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Show THE FOUR RED DEVILS, When I first came to the city and went Into Mr. Maltby's law office as a clerk I had seen nothing and knew nothing but that -which could be seen and heard in mo of the very smallest of all country villages. I had read enormously, for my parents would rather have been without bread than without books and magazines, and were besides very comfortably well ff; but of tho festivities of great cities, the balls, operas, concerts and receptions, recep-tions, I knew nothing by experience, and of course I fancied them much more delightful de-lightful than they really were. What was my joy, then, when Mr. Maltby, coming into the office one day, placed a handsome envelope before mel "My girls and boys are going to give a masquerade party," he said, "and they want me to ask you. They expect to have a jolly time. You'll rig up in something some-thing you know you can get it at a cos-turner's cos-turner's and wear a mask until supper time. You'll come?" I "Thank yout I shall be delighted," I aid, and all day long visions of happi- i ness danced through my head, and I could hardly wait for the closing of the I office, bo anxious was I to secure my costume. cos-tume. For I had had brief notice; the ball was to be that very night, and I fancy it was only a good natured afterthought after-thought of Mr. Maltby to ask "young Tom," as lio always called me, having known my father intimately as "Tom" at school. The envelope was addressed to "Mr. Thomas Parsons," in correct form of course, and rather proud I was of it. ljater on I inclosed it in an envelopo to rny mother, that she might see into what elegant society her sou had fallen, dropping drop-ping it into a lamp post box on my way to the costumer's. I had seen one, I remembered a room on the second floor over a hair dresser's shop. The word "costumer" was painted on the long, narrow sign under the windows, win-dows, and between them was a fanciful figure in ballet costume holding a little lace mask before her face columbine of the pantomimes perhaps. Maltby; but I certainly had chosen the nicest dancer and the liveliest talker possible. pos-sible. She put me down for three dances more, and promised to go to 6upper with me. "But suppose another demon comes to me. How shall I know you from your brother?" she asked. "Behold the ace of spades!" said I. "Tho others are diamonds, clubs and hearts.", "I'll remember," she answered. Then I resigned her to a grand Turk, who walked away with her, and I danced with a stately person, all black Iaco and gold stars, with a little golden crescent on her head, who told mo she was Night. . So the evening wore away until it was nearly 11 o'clock, and n smell of coffee began to fill the house. I was about to cross the room to speak to my peasant girl, when a hand touched rny arm. "Don't engage yourself to take any girl down to supper," said a voice in my ear. I turned; it was the devil with tho heart on his bosom who had addressed me. , . ' .. - "You want her yourself, do you?" I asked. A little further on the demon with a club touched me. , "This way," he said. "I've got a word for you. The trick must be done at supper sup-per time. If a icirl gets her hooks on you it's all up. Keep out of the way." "Tho tricks of a masquerade," I thought. I turned away to face the demon de-mon with the diamond. "There is no one in the library," he said. "Get there somehow without being be-ing noticed; we must have a talk. Don't be seen following me." No doubt some joke was afoot. I bowed to my peasant girl and went to the library, after a pause or two on the way in order to distract attention. The other three demons were already there. One of them the one with the diamond on bis bosom produced several keys. "Mag is a jewel," he said. "They've all been tried; everything is worth scooping. scoop-ing. Gas turned off in the side street opposite the church. The bath room " I discovered the house again after iome little losing of myself in cross streets, and, climbing the steps, entered a square room, where a man was stitching stitch-ing on a sewing machine and four girls were working away on masses of gauze and silk as though they had no intention of stopping that night. A fat lady, who seemed to be the owner own-er of t he place, advanced to meet me, And listened to me with a solemn countenance. coun-tenance. "A masquerade ball," said she. "At an elegant boiue? Oh, to be sure. You must get yourself up well for that, a young gentleman like you. I wouldn't advise you to hire a domino, I wouldn't It's, wery common, is a domino. A King Charles would be elegant, but we haven't one to-night. There is a Harry VHI, but, bless you, it's too big far too big." "There's the red devil, ma'am," said the man at the machine. "There is, and a handsome devil, too, if I say it that designed it a handsome devik A club of four gents ordered them, but only three .came for them. Tliey 6a!d the other one was obliged to leave the city, and the fourth is on my hands. .You can look at it. Looking costs nothing, and it's a very handsome devil indeed. Get it out, Mat, get it out, and let the young gent look at it." A red cloth costume, with a cloth tail, horns and mask was produced. On its bosom was embroidered an ace of spades. A black cloak belonged to it, and was fastened ever the breast with a cord. It struck rne favorably. "Cost price you shall have it at, to get your custom," said tiie lady, "and cheaper than hiring it, for you'll be asked to a great many masquerades, no doubt, and what could be more elegant?" She seemed to know all about it; I knew nothing. I paid ber what I presume pre-sume was a line price for the red devil and carried it away with me. Shortly I attired myself in the costume and sent for a cab. I was an object of interest in the Bmall boarding house where I d welt, and was admired and wondered at in the front parlor to my heart's content. , 1 "You've got stylish friends," said young Spruce, who was in a dry goods iitore, "if you know the Maltbys. I should go in for one of the girls if I were you. They're pretty and will havo lots of money. I wish I had tho chance you have." All this was flattering; but time was flying and the cab at the door. I entered it, and soon found myself in the Maltby parlors. Mr. Maltby and wife- were receiving everybody. "How do you do, Mephistopheles?" Mr. Maltby said. "You'll find some more of the family in there. Hal haj hal, I'll lay a wager you are Captain Jones." : , Evidently he did not know me for young Tom Parsons. I strutted in in as military a fashion as possible, and made my way through the crowd, admiring the kings and queens, couiadinas and court ladies, Martha Washingtons nnd Spanish seno-ras, seno-ras, until at last I espied a iigure which I at first fancied must be my own reflection reflec-tion in a looking glass. It was another red devil, in no particular different from myself, except that an ace of clubs was embroidered upon his bosom where the tpade appeared on mine. As be camo window opens on it Bill and Dick down there to catch the sealskins, shawls and such. . When they begin to march in to supper, pitch in." He gave us each a key, and in order to examine the numbers num-bers on them, removed his mask for a moment, revealing a villainous countenancethe counte-nancethe face one would expect of a professional thief, and this I knew he must be. The four demons had bought their cos tumes for the purpose of entering tho house at a time when it would be easy to rob it. The servant, "Mag," was a confederate, and had provided them with cards of admission, and had tried the keys at odd times. "How the devil you got here, I can't think," the leader of the band said to me as he replaced the mask, "I saw you nabbed with my own eyes 'Good for six months,' says L Counted you out of this game." ,,. 1 1 gave a queer laugh under my mask. "I say," I whispered, gruffly. "I've got to get rid of that girl or she'll be hunting me up to go to supper." It was .tho most unlikely thing for a young lady to do; but these men did not know that. They only bade me "make haste about it." "You're the third floor,' said the ace of clubs. "Ay, ay," said I. Away I went, but not to the side of my peasant girl. It was Mr. Maltby whom I sought. In his ear I whispered: "I am Tom Parsons. Don't think I'm joking. Thieves are in the house. Send for the police. Tho girl Maggie is a confederate." con-federate." Mr. Maltby stepped into the hall and touched a call that was placed there. I was still at bis elbow. "The signal for the operations is to be the march to supper," I said. Mr. Maltby turned to the musicians. "Another set of lancers," he said. "The cook is behindhand." Tho lancers were played. Meanwhile I caught the faithless Maggie on the kitchen stairs and flirted with her, showing show-ing her my keys by steal tli. "There's a watch of cook's in the man-Bard man-Bard room," the girl whispered. "A good gold one, and a ring or two on tho cushion, if they are worth looking after." "You are worth looking after, anyhow," any-how," I said, taking off my mask, for I saw the officers of justice enter the door; "and I'll try to do it." The girl smothered smoth-ered a shriek. There was a sound of scuffling in the library, and three red devils walked out of the house, each attended at-tended by a member of the police. A little later another called for Maggie. It was all very quietly done; only the servants ser-vants guessed what was going on. I went down to supper with my little peasant girl, who unmasked the loveliest face possible, and who was no other than the youngest Miss Maltby, whose name was Theresa, and after the other guests were gone tho family made me a hero. My story was pronounced a wonderful one, and assuredly I had been the means of saving Mr. Maltby from gre.it loss and mortification. From that day I was an intimate friend of the family, and Theresa is now my wife. The red devil costume stiil haugs in a wardrobe of my room, and 1 t;:casionally put it on to amuse tho shildren, though I have, it eo happens, aever attended another masquerade ball. Mary Kylo Dallas in Fireside Companion. Compan-ion. ... near enough for mo to nofaeo this alight difference the demon paused. J'Hovr did you get here?" lie said, with I an oath that I had always been taught to consider as vulgar as it was profane, "I thought it was all up with you." He evidently took me for a friend. I knew enough of masquerade balls from a literary liter-ary point of view to feel that it was my duty to carry on the mystification. "Ask no questions," I said, solemnly, He nodded and walked away. Shortly two other demons approached, exactly like myself again, and like the other friend also, save that one had a heart, the other a diamond embroidered on hia bosom. ' "It'sDick, by heaven!" said he of tho heart "How did you do it?" i I laughed sardonically. This was go- tng to a masquerade ball indeed. ' " We'd better separate just now," said the demon of the diamond, "and dance with some of the girls. Thero's the music." 1 1 had taken lessons in dancing in my boyhood, and when the master of ceremonies, cere-monies, a tall gentleman, attired as Don Quixote, approached me and asked me with whom I would dance, I indicated prett peasant girl in white sleeves and a laced bodice, and being led up to her and introduced as .a great unknown, ityiod for her hand in tho next lancers, W I had twin taught to do it at Miss Fitrot's academy. ; 1 had no idea, that ! the Ut4 o vr onc ofJiio.Misse ' |