The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-23

of the night Il Glove sharp and shuddcrng,
aud seemed 10 frerze my blood within me-
turn me cod and dumb with fear The
ghoSt-girl wrung her white hands, and flung
them high above her head, and her SHADOW /,
4 figure swayca and waved in the arch between
the curtains, rs the woe almost two cru.urlrS
old shook her With the strength of Yesterday.
II had no fear Of God or man." inurmured
on the voice again; land my mouth WAS fail
of bitter words, and | deh1d both ia my
heart and on my lips. In the glass ! saw
my beauty whitening away, as if ten year,
had sped since Roger and | picked flowers
together; and yet the May.hnwers doomed
only once since then | wandered ont 10
find them, one April day, in the old place
where he and | had walked; and, as swept
away the heaped brown leaves, icricd aloud
to the mcrclcss powers above me--to God or
Satan, to whom | would have sold ny soul
That hour only to have Roger back again be
side me. And there Was one in the wood that
Idaywho heard me.
THE land was all astir with cries Of witch
craft, and ParSon Mather WAS at hi, bloudy
work. IN the name of God. On the long low
hill beyond Salem village STOOD the gibbcts,
where old Mistress Nurse had suffered, and
Goodwife Corey, and the old and frai and
the strong, young limbs had swung against
the sky for Diilcss mOhs TO gihe at There
were cruel tongues IN Salem that whispered
! against me, and brought me before the
iudges-me, Esther Chillingworth, 10 years
old in that wrctched Aprll-whom Roger
Vanc had loved! There were those who
swore to bitter threats that | had made, and
to strange mutterlnGs and wailings heard
when | was alone, and prayers and cries that
had another name in them than Gods; ana
| it was said that ! stole out III the forest To
meet my foul master, and worthy Goodman
Giles had heard me call him to my side, AS
| he strayed through the trees ncarme And a
child whom had pushed from my way rs
walked down Salem street. had fallen IN, and
cried in its strange fits, that Esther Chilling
worth tOrmen,ed him; and my old fathers
honor and his gray hairs could not save me,
nor my youth and my poor, fading beauty
/ They dragged me from his house aud cast me
into Salem Jail; they locked the heavy door,
and drew The creaking bolts fast, and left me
crouching under the grated window to stare
up, in my blind anguish, at the glimpse OF
tender sky, that had no pity for me,-none,
God, like Roger, had forgotten me.
"Then came the crowded court room, day
after day; the solemn, unhinchlng face ithc
gray, old Judge; the hot, sitting air, and the
sunshine through the slarlng row of win
dows, and the jecring cruel women and mer-
ciless men; the writing children, who, in
their lying fits, played like devils babies
with my lie, and flung it away; the screams
and curses lifted up against me; the slow,
cold voices of the wise old men who were
giving me to death for an old wiie's tale :;
and then the dark walls of the jail-thc
damp, the icy chill, the silence, and the death.
In-ife. So, day after day. | came and went,
and asked no mercy at their hands.
There was one face IN the crowd that had
a plying look for me, though II was only a
Young lad 's,-young Martin Browns, whom
counted child only year before, but who
had grown of late to look with mans eyes
at me. | saw the lot rage and bitter tears
on his face Gs he stood with The crowd in the
courtroom and listened and could not speak
to me- and one night-a wild, rainy night
he stole under the win low OF the Jail, where
was pressing against the grated bars, and
whispered my name
ESTHER! Esther do you hear mc'' he
SAID, softly Esther, will you answer me?'
~'And spoke, and the poor lad poured ont
n passion of grief, and pity, and anger, with
the muttering of the wind and rain
"'I'hcy say there is no hope, Esther he
sohbcd 10 to me in the dark. Oh, if | could
but save you-yOu, so innocent! O, God,
what can do against all this cruel persecu-
Ioa? You are no witch, Esther! You are
purcr than any soul of them all, and | must
stand by so helpless and see You die for Their
wicked sport"
"'Martin,' whispered to him. clinging toI
the bars, If you cannot save mo, VIII You dol
for me what you can"
"'Dic for you, if may, Esther" he cried,
with boys own cngernGss. And | reached
up and put my hand through tie window.
bars, ont to meet HIM.
"WIll yOu carry Il message for to one in
Boston, Martin? | have none but you that |
may trust to bear II, and my father knows
not Martin, will you find Roger Nane for
meg
81 listened asd held my breath till he an.
swercd Then heard HIM say softly;
al will, Esther
"'CGrry this to him. / said and, as felt
his warm young band, wet with rain, touch
mine, | slipped the love,gitt into his palm.
Take it To Roger Eare, and tell him that ES-
Their Chillngworth lies IN the jail in Salem
Village, charged with witchcratt, and that she
sends hIm back his token, no more than that,
Martin Go, for the pity Of God, Hurry,
and take no rest TIL you find him, or il will
be too late-too late tor me'
IL felt the boys lips kiss my hand, and his
young, clear voice came mp again, with a
trcmble in it:
AYE, Esther that will Ny fathers
mare is in the stable, and, tins very hour, |
will stait, and take no rest till find Roger
Nane, and put your ring in his hand, God
helping me-
God bless you, Martini" | whispered 20
him. rs he went; and. having blessed q hu.
man creature for the first time IN this bitter
year, II seemed as If peace stole into my heart,
and tender tears into my eyes, and half the
weight rolled away from my wretched bosom
as knclt on the cold, bare floor. / counted
TWO days by, and went for the last time from
the Jail 10 the crowded courtroom. On tbs
day that looked for Martin back again, they
told me thutsl was To die. And, While the
voices clamored all around me for my limo
cent blood, and from beyond the windows
the Shrll cries rung in, cursed them as |
stood tAcrc-all, gray old judges and young
chldren,--and cast my murder upon their
heads for evermure. | lay by the grated
window all the rest of the long, slow after