New-York tribune., 1909-02-14
T HE WIN so NJ E w Z A R D
By S. E. Kiser
Drawing by Irma Deremeaux

FOR several week after our unluckv start IN
the spIritualistI- line things went fairly well
with us Dr. CogEo>tro, the wizard. sold com
pound pulled teeth. told fortunes, felt the
bumps on people heads gave sleight OF hand
performances, and operated as a Uesi1eri-t'
using his daughter, Miss Irelawney, as his Suu-
eCt when he COuldnu Z get anybody else under
The influence. The kind ~ business he de-
cided on when We got INTO town depended
On the wav ne telt or what he thought would
take best with the inhabitants The re'eipts
were never big enough 20 make IT necessary %
carry anV OF our money n -ltCheIS, but We
were able TO ride on passenger trans and st
down when we ate The Doc even paid me
something on account. and tlvtie got some
new clothes which made her look stunning
One day picked up "a pauer that had a long
story about the devil ~ u" West. II told
how Jim had sold hq-'u' 70 20" farmer BOYS
and turned his hous Stumbling den
where people were ~tu' y ui Te road % rum
linn West, It said, had ''eu inan who feared
,b;,,e, on earrh. and a"r N, rainy night
while revels were goipS &" usual IN MS
house. two men called and Nked to be taken
in As soon as they had entered, awful groanS
began TO be heard all over the place, chains
ratified, blood stained cards hoated through
the air. and before long the lights went out
Then lin West and his wife saw that the two
strangers were Satan and one OF his lInpS. Not
only had Jim and his wife seen the visitors
from the internal regions, but several 81 the
boys who had been gambling and drinking IN
the place got good look at the evil ones and
noticed their horns and hoofs.
After telling how the devil and his imp had
vanished into thin ar, the article SAID I'M had
become a Changed man. He had given up his
wicked WAYS. Joined a church, and was going
out 10 help convert sinners bv giving them an
account Of his narrow escape from the clutches
Of Old Nick.
WHEN the wizard had read the article ne
w s1noothed his plug hat with his sleeve
and said, - You see, Zachariah, how imPor-
tant It is to be ready and willing at all tunes
10 turn aside for the purpose Of doing good
Ii was lucky for YOU and me. as well as for the
community which he was corrupting, that Jim
West had bulldog. This Is really a great
argument against bulldogs Many a man has
been turned from the path Of duty because
bulldog happened To be standing in 1t rs
the poet says:
Proud Brutus might not have been there
To make great Cesar feel his steel,
If some large bulldog from somewhere
Had darted out and niPped his heel
If YOU viii be good enough not to squeeze
Miss Trelawney's hand again when YOU think
l not looking, my appreciation OF Your
usefulness as my manager VIII be considerably
strengthened"
He srailed very kindly and rubbed his hat
as he SAID it. Clytie's long lasbes came down
over her soft, sad eyes and there was httle
red spot on each OF her cheeks She and l had
never found chance to contlde IN each other;
but | had good reasons for believing she was
sick OF the life she led and I'd have been glad
if | could have found some way 10 take her
from the Doc forever | was looking tor the
chance right along: but the wizard had a
mysterious way OF always rising up between
US whenever | was about TO fold her IN my arms
and tell her my innermost thoughts.
SEVERAL times We almost caught up with
Angel Willie's" troupe, OF were nearly
overtaken by II. Sometimes the Monte
Cristo people ahead, and sometimes we
We're; but didn't quite get together Inc
Doc wasn't very anxious to meet them, al
though he pretended 70 think there was no
reason why we shouldn't all be good friends
We had stopped of in a little town where
the Doc thought he might sell some powders
that he had been fixing up at odd times during
the last few DAYS They were made OF flour,
with pinChes of soda and bOraX and he SAID
a child might take dozen of them without
being hurt half so much as It would be by eat
ing a stick Of candy.
What are they good for" | asked when he
and | were doing them up into punches OF
dozen each.
"Zachariah." he said, e. hope they are good
for about twenty dollars. shall dispose of
them to the afflicted masses for the small sum
of fifty cents package.
But what viii they cure2