twenty-fourth
year, Daniel's soul was to pass into the possession of the Devil, and was
to remain there forever, without recourse or benefit of clergy. Surely a
more horrible contract was never entered into!

"You will have to sign your name to this contract," said the Devil,
producing a sheet of asbestos paper upon which all the terms of the
diabolical treaty were set forth exactly.

"Certainly," replied Daniel. "I have been a business man long enough to
know the propriety and necessity of written contracts. And as for you,
you must of course give a bond for the faithful execution of your part of
this business."

"That is something I have never done before," suggested the Devil.

"I shall insist upon it," said Daniel, firmly. "This is no affair of
sentiment; it is strictly and coldly business: you are to do certain
service, and are to receive certain rewards therefor--"

"Yes, your soul!" cried the Devil, gleefully rubbing his callous hands
together. "Your soul in twenty-four years!"

"Yes," said Daniel. "Now, no contract is good unless there is a quid pro
quo."

"That's so," said the Devil, "so let's get a lawyer to draw up the paper
for me to sign."

"Why a lawyer?" queried Daniel. "A contract is a simple instrument; I,
as a business man, can frame one sufficiently binding."

"But I prefer to have a lawyer do it," urged the Devil.

"And _I_ prefer to do it myself," said Daniel.

When a business man once gets his mind set, not even an Archimedean lever
could stir it. So Daniel drew up the bond for the Devil to sign, and
this bond specified that in case the Devil failed at any time during the
next twenty-four years to do whatso Daniel commanded him, then should the
bond which the Devil held against Daniel become null and void, and upon
that same day should a thousand and one souls be released forever from
the Devil's dominion. The Devil winced; he hated to sign this agreement,
but he had to. An awful clap of thunder ratified the abominable treaty,
and every black cat within a radius of a hundred leagues straightway fell
to frothing and to yowling grotesquely.

Presently Daniel began to prosper; the Devil was a faithful slave, and he
served Daniel so artfully that no person on earth suspected that Daniel
had leagued with the evil one. Daniel had the finest house in the city,
his wife dressed magnificently, and his children enjoyed every luxury
wealth could provide. Still, Daniel was content to