The Red Cloud chief., 1881-06-09
THE MAGIC WAND.

years ago, Incre ilVeu q couple IN that
quaint little Quaker town by the name
of NertZ, better known as Dutch Dolly
and her husband.
Dutch Dolly had a truck patch
wherein she raised vegetablcs-peas.
radishcs. potatoes and beans-supply-
ing the better part of the town with
such produce. Her husband was a tai
Tor, andi described in the chronicles of
the town a sitting c~ross-legged on his
bench opposite the window that looked
out on the stony street.
Dutch Dolly was a woman of much
Importance OF demeanOr, and is de-
scribcd rs being the admiration of the
rising generation when. on a fa;r-day
or holiday, she appeared in "a black
velvet hood, n bodice of the same, q
pctticoat of superior blue cloth, the
whole dress trimmed with gold-lace and
two rows of gold-fringe on the skirt"
But Tailor Nertz was as puny and in
significant az his helpmatc was large
and imposing. Dutch Dolly attended
to her husband 5 business, collected his
bills for him, and took such good care
Of hs money that the poor little fellow
was driven TO many an odd shift To get
aStrar cent or ftp to buy him a pinch of
raprcc or a small glass of strong waters
10 comfort his inner man. One of his
means for gaining small contributions
was by telling fortunes, which he did
by the aid of as.rology, knowing a
great many stars, from Aldebaran
downward. For those who consulted
him, chiefly, serving-maids and very
Young girls, he drew mysterious signs
If the heavens, in which the sun, moon,
and stars were represented in miracu-
louS conjunction. But with all his
faults, with all his cloudy reputation
among the good folk, Tailor Vertz was
a merry, clipper little fellow, and,
Though not entirely trustworthy, had
- b Irhe n heart as any in Wilmington.
lie MS a great favoritc with the BOYS;
hc co,ld whistle rs sweet as a robin,
he could sing numbcricss ballads and
songs in his queer piping voice; and
had a knack of whiting little trinkets
-out of wood, which he sold, thus turn
ing an odd penny from his young
frlcndS.
There were two boy friends especial
Iy, Ned Springer and Billy Shallcross
hv name, who were fond of lettering at
odd times in the dusty, musty little
shop. They looked upon the tailor as
one of the wiscSt of men, and would
listen by the hour to his stories of won
der.ul adventures, of perilS he had
escaped, OF magic books he had read,
and of the wonders of his black-art, be-
EeN!ng everything with the utmost
sincerity; for boys were much more
crcdulouS then than they are nowadays.
The little tailor delighted especially to
Ia of his mysterious art, and often be-
walled himself that he had never been
able To find n branch of witch willow,
which had such properties that he
corld with it tell wherever secret treas
ure lay buried. He generally spoke of
this witch-willow in connection with
old Jan JudSon's house.
Jan .Judson was an old Swede of a
generation preceding that of which we
are speaking. SO far rs trustworthy
narratives tell of him. he appears to
have been only an eccentric, misery
old bachelor. A very heavy thunder
storm which passed over the region in
which Jan lived struck his house with
Lightning. and it was burned to the
ground, all that was left being a tall
stone chimney and 4 pile of stones.
Whether it was the effect of the cleo
f%ricitv, or merely the shock of losing
his property hat affected the owner,
certain it is that the Old Swede, though
res cucd from the flames, died 4 day or
two after the accident. OF course the
occurrence gave rise to many weird
stories connected with old Jan JudSon.
II was said that One had appeared to
him IN fire and flame 10 carry him of
bodily, and all agreed that he had left
great wealth behind. TrcaSure-hunters
had dug in the cellar, and had turned
over the stones. but had found moth
i'm; or, if they had, had said nothing
about il.
One bright afternoon the two boys
entered the shop ofTailor Ncrtz, whom
they found sitting cross legged on his
bench, with one finger touching his fore
head. apparently sunk in deep mealta-
tion-a position which he had assumed
VIXEN he heard the bows approaching.
He held up his hand TO them to enJoin
silence, and they stood looking at him,
a little awe-struck and very much wond-
ering. At last he reused himself. and,
looking cautiously, beckoned them to
draw near.
Il hat foundt it." said he, in a mys-
terioaS tone.
Pound WHAT"
"lluSh,-de vitch-villow."
The witch-willow?"
.sYeS. de vitca-villow. i hat foundt
II town in de marsh. Look AND he
drew forth a slender os;er twig that he
had cut and peeled the day before. -,
Then you'll il be rich, won't you!
said Ned Springer, eNcitedly. IAN
you've got 10 do is TO walk around and
TO n treasure"
Tailor Eertz shook his head sadly.
81 haf foundt Great tings, put L Lack
o tingS.n
What's that?"
Money. If | had Won quarter OF q
toliar, a all right. l must coot q
leetle hole into de y~itch-villow,
melt some silfer and bour into 1t. ana
den ii is magics."
why don't YOU get somebody to
lend You 4 quarter?" said Billy.
OATS vot | wants to do" said Tailor
Eertz. Now L tells you vot 1 do.
To-morrow's Plack lmp's Night, .,u
BLACK lmp's Night! what's that9
interrupted Ned.
".Shust Wait, and 1 tells you. 10
morrow's Plack lmp's Night, de fery
night de vitch-villow's able TO ndt de
MONEYS. Now / am fondt OF you poys;
you lend me a quarter of a tollar to
melt and run in de hole l cootS In de
witch willow. and l gifts you de first lot
of moneys o We findt."
But suppose you don't find any9
said Ned, obviously.
..Of course l iindt some," said Tailor
VERT. Indignantly. Didn't 1 tells
you | foundt a pranch of vitch-vil-
iow?" Then. in a reproachful man-
ner: Il didn't links You wouldn't be-