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

she vainly tried to repress the grow
ing agitation that made her own limbs
unsteady and her throat dry and
parched.
At length, between the trees ap-
peared the heavy caves OF the meet
ing house, and in a moment more the
rough palings Of the enclosure in
which it stood with its graves about
it, were brought in sight by the abrupt
emergence of the path from a thicket
Of alders and arbor viia trees.
Beside the churchyard gate the
women saw Priest Eaton, his sombre
robes OF Office blown by the chill No
vember wind, and with a sudden sur
prise that made their hearts stand
still, they saw, too, that he was not
alone, but that around him in sullen
groups were gathered the men Of the
Neck, whom their wives believed still
at home in the settlement from which
they had come.
For an instant the forlorn band of
corpse bearers half halted and waver-
ed as If 10 turn back then obeying
the instinct that makes women in a
supreme crisis so inevitably turn to
the priest, they carried the bier quick
ly forward and set it before the black
robed figure of Parson Eaton.
II.
There was a moment Of complete
silence. Then Goodwife Mayo, with
a deep-drawn sigh of fatigue, wiped
her heated forehead upon the corner
of her long. coarse cloak. The home
" action broke the spell with which
the strangeness Of the situation had
held them, and as if at a concerted
signal. the men pressed forward As
they did so, tall, gaunt man, with
weather. beaten face and narrow eyes,
spoke
"Ye may take the witch wife back"
he said, with roughness that was
partly genuine and partly assumed to
he y him overcome some secret, lin
geriug weakness. Let her lie in
some OF the black places in the woods
where she would foregather with her
master the Devil but her wicked
body shall never poison the ground
where Christian folks are buried. No
grave in consecrAted ground for the
likes Of her.
4 hoarse murInur of assent, like
the dlstAut roaring Of the surf on the
led5es OF white Seguin. answered him
from the men The women, half from
habituAl fear Of their husbands and
half from supers;itiouS dread Of the
possibility of contamination from the
dead began TO huddle together, draw
ing little by little away from the bier.
Their eyes appealed to Priest Eaton
10 speak for them and direct their
course in an extremity so far removed
from their ordinary experiences.
The dead leaves, hurrying before
the wind, rustled at their feet, while
in the air as a vague monotone was
the distant sound of the soughing
boughs and the waves beating upon
the inhospitable rocks.
Ezra Johnston" the clergyman
said in tones of solemnity, who gave
you the right to dictate who shall rest
in consecrated groued Are YOU the
leader OF Gods people p
No. the other retorted, the angry
blood flushing his swarthy cheek
but when the leader of Gods people
would let the Devils dam into the
graveyard of ou- meetin house, it is
i time when anv man may speak.
This woman could never be made TO
90 through that gate while she was
alive: why should she be carried
through it, now that she is dead p
The nurmur Of approval swelled
again louder than before; and little
BY little the groups shifted. until Mer-
cy Slower and her white haired father
were left alone beside the rough coffin.
You were always hasty of speech.
Priest Eaton answered calmly, but
with a certain stern dignity that be-
'onged TO his office in those days.
Who are YOU, 10 say who is worthy ?
Who made you a witch-fn -
Il did not need TO be witch finder
TO know Goodwife Slower for witch,
was the stout reply. Il knew of her
ways and her reputs while still she
lived in Freeport. and warned Broth
er Elknish against her. For that very
thing she was hotly angersd against
me, BY this token that my seine broke
that same day l spoke as if every
mesh in It were cut, and sorely hath
she many times since tormented me
with witch wiles Ask Goodman Hask-
ell. here, if be was not on my boat
when she bewitched my killock so that