The Mineral argus., 1883-09-27

all over the room. I stuck Il out till the
CLOCK struck twelve, and then / gave in
to the witches. l wouldn't a STAYED in
that another hour for two Widys-
no, not for a dozenl
With that in my mind 1 started ND 10
run. But bless YOU, when / cot up /
souldn't run! My legsand my feet we're
froze sun; there was no more run in me
than the chest Just as ! got square on
my feet there was a soft fnmbling sonnn
at the door and tken a horrid rustling of
something moving in the dark.
i had been frightened thinking Of the
witch, but J was more frightened with
thesel | heard the thing 60 to the chest;
! heard the lock turn; l heard the lid 90
up; / heard the papers rustic. l would
have then, for my legs began to feel
a little alive by that time, but / wa
afraid 70 go in the dark; The matches
were in my hand, l drew one
across my coat sleeve; it was very bad
smelling, but very quiet as it blazed upl
- didn't dare to look at the chest til
ia got the candle lighted, for lear I'd
let the match drop and be again in the
Il fit.
mighty sirslthe things | had thought
OF were nothing to what presently faced
me. After the candle was lighted l raised
ed it over my head and looked at the
chest. In front Of it stood something
that drew me to it almost without my
knowledge.
at was a woman 1 saw; but what
KIND OF a m l ley guessed till 1
got to the end of the chest where L
could see the face. As l looked at that
l felt my hair rise and my flesh creep.
The face was completely covered by a
dirty white kid mask, with holes for the
eyes, Dostrils and mouth, and tied be-
hind the gray, frowsy head with two
dirty muslin strings. The hands were
covered with dirty white kids. and we're
throwing the papers in the chest hither
and yon as if hunting for something.
Directly, something about the gown
she wore made me burst out with a
word that wasn't good. 1t seems to me
| had seen that gownl And then came
to me that I'd seen the gown on the
same person. l set the candle down in
a hurry and made a dive for the wo-
man.
AS l did so she raised herself up and
looked at me with her cold stony eyes.
l shivered and fell back. But the next
minute / had her by the arm.
I'm going TO see under this kid, I
shouted.
The woman seemed to tremble all
over. But didn't wait to see what the
trembling meant. / got hold of the kid
and pealed it off"
Jack stopped and gently stuffed a lit
tie more tobacco in his mouth.
go on, go onp shouted the impatient
auditors, what did you see?"
Jack turned an eye of sadness on the
qu~estioners. He answered in two dole
full words:
'"The wildly"
1.-THE widy?"
Jack mournfully nodded ais head.
Them kids was her cosmetirs." she
said, and her brown wig and freezet
were mp stairs with-her sea-foan teeth.'
Jack groaned and hurried on.
"She was walking in her sleep. you
see, and when she wakened up in front
OF me she poured out the greatest lam
entations you Y heard"
"Well?"
We'll, gentlemen, 1 ran avay. 1
knew If I'd see her with them freezettes
and things on again, I'd be a goner.
h was a widy YOU know"
And you didn't marry herr"
II couldn't marry my great-grand-
mother, gentlemen"
With that solmn reioinder Jack re-
turned to his pipe and his meditations.