The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-02-10

burst into q ut or laughter at tllS
strange declaration from this unex-
pected visitor. To-day we may be
sure he would be told to carry his
transparent joke elsewhere. But this
happened some time ago., when his
Satanic majesty figured prominently
in romantic literature. In the first
place the fantastic writings of that day
had a great number Of readers on ac-
count Of the stories of Theodore Hoff-
man. then largely scattered through
out France. Again. Frederic Soulin,
still living, had made his sable mai
esty quite fashionable by the recent
publication Of the memoirs of the
Devil"
Nevertheless, Fernand and his COM
rades laughed in chorus. one of them
remarking:
"Mons. Satan as this is the first time
we have had the pleasure of your dis
tinguishod presence, you will do us
the honor of accepting Il glass of cham
pagne?"
My ordinary beverage is human
tears" replied the king of t~errors,
''but suppose may make one excep-
ton. Pour out the wiae!'
He emptied his glass with apparent
zest, bowed gracefully and retired,
saying, as he withdrew, to Fernand:
monsieur Roquefeuil, | expect to
have the honor Of calling on you to-
morrow
With that not very encouraging re-
mark he withdrew.
So soon rs he had gone the young
men laughed heartily, but the supper
nnnlp IN an. and and pt about thrao
o'clock in the morning all retired to
their homes.
At noon the following day, just rs
Fernand was about to rise, IL servant
entered his room and handed him
three letters and a card. This last was
a duplicate of the card of the evening
before.
"Ah, indeed! The devils card."
muttered Fernand. at seems Satan
does lot intend to give me much re-
spite"
AS for the three letters, they were
anything but pleasant reading.
The first announced that the bank
er, Isaac H., with whom Fernand
had deposited the greater part of his
fortune, was suddenly ruined by a fall
in stocks. and, having secured all the
money he could, had fled to America
on a Hayre packet.
The second letter-anonymous, OF
course-informed him that Nine. de
Lucay. the charming young widow
whom he was to marry in "a dav or
two, had given him the slip, and was
about to wed n of his most intimate
friends-one of those six gallants who
were seated at the table with him the
evening before. Of course, a man OF
honor should not be annoyed at any
thing contained in an anonymous let
ter, always written by a coward; new
~erthelcss, he found such precise details
of things that he knew to be true, and
which he thought to be unknown to
others, that he could not help give
credence to the whole letter.
The third letter contained Il steno-
graphic account of a conversation that
recently occurred in a club, of which
Fernand de Roquefeuil was a promi-
nent member. 1t was n sort of a run
ming commentary of the principal
members of the club on the merits and
character of Fernand himself. The
latter was by no means flattered; on
the contrary, he was regarded as the
most insignificant of men.
well, these are odd series of coin
c~idences," exclaimed the undeceived
Fernand, as he proceeded with a sad
air to complete his toilet. Just think
of it! Fortune, friendship, social con-
sideration, all gone. Not a thing left
me. Oh, yes, had forgotten. Ihave
still got the devils card"
The idea then struck him to look at
{l,n n,.I n rr,s,~ ,.l -.
closely than he did the evening before.
The signature was still illegible, but
a few words traced with a pencil in
first rate French told plainly enough
that Satan was a man about town.
This is what Fernand read under the
redoubtable scratch:
,FEaNAND; 1.-THE Devils Part will be
played this evening at the Opera C%omique.
Come there at 8 O'clock; knock Mt the third
box. You will be sure to find me here. Your
Oldest friend, The DEVIL.
Was this a mystery or was it a
freakp Fernand reflected a moment.
ITO go there would be childish" he
unused.
land not to go there will give the
idea that | am afraid"
He decided to go.
About 8 o'clock in the evening he
cHCeFeu UHe IneaCeT, ana, come Wnat
might, walked straight for the third
box, as directed. To his unspeakable
amazement he found himself in the
presence of a lovely young girl. Seated
in front of the box, she was dressed
with the most exquisite good taste, and
gracefully toyed with a fan in her
hand Strangest of all, the face was
the same as that of the devil who APP
peared to the six young men in the
cafe OF the boulevard the evening be-
fore. But why should Satan present
himself this time under the semblance
of a daughter of Eve? There was some
new mystery here.
On seeing nm enter the young lady
rose with i sort Of unconscious eager
ness. n as soon as the door was
olosad clio harop.