American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-09-29

AT these words, shrivelled, taWny cou.te-
r.ance was thrust forward, almost hid oehind
matted locks of snow-white hair, tossed negli-
Igently over the face, just allowing the shaggy
white brows to appear, and the retreating, lus-
treless gray eyes, one OF which was entirely
sightless.
"Come in with you, then - she sullenly ex-
claimed, "but mind ye, ye must pack off as
soon as ye can venture out again. AS she
spoke, she removed heavy log -bedstead from
behind the door, with an exertion Of strength
she did not seem equal to; and the low door of
the hut swung reluctantly on its sole rusty
hinge, wide enough to permit Annie Bell and
Edwin, now thoroughly soaked with rain, to
enter without much difficulty. Notwithstand
ing their uncomfortable condition, they could
not but gaze with intense curiosity upon the
old drone who had thus grumblingly afforded
them shelter; and was now continuing her hos
pitality by kindling brush-tre on the narrow
hearth; mumbling to herself, as she knelt there,
whenever she ceased to blow the smoking fuel
She had not bid them sit, and seemed wholly
to have forgotten their presence, were it not that
which they might dry themselves proved that
she had not. They sat down unbidden upon
the side of the old bedstead, without speaking;
and while the roar of the Potomac through the
Gorge without, and the recurring clash of the
thunder and dashing of the rain, made them
feel thankful for even such q shelter, they OBJ
served, with feeling little tinged with super
stluon, the strange being known as the Witch
of Golding Gorge. Marvellous stories had been
whispered about her; of enchantments she had
worked-destinies she had foretold-and even
unnatural shapes she had assumed-and truly
no wonder such singular creature should have
given rise to such fancies, among 80 simple
minded peasantry as that Of the Garden of
Virginia.
Her stature was diminutive and her face
and neck an entire succession of wrinkles.
Whenever she spoke, it was apparently with
the greatest pain-the muscles of her whole
face and neck twitching convulsively and with
a voice strong, but completely beyond her con-
troll, having q most unearthly tone. A hand
kerchief Of faded blue cotton was tied care
lessly around her head; under which, every
now and then, she would tuck her coarse hair,
white with the frosts of over fve-score winters
Her long bony arms were bare, and her skinny
fingers, frightful to look at, were armed like the
wildcat, with claws that almost appeared never
to have been trimmed. Her loose garment of
homespun cloth--for trock it could not be
called-was huddled on in the most negligent
manner; and its color was an excellent match
for her sicky, yellow complexion. Altogether
she was as strange looking creature as one
could be persuaded, in Christian charity to call
| human. By the time the intruders had been
| enabled to observe thus much, the fire was
blazing comfortably; and bidding them, by
sweep of her arm, to draw up to it, which they
did, she mumbled as if to herself, but audibly-
"Why would ye come here, an bid me tell
it? | can't change it for you, or | would Oh,
lye are comely couple, an good is in your
hearts; ye have never known trouble, but the
worst is to come to you yet, | know"-she con-
| tinued aloud, as she turned to them; while the
only eye she had fired up with a light like in
spiration, and every nerve and vein in her neck
and face writhed like nest of Shiny serpents
81 know what yeve come for, though ye havn't
| told me- Do ye fear now to hear what is
written in the sealed book for ye, that ye do
not ask your destiny or do you think me O
croaking wretch, that knows not what she says?
Listen, then l"-and here she solemnly lifted
her left hand towards the sky, and pointed, with
the almost fieshless finger of the right, towards
| them; while poor Annie, white as DEATH leaned
| for support upon the shoulder of Edwin, whose
stout heart was moved with strange feeling it
had never known before.
"Listen! ~ she almost shrieked, and then
lowered her voice to its hoarsest tones, while
the storm without grew suddenly hushed, and
her words were distinct the sobbing sound
issuing from the smoking brushwood on the
hearth.
"You, Edwin Berry, and you, Annie Bell,
beware of the ford of the Panther Bluff-for it
flows with oblivion for one of ye, and remem-
| brance for the other-with wo for one, and
briny tears for the other, till this day twelve
month, when that one too shall forget Now
go the storm is over, and | would pity YOU
when none may see me!"
Annie screamed family, and fell without mo-
ton upon the floor. While she lay there, her
long, sunny tresses showered like food of
light around her-her beautiful, inanimate face,
fair and cold as marble, turned upward-an
expression of mingled intense terror and pain
yet lingering around the mouth and brow
Edwin sprang from his chair, and advancing
as if with the impulse to strike the crone, cried
| out
"Liar imposter! miserable hag shame upon
you to play upon the gentle nerves of n timid
girl thus take back what you have said Oh,
take it back, l implore you'll" he continued,
changing from invective to expostulation. "Not
for my sake, for l do not care myself but let
her hear you say that it is not 50, and will
give you gold enough to quit these paltry
| tricks, and live in honesty the rest Of your
miserable days!"
| The old crone's countenance was n hdeous
thing to look upon during this harangue-her
toothless jaws twisted from side to side, and
her remaining eye was red as blood from the
| excess of her passion.
"Ayer" she shreked edwin Berry, you
VIII KNOW JnlS nlRHt III htH al lnpoSteF, Wheh
you stretch your arms out to me as you do now,
and as vainly. Begone! begone, l say l
would be alone"
| She dashed the creaking door back on the
rusty hinge and the calm, sweet rays of the
declining sun streamed into that miserable
abode-only one of the dismal spots his mission
ary beams illumine. Annie soon recovered,
and her first anxiety was to be beyond the
gorgon eye of the strange being whom she now
resoutely believed possessed of supernatural
powers.
Anne's pallid face, and the terror depicted in
| her features much as she strove to master it,