted and pulled, time and
again ] never had known knots to be
$50 Obdurate before, and in my inn
lpatience | exclaimed aloud, and the
Sound of my own voice was followed
by another, a little tinkling, malicious
laugh, and turning TO look whence the
Sound proceeded, found the little red
devil perched on the arm of my big
chair.
That was months ago. and ne has
been with me ever since and has
caused me more annoyance and bitter
tears than ever experienced
in a1 my life put together. Auntie la
lmented the fact that | had changed
so that / was not like the same girl
Poor Ellen has grown so careless, "
IEhe cried out in despair one day. Her
Ihairpins always are falling out and her
hair tumbles down without warning
She either breaks or upsets everything
she touches. She let fall one OF my
Sevres cups today and yesterday broke
to bits my largest cut glass vase.
can't imagine what has come over the
lchild."
OF course Auntie could not know
that the little red devil was the cause
of il all. She could not see him spring
TO my shoulders and pulls the pins out
, Of my hair, giving il a Sharp pull at
the same time no more than She could
see him strike the cup and vase from
I my hand Neither could she hear his
, Haunting laugh at my discontinue.
{ The girls and men of our set began
1 70 avoid me as If by common consent.
b II could NOT blame them, for where l
! once had been as merry and gay as
- any Of them, l now never knew into
y What embarrassing position that little
] red devil would force me, and knew
) was distrait and depressing / over
l heard Jack Kendall say to That pretty
little Miss Gray that 1 must have a
o hidden sorrow. and SHE replied with a
! light laugh THAI it might be bad con-
r. science. That was at Mrs Lees recep-
r tion, and l had made my escape into
o the conservatory TO regain my compos-
S ure after a series OF awkward cOntre-
s temps brought about by my torment In
S scarlet went to bed that might re.
{ solved to rid myself of him, If possible
@ EARLY next morning, before any o
s The household was astir, I made Off
S I walked at a brisk rate and in a com.
p lparatively short time found myself il
o the outskirts Of the city. ! walkeC
a rapidly over country roads ant
through woods made leafless by No
d vember frosts. where the bare branches
b lstruck together with an eerie sound
n On and on ] went until / reached ;
= Quaint little town. There was but ont
r street in it, on either side of whicl
were coldIOodng, single storied gra!
8 stone houses. About midway thl
|. Istreet. which seemed nearly half mil'
o lin length, stood the town building.
u was built right in the centre Of tn
y thoroughfare, and there extended
along the entire length a wide corri
l. dor on either side of which wer
is offices.
IS just as / stepped upon the threshold
sr of the door at one end. there appeare.
l. at the other door the little red devil
l. He appeared redder and wickeder thai
L. ever. and in my dismay and fear
II hastily ran around The building to tn
r rear door But. alas there at the otfha
s. entrance calmly awaited the little re-
u devil. / ran around the building iron
g. entrance TO entrance. only to be con
h fronted by my tormenter. Half wa
* in my mad fight stopped to catch m
s. breath and was seized with an inspira
thon. II was that he probably ha
M stopped in the middle OF the cOrrido'
le and while he there awaited my appear
u ance at either one end or the other
II. would strike out in the opposite direC
C. ton. Picking up my skirts | fairly 1e'
As through the narrow passage betwee
1.-TWO OF the little stone houses, over
is field barred by chill, uncompromisin