Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-04
-. ESQ mas.

IL 80 aAos
can remember. ever since I was .
very ltstle girl, bearing she people Of
my native village make this remark
when anything happened out Of the
usual 0rderl, As queer - the old
hagr 1t puzzled me- q drst but l
som solved the meaning.
The scho0l-house stood quarter OF
& mile outside our little village, aad
the fifst time my youthful feet wend-
cd their way toward It. l was eIlight-
ened by my sister Alice and another
giri who were leading me- r
You must be Q good girl, today.
Meta" said Alice, /" and NOT whisper
OF the old bag win get You tonight.
See," land shS pointed to log hut In
the middle Of . feld), that's where
she lives"
YES. that she willp exclaimed
the other girl;'" She'sa witch and
once turned little girl, who was
naughty 10 school, into 9 great big
stone, folks say. Jim Cres.y. he's
seen it with his own eyes, says she
keeps II for doorstep"
was very much Alarmed at this
harangue, aud scarcely breathed q
loud word during the whole day,
and Tor months afterwards, II had
committed the slightest .misdeamnor
in school. ! would run with all my
might past the old log hus on my
way home NJ night.
But. as the years rolled by, / grad
ually lost all faith ia the witch story,
and became possessed with the desire
10 behold THE human being, SD isolat.
ed from the world, upon whom man
kind had bestowed the hideous appel
latiOn Of old bag"
had often had stray gIimpses of a
bent figure, hobbling around the hut.
Twas rare. indeed, tina, she ever ven
,ured beyond her domain. which
was inclosed by an old tumble-down
-ail fence. while | dared risk no near
er approach, not relishing the idea of
being turned into-perhsps a hearth
stone for an old witch TO boil her por-
ridge. kettle on.
l have remarked that. as the years
rolled by. my fears subsidized, while
my curiosity increased. And one
bright Saturday afternoon | started
Qua with a secret determination, live
or die" l would mako heroic at
tempt 70 &c. q nearer view OF the
/" old bag" before the day was done.
/ took the path through the woods,
and after o short walk found myself
emerging from the leavy covert, In
exact range with the hut, which
stood about forty rods distant Ia the
field. Here ! stopped AID INDUCED
In several sweeping surveys Of The
landscape, 70 discern v the coass waa
clear. No ono being In sight. I bold
ly struck out aud oy making swift
transits to friendly raspberry bushes.
which grew at intervals ill along. I
fslt tolsrably csrtain had net been
observed. Yet it WAS with q shaky
feeling around my heart that I cseps
into tho shadow Of clump Of elders
and peered through the railA
Ny perseverance, va nes 70 70 IN
rewarded. for sooa the door opsaed,
and she appeared on The threshold.
Oh, what slghti 10 my dyiag day I
shall never forget nay ARA Isok = her.
A poor. bent figure. carrying . great
burden on her back, - u tho burden
Of life were nos enough. One shoul-
der being higher than Ne other gave
her 3 queer, one-sided look, q u juss
ready to soster over. Her loag cray
hair hung In struggling locks aToand
the pale. haggard face, whieh was
furrowea and scanned With he nasks
Of ago and sorrow. Ga her lea ten
pie juss above the cyc asif 70 bsight-
en- the weird effect, VS. piaialy
marked . dcry red cross. caa ~
member this thought dimly pseseat-
Ing itself 70 my ehildish tAnagtnatioa !
was Is not . symbol Ok her iifey~
She glanced sharply asoand hss -
II 10 search Of sone oee drew
hack deeper Into the shadows n 90
msotaxy fear Of her keen vision peno
trailing through Ne thick bushes. 20
my kiding-p.aee. I was ecstain she
hsd discovered my approach and had
cene out for the exprem purpees Of
searching tor me. There I lay trem-
eliae and meditasing upon r.sh plans
Of eecspe-vainly whaling sister Alice
was with me; 90 thaa wss anywhere
slse. uhea hsesd : Iew nsrleal
voios sxclalms : How ars yoaesday.
my sweessY
Ahai hsss vss . disosvsry. I.dsudr
|CompnnYp 4 had noroP knoWn o. =