Kendall Chronicle (Kendall, Mont.) 1902-190?, September 01, 1903, Image 2

2. Kendall, Montana, September 1, 1903 ************************** )4 * The Devil's Demise i r By Snowden Ring. ZI(***********************I (oopyri g ht,m, by authors Syndicate.) TWO HOURS ago Otis Macmanara I had received the disappointment of his life—a woman's \no!\ He had been trampling the streets of Louis- ville 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 keepi to that same tune until life was , put away. As the gas and electric lights began their riva:ry, common sense gained the supremacy so far as to gauge the young man to buy a book and tell himself he would go home and try to read it. He had just come out of a book store and was turning the storm collar of his coat up against the driving snow, when a voice very low and very clear, and also very close said: \It is warm in my home.\ \Did you speak to me?\ Macmanara asked of a gray shadow leaning against a lastp-post. \I said it is warm in my home.\ Macmanara laughed. \There is noth- 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 v. hich I tun going now.\ \Are :-oti !soing?\ It was not the question on:y; the voice he:d a soft, en- chanting cadence that fascinated Mac- manara. \Well yes, I am sure I shall start for home as soon as my car turns the cor- ner.\ \And I am as equallycertain you will go with me.\ , \Since you are so sure of it will you tell me the name of my would-be host?\ and Macmanara listened somewhat eagerly for the ,answer which came v‘ithout hesitation. \I am the Devil.\ \This is interesting. I have had nu- merous indirect invitations to visit you, Mr. Devil, and a number of my friends have predicted that my final resting would be n ith you, but I never expected you to step up in the flesh and invite me, and the fact is, I never in all my life felt so much like going to you as I do to -night.\ At that moment a carriage stopped outside the curbing, and the coachman came don n to examine the harness. The carriage door opened and one of the occupants asked the cause of the delay. Macmanara caught sight of the Lice that had caused both his joy and his sorrow. When the carriage moved, a delicate lace handkerchief gleamed *bite beneath the gas light, Only an Instant it lay there—the next it was reposing in Maernanara's coitt pocket. The name daintils writteWin one cor- ner of the handkerchief was \Gracie.\ \Good night, Mr. Devil -1 really must 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, I can tell you the weather here is going to be very maeb wotse before long.\ The gray shadow steppe outlistes the full glare of the flickering light, re-- vealing a handsome young man dressed in a stylish suit of gray. \I am disappointed,\ and Macmanara whistled. \Why you are a young man and I thought the Devil was as old as the world. A young man with a blond mustache and no horns! If you want to masquerade as the Devil—why don't you make sip for the part?\ The se:f-confessed Devil doffed hii bat. \Feel he said. In striking contrast. to a fair, almost womanieh complexion and a bloni mustache, his heir %NFU; black as night., Macmanara's hands glided slowly over the bowed head in search of the horns. They were tnere, and a thrill crept down Macmanara's spine as he touched them. He had jested with the man, be- lieving him to be a crank, but now, for some reasoq, he did not understand. He was startled. \You are convinced, and will go with me?\ A:waYs soft and low, yet very clear, the Devil's voice was a melody. Macmaaara looked up. A pair of c:ear 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 had possession of his man in a moment. but even with his sense enthralled Macmanara shuddered as he asked: \I must die first?\ \No the Devil answered, emphat- ically, \I want you to go with me arq see and feel the beauty, comfort ane. - happiness in my !tome and ther come back to the world in the Hest and tell how basely I have been ma ligned.\ While the Devil was speaking thes \'Jere moving straight toward the river, and when they reached it he unlocked a skiff and invited his guess to step in. As the boat went scud ding down the river Macmanara won dered where the , ' Devil had learned hi, stroke. The Falls City quickly fade(' from view—a mere speck in the dis• tance. Macmanara had taken many a row on the Ohio, both as boy and man, but never any like this. An hour ago he was the most miserable man on earth, now he was perfectly happy; there was nothing left for him to wish for. The boat was drifting now, and at • place where the rocks shelved over the bank it stopped suddenly. The D2vil whistled, waited a moment, then whistled three times in rapid succession. It seemed to Macmanara that the whole side of the cliff opened to them and gave forth a light so dazzling in its brightness that he had, to close his eyes. The Devil picked him up and carried him into a richly furnished room and put him down on a couch piled with cushions. There were ribbons, laces, satins and 'likes' in chairs, on tables, everywhere it% elegant profusion and confusion, but what impressed Macmanara most and what he could hardly take his eyes from was a table in the center of the room on which was piled, as gen- erous:y as pebbles on the beach, every known gem. Diamonds, rubies, and pearls threw a shade over their smaller sisters and tried hard to out- shine each other in their fascinating glow anti glitter. \My angels are out to -night on oth- er missions, but I shall do my best to entertain you, and shall be more sorry than I can say if I fail,\ and the Devil bowed courteously to his guest. While he was speaking he placed a diamond scarfpin and opal ring on the table. They immediately began to sparkle a challenge to their neigh- bors. What a familiar look they had to Macmanara! The Devil drew a chair close to the couch, picked up a guitar, and the last thing Macmanara remembered was hearing a rich tenor voice singing a popular melody. The next morning when Macmanara awoke he was in his own r-om. The fire in the grate was burnin3. cheerily, and through the open door he could see his valet preparing -his bath. Out- side the sun was shining brightly, taking away the snow as fast as it had fallen the night before. \What a dream!\ Macmanara thought, as he sprang out of bed. His were hanging on the back of a chai and there were tiny rivulets where they had dripped the melted snow. He went through his pockets and his face fell. Yesterday be had drawn $2,000 frdm abee bank, vowing in his heart to go as far from Louis- ville as the money would take him. This morning there was not a dollar in his pocket—not even the little itiearl-handled knife he had carried for years. When be went down to breakfast his aunt., who was also his house- keeper, looked beyond him after say- ing good morning, evidently expect- ing to greet some one else. \How mistaken one can be, Otis,\ she said. \I expected you to bring company down to breakfast this morning, for when I beard you come home last night I was sure some one was with you.\ \Maybe there was, and maybe there wasn't. What would you say, aunt, if I were to tell you I don't know?\ \If you were anyone else but Otis Mantrtanars I would say you were drunk, but as you are Oils I 'shall say you are poking fun at your old aunt.\ When the papers were brought in Macmanara glanced over the head - lip of the Courier -Journal, as was his custom, and the following fast- ened his eyes: \AT THE MORGUE.\ Found drowned In the river at two o'clock this morning, the body of a young man of medium size, fair complexion and a bland mustache. A lace handkerchief marked \Gracie\ was all that was found In the dead man's pockets. \'That's the Devil!\ and with the ex- clamation Macmanara rushed for his hat and overcoat, leaving his startled aunt to think he had gone insane. \Yes the morgue keeper replied to Macmanara's eager questions, \the poor fellow was brought here at an early hour this morning. This hand- kerchief was the only thing about him that may lead to his identity, and that has only one chance in a thousand. If his sweetheart reads the morning papers—and of course the handkerchief is his sweetheart's —she will be here in a short while, and, if she doesn't read them, he may go to his grave unnamed.\ ,.Macsnanara examined the features of the dead man closely. It was his Devil of the night before, minus the black hair, in place of which there was a closely -cropped blond head. As 'Maemanara was leaving the morgue be almost ran over thane Langdon, who caught his arm and cried out: \Oh Otis, it is really you, and you are not drowned, with my handker- chief in your pocket? I was going to the opera,\ toe little lady explained, \and something got wrong with the horses as we were leaving Chestnut -street, and the coachman stopped to see what it was. My escort opened the'earriage door for the same pur- pose, when I saw you and dropped my handkerchief to see if you would /pick it up, and the way you pounced upon it kept me happy for the rest of the evening. I lost my opal ring, too, but I don't care, for it Was al , Irayil bringing me bad luck.\ Miertianara thought of the ring as he had last seen it flash by the side of his soasfpin on a table with thou- sands of other jewels, but he did not tell his wife -to-be of his adventure With the Devil. He assed instead: - \Gracie why is it a woman will tell a mantipw tipalss him reel all the mis- ery of bodes, when in ter heart she means yes?\ \I don't Intow, Otis, unless it is to make him understand how much he cores and give him, the pleasure of ,proposing over again,\ she answered, happily. It •usworod lite Purpose. \I can't see,\ said the visitor, \why you have your genealogical chart hung ao high. Such things are extremely interesting, but nO one can examine it where it is.\ Here Mr. Porcine took him gently by the arm and led him into the library where they cc.f.;d he \Mrs. Porcine,\ he e_xplained, \was bound to have one of them things, arid as we didn't have one right handy I just framed my prize greyhound's pedigree and hung it high.\—Chicago Post. No Climes, Pupils. It is now settled that the Chinese children of California will not be per- mitted to attend the regalar public schools, but must be educated in the institution especially provided for their rice where such *Meals eaist.-- 1Sohool Journal. Negro Farmers' Society. The Farmers' Improvement society af Texas, which recently held its sev- enth annual convention, is composed of 3,000 negro farmers, who now own 50,000 acres of land, 8,000 head of cat- tle and 7,000 horses and mules.—Cleve- land Leader. Reed & Saloon .S$ McKinley Avenue, Kendall,,,,, JS • Headquarters for ills PO' Choicest of Wines Liquors and Cigars Ji Large Club Rooms Attached We are always pleased to see old and new friends. H Livery and X Feed Stable North end of McKinley Ave, e‘ R. W, DUTCHER, Proprietor, Livery Rigs and Saddle Horses Good Facilities for boarding stock. Kendall Barber Shop oldest established barber shop in Kendall Clean Towels and First -Class Work C. E. CARLISLE, Proprietor in the Turner tilock Dr. Gaylord McCoy Successor to Dr Wiemer Office in Old Miners' Union Hall, Opposite to Chronicle Office W. H. CULVER P110TOORAPHER Lewistown„ Montana Kodaks and Amateur's Supplies For Sale DENTISTRY Dr. M. M. Hedges Office Over Judith Hard- ware Store, Lewistown, Has been in practice over thirty years and guarantees all his operations. s_