Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-12-09

heaven. LIE WOMEN SHTdHh paCk III
fear and the men in establishment
while with arms stretched out in an
unstudied attitude ofappeal, and with
an energy the more impressive by
contrast with her usually calm and
almost shy manner, Mercy poured out
her protest.
"What has my mother DONE" she
demanded with sort of sacred fury
that stilled for the moment all muir.
murs and brought to the eyes of more
than one tears, half of pity and hal
of excitement, what has my mother
done that you would treat her dead
body worse than a dog7 She, mas
been more than mother to me, and
how many times she has helped the
sick and the poor Oh, are you the
neighbors | have lived among all my
life, and that have been kind to me,
that must beg for grave for my
mother, who was kinder and better
than you all? And you, Uncle Ezra
Who saved your hand when it was
frozen2 Who doctored little Hope
hen she had the scarlet fever? You
were glad enough to have her help
when she was living, but now
Her self-control gave way. She
broke off in burst of hysterical sobs,
leaning her face upon the shoulder Of
her trembling old father. Ezra John
ston, for a moment giving way before
his nieoe's vehemence, covered his
confusion with a sneer, and again at
tempted to seize the handle of the
bier.
Before lie could do more, however,
It vigorous grasp caught his arm, and
q stalwart young fellow drew him
roughly back.
"Lot be, Ezra Johnston, the young
man aail in deep voice, his strong
white teeth showing angrily. "Let
be, or it will be worse for ye.
Like a wildcat, Johnston turned to
strike, but before the blow could fall =,
the clergyman sprang to catch the
strong WRIT of his angry parishioner.
Stay r. Priest Eaton commanded
in a voice of authority. 81 warn you
that you are going too far.
Enraged as Johnston was, he was
still sufficiently master Of himself to
realize that it was not safe openly to
defy the clergyman, and it is not i'm
probable, too, that he could not him
self wholly shake off the habit of ODE
dence that was almost universal in
the scattered parish.
With any ally less powerful than
superstition, it would have been idle
for him to set himself against the min.
lister on any question; but the remote
pulses Of The wave Of madness that
shook Salem in 1913 were more than
n century in dying away, and in
Hnrpswell the belief in witchcraft was
AZ perfect as the faith in religion.
Even to day the superstition lives in
many remote New England village,
and the air of the sea, laden as it is
with mysterious sounds and influences,
seems especially TO nourish these de-
lusons.
Johnston's whole stubborn nature
was by this time aroused, and all his
cunning bent on the carrying of his
point. He felt instinctively that the
tide Of general feeling was turning
against him, and with genuine New
England shrewdness he hit upon pre-
cisely the appeal that would most
surely win the tickle crowd again to
his views.
well" he sneered, falling back,
If Jacob Thatcher takes the matter
up, Of course we must all give way,
even if he wants an accurged witch
wife buried in the same lot with all
the Christian folk we come of. Eve
rybody knows that Goody Slower
bewitched him long ago to make him
rsn after Mercy and ye, Daniel
Strong, have cause to remember the
luck she gave him. But if he takes
sides with the Devil, the two together
may well he too much for the honest
men Of Iarpswell."
The appeal produced an instant aud
powerful effect and the angry retort
Of Jacob Thatcher was drowned in the
cries Of assent and approval that an
sWered Johnston words.
That Thatcher was the lover Of
Mercy Slower was well enough known
in a community where a man was
hardly able to keep even his thoughts
to himself, and the reference to this
fact impeached at once the sincerity
and impartiality of his interference.
| By abiding, moreover, to an old ri,