Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-02-16
Galts ari0 Skfttbts.
WITCH HAZEL.
(Conrlnuea from yesterday. }

"'What has come over you. Dycie?' |
asked, '.Y on look Just like other peo-
pie. don't l p she asked. Il hope you
will think so.'' And then it came ont that
love had made the change. She had a
lover on the river. just as had. only hers
was of higher birth than she, and all her
new resolve tn study and make something
Of herself was born of her desire to please
him. There was something touching in it
that drew me closer to her. 1t was about
this time that in in her reading lesson in
the Bible she came to the text. Unto Him
that loved us and washed u.s." She stop
ped right there, ard looked at me with all
her soul in her eyes. Then He loved US
before we were clean she said. Il
didn't think that any one could do that but
nv boy; but il Christ is like him, then
shall love Him too And because you
love your lover said. you are trying
to make yourself lovely She did not
let me finish: Il will clean myself up for
Christ too she said.
Il had great influence over that girl,
greater than ever had over any other hu-
man being. ! gained IT because she
thought believed in her, and lost it be-
cause she found out that doubted her.
God forgive me, believe she was almost
q Christian then. Aunt Wealthy paused
in her narrative and we saw that her keen
eyes were dimmed with tears.
II never meant 10 wrong her. she pro-
ceeded. land do not think she would
have injured me then for the world; but
we each wronged the other bitterly, and !
was the greater sinner. When autumn
came, Will Darby stopped to see me on
his way up the river to the woods. where
he had to spend the winter chopping. He
was strangely changed. and could not
understand 1t. and told him so. we
might as well understand each other.
Wealthy ne said, though didn't think
| would be the first to break. expected
that when | came back this fall [ would
find you married to that other fellow,
Gershom. What's his-name, and then
there would have been no need of any ex-
PLANTATION With that declared up and
down that had never cared mite for
Gershom, and had sent him about his bust
ness long ago. for loved him better than
all the world besides. Il used to feel just
that way about you. Wealthy said he.
Used toor said |. for my temper was
up. You are bewitched, WILL | said. a
minute later. for he looked so helpless
and miserable that in my own torment
could not help plying him.
.s.Yes, I'm bewitched. he replied, and
wonder is the witch but she never could
have done it if had been sure that YOU
loved me. Wealthy ! gave one look out
of the window, and there, strolling along
the road, with her hat trimmed with the
poison berries swinging on her arm, and
my Wills crimson handkerchief knotted
at her throat. was Dycie Hazel. She smil-
ed and waved her hat as she saw us stand
ing at the window and | don't remember
clearly anything after that till found your
grandmother rubbing me and pouring
hart shorn and vinegar up my nose to bring
me to. She didn't ask me what had hap
pened-there was no need-and she was
glad enough for Gersllom's sake. | sat
and studied over the matter after came
10 myself. She is u WITCH thought-she
Is witch. or she could never have done
it. And then remembered a charm that
your grandmother told me Mrs. Durkee
had tried for her afflicted baby, and de-
termined to make cake of Wills hair and
burn it, and see what would happen then
to him and Dycie. | slipped into the pan
try and got some -four and then went over
to the school-house, so that your grand
mother wouldn tsuspect what was doing.
and made fire in the little fireplace there.
I remember that when | picked up the
chips noticed that the sky looked threat
ening. There was II great black cloud that
looked like hurricane bundling up in
the northwest. 1t was lined with sulphur
color. and reminded me, in its shape, of old
Mitch II,ral 20, n I ln,l nI
the school-house door. and took Wills hair
from the desk. and kueaded it into my cake
Then made nv fire. and when there was
good bed of Goals set the cake right in the
middle of it. 1t had grown quite dark by
this time. and just rs | set down the cake
there came an awful flash of lightning that
lit up the whole country round. and at the
same instant such tremendous roar of
thunder that it seemed as If the world had
exploded. The light did not die out at once.
but fingered in the school-room quite a
while. and ball of fire seemed to be
dancing over the desks With the dark
ness that followed. the rain came down in
one sold sheet. | could hear the river
roaring behind. and the trees crashing on
its banks.
"A moment later, and above the sound
of the storm, | heard some one beating at
the school-house door and calling wildly
to me to let her in. 1t was Dycie Hazel.
l stepped to the door. and was going to
undo it. when remembered that this was
the confirmation of the charm. and that
must not let her in until the cake was
burned. 1t was proof that she had be-
witched Will that she was there now strug-
Cling like wild creature ut the door. /
walked to the fireplace; the cake was
burning, and the nauseous fumes of
the singeing hair nearly choked me. but |
knelt down on the floor and waited Dy-
Gle had left the door and could hear her
at the window; she could see me sitting
in the freight. and she pushed against
tho sash until she burst il in, aud it fell
shivering ON the floor. Then she leaped
in after it. and sFriuging to the fire.
raked the burning cake off of the Goals
with her fingers. She thrust il in my face
and laughed. You were trying charm
against me- she said. and have found
you OUT Then she looked at the mass
of cinders in her hands'You have succeed
ed she cried; it is all burned. What
have you done with him Where is Will
Darby?' Then she began to rave. aud |
saw she had lost her senses. ran across
the way to your grandmother, and we
watched her through the front windows
~ hat ~,.xht