Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-10-21

| $3.50 '"' ioi Time nothing more serious
than the one already exploited,
But late one summer afternoon. after
traVereing a long and lonely forest road !,
ne paused footsore and weary, in the
YARD OF quaint old castle. There were
no signs Of Industry about he Mace and
everything had the appearance of neglect
ana abandonment. Search as he might
be could not find single evidence of hu
man life about the premises. But night
was coming on and he must fins shelter
mere at all events. So, after knocking in
vain at the castle door, he was at last
Obliged to appeal to his magic bag for
PIX ey to the castle.
| Ihe awful emptiness OF the bare, de-
seated halls filed him, at first, with a
strange, undesirable feeling OF fear, but
after thoroughly exploring the castle he
Ieit more at ease and tried to laugh off his
iears as silly fabrication OF fancy.
Nevertheless when he settled for the
night he selected room apart from the
rest OF the building which had but one
entrance and single window covered
from top to bottom with heavy iron bars
His sleep was broken and disturbed /.
The creepiness OF the place was telling
upon his nerves. He had Just dropped
into troubled doze when the great bell
oil the castle, by some supernatural
agency, changed forth in laundering tones
the hour OF midnight. The trem bling
old man franticaily muffied his head In
the blanket and tried to shut out the ter
rible sounds.
The last stroke died away In hollow
&c hoes and, just as he uncovered his face
and was endeavoring to control his
trembling limbs, a great peal of fendish
laughter caught up the dying refrian and
Hooded the castle with mocking cries. A
pale light suddenly illuminated the dark
ness, the door burst open aud the devil
swept into the room.
The old man scramb ed to his feet and
| retreated to the farther corner with the
visitor In hot pursuit. Losing all sense
oil what he was doing, the frightened
| wsyfarer evaded his pursuer and dashed
through the door, only to be chased from
hall to hall In a mad race for life.
At last, by dint OF much mapeuyrinp
on the part Of the pursuing fiend, the
stairs were left as an only refuge for the
painting victim. Flight after flight, up
the long stairway they toiled and onto
the fiat roof Of the castle. Around its
starlit arena they chased until the old
man was orougyt TO bay at an extreme
corner Of the roof.
Jump" shrieked the devil In fiendish
glee.
But this command brought the way
fsrer to his senses. Fiinging down the
magic bag, he turned fierceIy upon his
pursuer. Into that bag, tempter from
hell" he shrieked In his turn and in a
trice the devil WAS inside and the mouth
OF the bag was tied securely.
Threshing and screaming had no effect.
Tue meshes held him fast. The old man
| rolled the bag and its struggling captive
| over and over on the root, and with a loud
shout OF triumph kicked it over the para
| pet.
A mighty thud In the courtyard and a
muffied houl announced that tue bag and
| Its contents had reached the ground
| The old man raced down the stairs and
found the devil screaming In fury, but
| still prisoner. With heavy cudgell he
fell upon him and SO belabored him that
he sued for mercy.
Back TO our pit, foul FRIEND" yelled
the wsyfarer as he united the bag and
laid his cudgel upon the emerging
fieud with oil his might. The devil fled
with howls bf pain and the old man was
night.
This adventure marked new era in the
wayfarer's life. He lost his fondness for
roaming and settled down in the little
village Of his birth. His life from this
time on was one OF great piety, and his
good deeds were known far and wide.
But there came a time in after years
W hen be left his home for the last time
and took his journey to Paradise. I'm
agine his astonlshment in recognizing in
Saint Peter the very pilgrim he had met
In the mountain path so many ye RS be-
fore.
mol" said Saint Peter sternly, ere
member my warming. lou can colne III
here, go down below"
The old man turned sadly down the
stairway indicated and soon arrived at
the gates OF hell. But the devil at the
entrance shrieked at the sight OF him
and, as he slammed the gate and fastened
it, the way farer caught fieeting glimpse
of his face and recognized at once the
fiend OF his midnight encounter.
"You don't get in here" Kissed voice
through the hole.
swell, guess Pm all right for the other
place them" chuckled the old man as he
hastened up the stairs. But Saint Peter
remained firm. The beggar hadn't used
the gift as be had told him. He had even
Inundated the giver. He could not come
in.
The crafty wayfarer stopped down and
placed heavy stone in his magic bag.
Rising suddenly before the astonished
Peter, he whirled the bag and slung 1t up
ward with all his might. Thanks to its