Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-11-10
NO. 267
OUR WITCH.
A LEGEND OF THE DELAWARE.
Continued from Yesterday

| tContinued from Yesterday
1t was then she heard step behind her.
and turned TO find Dick close beside her.
lie held out his hand as il he had not seen
her for long time, and Therese, with a
foolish, childish action, put hers behind
ner She might have known it would make
ihe rough man angry, and her womanly
instinct ought to have told her it was bet
ter to keep everything smooth between
the men. But perhaps she had a reason
Tor hiding her hands. and feared Dicks
quick eye might see the hoop of gold she
had never worn until then.
| DO you mean yon'l not shake hands
with me ?" Dick asked scowlingly. IN
not kiss your hands, if that's what you
fear. Those who sail in strange waters
learn queer ways. Lips are the fashion
hete.' And as Dick spoke, he threw his
arm around her and would have kissed
her, but Therese with quick movement.
freed herself from his grasp. Had Dick
counted upon the fence being safeguard
II so, he was foolish; for Murdoch had
vaulted over it, and he must have tried
the same means which he found success
ful with the mutinous sailor, for Black
Dick was stretched on the ground. 1t
served the fellow right, there was no
doubt of it; and any man in Murdoch's
place would have done the same, even If
he had not gained the right to protect the
girl.
| But then Therese need not have laughed
1t might have been hysterical, or the rec
objection of Dicks great threats and sud-
den defeat might have raised her mirth.
But she never stopped to explain, aud
went quickly into the house, where Muir
doch slowly followed her, leaving Dick to
pick himself up, which he did, and
walked away as if he was not very much
injured.
Next day old Dilsey came over to the
Majors but not for a shilling. She stood
like pythoness of old, and cursed the
house. the land, the till. the basket, the
store. Never were such cursings heard
since the six tribes stood on Mount Ebal,
and there was no answering blessing
from Mount Gcrizim by the way of coun-
teracting them. ~
| Old Dinah almost turned pale with hor-
i hor, and Therese called out shame more
than once, which seemed only to irrtate
the old hag. But the Major only laughed,
and when Dilsey went away expressed
his pity for her. for if she had not been
such viragO, no doubt she might have
had husband who would have taken
care of her money, and saved her from
the clutches of her good-for-nothing
nephew.
After while it was pretty well known
that Black Dick had bitten the dust, and
that it was young Murdoch who had
knocked him down. Why, no one knew,
| but every one was sure for a sufficient
cause, and Dick had gotten his aunt to put
the Jacquettes under ban because he
WntllH Ir
| old Major Jacquette should suffer for
Murdoch's quarrels, no one rightly knew,
until it was known he was engaged to
| Therese.
Strange to say from the day of Dilsey's
scurse the Majors luck deserted him. his
money disappeared as if by magic. Hon
est men became rogues just on his account.
Vessels he provisioned slipped their cables
In the night and put TO sea, owing him
hundreds. Every cent he tonched was
unfortunate except Dilsey's money which
she never took from him, and which he
kept carefully, always having shilling
ready for her when she wanted one.
| The old Major lost his comeliness and
corpulency, and grew peevish and miser-
able. No one came near him but few
old cronies, and they like Jobs friends,
constantly reminded him of his better
days, but could give him mo comfort for
| the present ones. The old sign still creak-
| ed in the wind, and told its story of fresh
provisions and groceries and grog, but
the sailors had long since learned to know
there was nothing of the kind TO be found
| there.
Young Murdoch wanted to marry The
rese, and take the Major home with them;
but the old man would not hear of it.
but kept talking of better days as ii he
was sure they would come and Therese
would not have him vexed by urging
what she knew in time he would give in
to quietly enough.
One day, early in October, old Dilsey
| entered the porch where the Major and
two of his old friends were sitting. She
had not come for a shilling, but had
brought him her will, which she asked
| the Majer 10 keep for her, and called the
two men to witness she had given it to
him. AS for the shilling. she'd have no
more need of one-her death hour was
| near at hand. She had had her Call, and
was ready.
At first the men were rather startled by
| her manner; but as they sat and smoked,
and the big full moon rose over the river
and frightened the earth and water, they
began to laugh at her fancy.
Confound the woman know very we'll
why she scorns shilling, said old Davy.
Il never thought of it till she stood here
talking, but she's wonderfully like a fox
Maybe it's true. and she can turn herself
into what she will" And then he told a
long story OF how he had been losing bis
poultry. and suspected fox was the thief.
And one night hearing noise in the hen
house, he had gone down and found his
suspicions were true. Having no gun
with him, he threw a stone at the iox,
when she turned as if in rage aud
snarled and showed her teeth, aud looked
for all the world like old Dilsey Dins-
more.
The old men told many stories OF
witches and OF fox hunts, until Therese
sent Dnah to tell them the time Of night,
as afraid TO meet their wives as If they