hastened him to a degree and purged away somewhat
of the violence of his nature. On this particular morning he looked
haggard and ill,--yes, and he looked, too, as blue as a whetstone.

"I am not feeling robust," explained the Devil. "To tell the truth, I am
somewhat ill."

"I am sorry to hear it," said Daniel; "but as I am not conducting a
sanitarium, I can do nothing further than express my regret that you are
ailing. Of course our business relations do not contemplate any
interchange of sympathies; still I'll go easy with you to-day. You may
go up to the house and look after the children; see that they don't smoke
cigarettes, or quarrel, or tease the cat, or do anything out of the way."

Now that was fine business for the Devil to be in; but how could the
Devil help himself? He was wholly at Daniel's mercy. He went groaning
about the humiliating task.

The crash came at last. It was when the Devil informed Daniel one day
that he was n't going to work for him any more.

"You have ruined my business," said the Devil, wearily. "A committee of
imps waited upon me last night and told me that unless I severed my
connection with you a permanent suspension of my interests down yonder
would be necessitated. While I have been running around doing your
insane errands my personal business has gone to the dogs--I would n't be
at all surprised if I were to have to get a new plant altogether.
Meanwhile my reputation has suffered; I am no longer respected, and the
number of my recruits is daily becoming smaller. I give up,--I can make
no further sacrifice."

"Then you are prepared to forfeit your bond?" asked Daniel.

"Not by any means," replied the Devil. "I propose to throw the matter
into the courts."

"That will hardly be to your interest," said Daniel, "since, as you well
know, we have recently elected honest men to the bench, and, as I
recollect, most of our judges are members in good standing of the church
we built some years ago!"

The Devil howled with rage. Then, presently, he began to whimper.

"For the last time," expostulated Daniel, "let me remind you that
sentiment does not enter into this affair at all. We are simply two
business parties cooeperating in a business scheme. Our respective duties
are exactly defined in the bonds we hold. You keep your contract and
I'll keep mine. Let me see, I still have a margin of thirteen years."

The Devil groaned and writhed.

"They call me a dude," wh