The Red Cloud chief., 1877-11-22
THF T OF WALDEN,

THF WITCH OF WALDEN.
BY CHARLES M%ONTvILLE.
Somewhere near AdrianOple-quite
out of the range of the busy world, is
the snug lite village of Walden. AL
though the population is small, they
make up in devOtiOns to the prophet
what is wanting in numbers for greater
displays in the service of their master
the Sultan. or in those days predatory
expeditions for the plumber of infdels
which distinguishes that particular re-
giOn of the country.
Mustapha, the barber, was punctual
at the Mosque at early prayer. The
imaum had no sooner commenced his
daily r~ecitative in the minaret than the
barber fell upon his knees upon a bit
of clean carpet, which was invariably
carried in his bOurnOuse for that pur.
pose. Everybody noticed Mustapha's
zeal, and the fervOr with which he
knocked his turbaned head three times
on the floor when anyone pronounced
the name of Allah. In a word, he was
a model wOrsbipper. who wos punctual
to his duty in all weathers.
In the same obscure town, quite at
the extremity of of one of its crooked
narrow streets, stood the house once oc-
cupied by an Opulent Jew, Ben Moses
Adrian, who, to Oblige the Pasha of
the district two years before, took his
flight to heaven, in the language of an
epitaph, leaving the useless dross of
gold and silver which he had been &C.
cumulating through a long life, to that
most excellant and worthy public func.
tionary, Sid Pashs, the governor of
Walden. When that had all been satis-
factOrily extracted from the premises his
excellency, in the plentitude of his
benevOlence, permitted his slaves, the
widow and daughter of the defunct
Moses to remain, to live as they could
on the presumption that nothing was left
to them but a shelter and the surround
ing atmosphere.
Rachel, the widows only child, was
very striking in her personal physical
development. Tall, straight, beautiful.
ly proportional, with eyes vieing with
diamonds in brilliancy, she Was really
the incarnation of beauty. But she had
sagacity to conceal from view the
charms she was cOnciOus of possessing,
well knowing her insecurity if the pa
sha had the slightest intimation of her
extraordinary appearance.
Happily for her the universal oriental
custom of being perpetually yelled had
been her only security, from the death
OF her lamented father. The mother
was no less solicitOus to hide the treas.
ure contemplated in the magnificent
person of her charming daughter, since
neither gold nor gems could compare
with such perfection, should it be noised
abroad that an hOuIi resided under the
humble roof of the poor disconsolate
widow. In order to have the house
avoided as much As possible, so that by
no mishap or sudden surprisal aglimpse
should at any time be had of the fair
Jewess, word had gone abroad, but no
body knew exactly how, that the widow
was a witch, and her domicil the
abode for maglignant spirits.
Now Mustapha, under the guise of q
severe devotee to ceremonies of the
mosque, was an example of patient en-.
durance and firmness of purpose rarely |
exhibited under circumstances of sim. |
liar Encouragement. He was q Jew
also, a native of Syria, who having
learned that a kinsman of the family re-
at Walden had amassed prodi-
giOus wealth, resolved to visit him,
with q hope of lettering his own cir.
cumstances by the enterprise.
Personal security made it necessary
that the young Solomon should assume
new character in order to insure safe
conduct on the adventurous journey he
had undertaken, into the fdnatical Sec
hon OF the sultan'S dOminiOns, where
The rich Moses resided.
He therefore took a new name, as
sumed the low profession of a barber
shaver of mussulman heads instead
Of Christian boards; and being perfect
familiar with the Arabic language as
the ceremonial rites of the follow
Ms of the Koran. he entered safely in
o Walden. az good a MOhametan as any
d the place; for the inhabitants, claim
ng as they did to be distinguished for
heir religious purity, were the most
Trant knaves and hypocrites in Asia
dinOr.
OF c0urse the new barber, on account
I his eminent sanctity and punctilious
'tentions to the ceremonial require