Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-08-21
1.-TWO HOURS AGO Otis Macmanara

had received the disappointment
of his life-a woman's mol" He had
been trampling the streets of Louis
vile ever since, smoking a 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-
an in the world, and that he, Macma-
nara, 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 a book and tell himself ne
would go home and try to read it. He
had just come out of book store ard
was turning the storm collar of his
coat up against the driving snow, when
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 gray shadow leaning against
= lamp-post.
81 said it is warm in my home"
Mcnamara 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 am going now"
'Are you going?" 1t was not the
question only; the voice held soft. en-
chanting cadence that fascinated Mac
manara.
We'll, yes, I am sure l shall start for
home as soon as my car turns the cor
ner"
"And / am as equally certain you will
go with me-"
Since you are so sure of it will you
feline the name of my would-be host p
and Mcnamara listened somewhat
eagerly for the answer which came
without hesitation.
Il am the Devil"
''This is interesting. L have had nu-
merous indirect invitations to visit
you, Mr.. Devil, and number of my
friends have predicted that my final
resting would be with you, but | 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 l 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 MacInanara's coat pocket
The name Gaintily written in one cor
ner of the hanGke rchief was Oracle -
Good night. Mr.. Devil really mus
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, 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.
Il am disappointed" and Mcnamara
whistled. why, you are a young man
and ] thought the Devil was a 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 DOTTED his
hat. Feel" he said
In striking contrast to fair, almost
s.1
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 a thrill crept
down Macmanara's spine as he touched
them. He had TESTED with the man, be-
lieving him to be crank, but now, for
some reason, he did not understand
He was startled.
You are convinced. and will GO with
neY Always soft and low, yet very
clear, the DEVILS voice was melody.
Mcnamara looked up. A pair OF
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 haG
possession of his man in moment
but even with his sense enthralled
Mcnamara shuddered as he asked
II must die first?"
NO." the Devil answered, emphat
ically, 81 want you to go with m.
and see and feel the beauty, comfor
and happiness IN my home and the1
come back to the world in the flesl
and tell how basely have been ma
igned."
While the Devil was speaking the,
were moving straight toward tn,
river. and when they reached it h
unlocked skin and invited his cues
to step In As the boat went send
ding down the river Macmanara won
dered where the Devil had learned hi
stroke. The Falls City quickly fade
from WE'VE mere speok in the dis
tAnoe- Maemanara had taken many