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Show I I Bret Harte and some I of his Western Prose. 3 line min llu shadows of the Cos without even inopnlit.u; live minutea nibble. "Uvar me!, qu 1J1 i;.- Devil, thats inot popular flic-- , very singular; one of too! Whv thevd have iTrn bvf shoals in Well, Hroadway or Heacou Street for that. here goes another." And, fitting a new fly from his box he gracefully recast his line. Imbed & scca miSome soc n acao ikhh aeon aaaa wceksago the writer while passing c Ht BEE hi- - - ptv 111 - sight eremtage an Im vour nun." h ilf ho u iu an well-fille- d San-Francisca- ns two-hundred-pou- : Pnter-noste- g e, old-faahionc- a bonus down, and "Name your terms," viid the Devil earnestly. "My liberty and percentage on all you take, and the things done." The Devil caressed his tail thoughtfully, fora few moments. I le was certain of the broker any way, and the risk was slight. "Done! he said. "Stay a moment," said theartlul broker. "There arc certain contuigencies. Give me your fishingrod and let me apply the bait myself. It requires a skilful hand, my lord : even your experience might fail. Leave me al me lor half an hour, and if you have reason to complain of my success I will forfeit mv deposit, mean my liberty." The Devil acceded to hi re ieu. bo v cd, and withdrew. ' Alighting gracefully in Montgomery Street, he dropped into Meade & Co.s clodiing store, where, having equipped himself 0 l.t Mod' he sillied forth intent on Ids personal enjoyment. Determining to sink his professional character, he mingled with the current of human life, and enjoyed, with that immense cipacity for excitement peculiar to his nature, the whirl, bustle, and feverishness of the people, as a purely .esthetic gratification unalloyed by the cares of business. What lie did that evening does not belong to our storv. We return to the broker, whom we left on the roof. When he had made sure the devil had retired, lu; carefully drew from his pocket- book a slip of paper and affixed it on the hook. The line had scarcely reached the current before he felt a bite. The hook was swallowed. To bring up his victim rapidly, hook, and reset his disengage him from-thwas of a work the moment. Another bite line, and the same result. Another, and another. In a very few minutes the roof was covered with his panting spoil. The broker could himself distinguish that many of them were personal friends; nay, some of them were familiar frequenters of the building on which they were now miserably stranded. That the broker felt a certain satisfaction in being s instrumental in thus misleading his no one acquainted with human nature will for a mement doubt. Hut a stronger pull on his line caused him to put forth all his strength and skill. The magic, pole bent like a coach-whiThe broker held firm, assisted by the battlements of the church. Again and again it was almost wrested from his hand, and again and again he slowly reeled in a portion of the tightening line. At last, with one mighty effort, he lifted to the level of the roof a struggling object. A howl like Pandemonium rang through the air as the broker successfully landed at his feet the Devil himself! The two glared fiercely at each other. The broker, perhaps mindful of his former treatment, evinced no haste to remove the hook from his antagonists jaw. When it was finally accomplished, he asked quietly if the Devil was satisfied. That gentleman seemed absorbed in the contemplation of the bait which he had just taken from his mouth. I am, he said, finally, and forgive you; but what do you call this? Bend low, replied the broker, as he buttoned up his coat ready to depart. The I call it Wild Devil inclined his ear. "old bookstore in this city, discovered a little faded out, brown For a few moments there was ever)' volume labled "Mrs. Scragg's Husband, etc published in 1S73. It proved to be prospect of sport. The line was continually one of the earliest collections of Brut I lartcs bobbing and the nibbles were distinct and works and one that is at the present time gratifying. Once or twice the bait was apOne part of the little parently gorged and carried off in the upper ejuite out of print. book is marked "Legends and Talcs" and stories of the hotels to be digested at leisure. from among these the following selection is At such times the professional manner in made. The legends arc all of local interest; which the Devil played out his line would the scene of each being laid in or about San have thrilled the heart of Izaac Walton. Hut Most of the talcs are very his efforts were unsuccessful; the bait was Francisco wierd but to one who has rambled over the invariably carried off without hooking the hills a round the "bay or mixed, with the victim, and the Devil finally lost his temper. be"Ive heard of these crowds on Montgomery, Kearney and Market Streets they are intensely interesting. fore," he muttered; "wait till I get hold of This legend of "The Devil and the broker'' one, thats all!" he added malevolently, as he rebaited his hook. A sharp tug and a is as interesting and applicable to the people .of Salt Lake City in 1S99 as it was to the wriggle foiled his next trial, and finally, ' citizpns of San Francisco thirty years ago for with considerable effort, he landed a portly brohes upon the church we arc now enjoying on, a smaller scale the same stock speculating frenzy that possessed roof. As the victim lay there gasping, it was the Californians through the sixties and evident that the Devil was in no hurry to reseventies. move the hook from his gills; nor did he exhibit in this delicate operation that courtesy of manner and graceful manipulation which' Till-- DKVIL AND THE BROKER. A M KIM. KVA I. I.KCKXI). usually distinguished him. "Come, he said, gruffly, as he grasped the broker by the waistband, "quit that IIKKT 1IARTK. whining and grunting. Dont flatter yourself that youre a prize either. I was certain The church clocks in San Francisco to have had you. It was only a question of were striking ten. The Devil, who had been time. It is not that, my lord, which troubles flying over the city that evening, just then alighted on the roof of the church near the me, whined the unfortunate wretch, as he corner of Hush and Montgomery Streets. painfull)' wriggled his head, "but that I It will be perceived that the popular belief should have been fooled by such a paltry bait. What will they say of me down there? that the Devil avoids holy edifices, and vanTo have let bigger things go by, and to be r , ishes at the sound of a Credo or is long since exploded. Indeed, modern taken in by this cheap trick, he added, as which the scepticism asserts that he is not averse to he groaned and glanced at the fly Devil was carefully rearranging, "is what, these orthodox discourses, which particuis what gets me!, larly bear reference to himself, and in a pardon me, my lord, Yes, said the Devil, philosophically, measure recognize his power and importI never caught anybody yet who didnt say ance. Tam inclined to think, however, that his that; but tell me aint you getting somewhat fastidious down there? Here is one of my was a good deal inchoice of a resting-plac- e fluenced bv its contiguity to a populous most popularHflies, the greenback, he continued, exhibiting an emerald-lookininsect, thoroughfare. When he was comfortably seatThis, so ed, he began pulling out the joints of a small which he drew from his box. rod which he held in his hand, and which generally considered excellent in election has not even been nibbled at. Perpresently proved to be an extraordinary season, with a telescopic adjustment haps your sagacity, which in spite of this unfishing-polfortunate contretemps , no one can doubt, that permitted its protraction to a marveladded the Devil, with a graceful return to lous extent. Affixing a line thereto, he selected a fly of a particular pattern from a his usual courtesy, may explain the reason small box which he carried with him, and, or suggest a subsitute. The broker glanced at the contents of making a skilful cast, threw his line into the Too very centre of that living stream which the box with a supercilious smile. ebbed and flowed through .Montgomery my lord, long ago played out. Yet, he added, with a gleam of interStreet. Either the people were very virtuous est, for a consideration I might offer somethat evening or the bait was not a taking thing ahem! -- that would make a taking one. In vain the Devil whipped the stream substitute for these trifles. Give me, he way, a Cat! at an eddy in front of the Occidental, or continued, in a brisk, business-lik- e an idle I well-know- n 1 om-plete- e . fellow-broker- p. ly |