Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-11-27
CHAPTER VIII.
AFTER FIVE YEARS.

AFTER FIVE YEARS.
Five more years passed in the history
OF Sagnauck since Mark Hillary's disap-
pearance. and Dorothea, the girl-witch,
was seventeen years old. She had grown
up in these woods of New England free
and untrammelede by the Alterations Of
fashion.
Like sturdy plant which needed only
sun and air, she grew. It need hardly be
said that her face was fair. Indeed,
from it she deserved the name of witch,
for truly it was one nodded to bewitch
the hearts of men. and many of the young
pioneers there were who also felt its
power.
She was of medium height, with body
we'll built. Her hands were finely shaped;
her hair and eyes were brown. It was OF
the latter poet has written:
Brown eyes seem some rich, tempting wine
That might lead one to love them all too we'll"
And again:
=! know fun well two deep dark eyes,
II brown or black. 'twere sometimes hard to tell.
Big Right black in anger. brown in tenderness;
Their light the usual fearless frankness flies,
And then there turks in dim, secret mistiness
CLEAN so subtle in its shadowyness
fear to glance, lest there should sudden rise
A flood Of passionate tenderness, SO deep,
So strong that IL were all IN vain TO fight
Its mighty tide to brave it were unwise,
Lest Lshou1d be, If DER me it should sweep,
Soul-blinded by the glorious dark Light,
TIL all the world seems naught but two dark
eyes"
Many were the lovers who came to her,
although each parent warned his own son
against the wiles of the maiden, for now
the suspicion of the minister had grown
to be SO positive that the girl really bore
the reputation of witch.
This was augmented by the detection OF
several mysterious visits DOrothea re-
celved from some unknown person. One
| evening, about a year after she was left
IL H.. -,
| walking through the words north of the
| village, when he heard two persons con-
| versing, and, approaching, discovered
Dorothea. Her companion disappeared
| as soon as the ministers footsteps were
| heard and the latter could not identify
him. But the visitor wore the garb of an
Indian. Dorothea's reticence with re-
| gard to the visit added to the minister's
belief in her guilt.
After this first visit, Mr.. Granville was
on the alert to detect Dorothea in other
| delinquencies. He made excuses to be
much from home, and seldom failed to
follow her when she was sent upon any
errand which would take her into the
forest. So the man of God became spy
upon the poor girl.
And his Iabors were not without result.
| Twice during that year he came upon her
| in the forest holding secret converse
with some unknown person, and as these
| hrmed the suspicious about the girl. 1t
was also learned that after these inter-
views Dorothea always had q supply OF
money about her, and that once she
| brought in from the forest a bundle of
furs, which were made into q cloak for
| her protection in winter.
One night in October, as the minister
was prowling about in the woods. going
where his diseased fancy led him, he
! suddenly found himself in the little
| opening in front of Hillary's deserted
cabin. At the same moment a man
dressed as an Indian came out of the
| cabin door and hastily disappeared IN
the woods. Mr.. Granville, on the scent
for anything which might convict the
| girl, entered the deserted place and be-
| gan a minute search. He was rewarded
by finding a small package piece of
| folded birch bark
n 70 doubt it was a message from her
master to Dorothea," and he carried it
home with him.
An enmity, too, had arisen between
| Dorothea and Achsah Granville. The
| latter could not meet the former without
her little weakened face drawing up into
a scowl, and once she cried out that
Dorothea had hurt her, although the two
| girls were several yards apart. This had
occurred in front of the meeting house
one Sunday morning as the people were
coming out from preaching.
| You child or the devil! the rather
cried. will nothing satisfy you? Why
do you so persecute that poor girl?"
Child of the DEVIL" Dorothea an
swered -Methinks that is rough speech
for holy man of God. But how can be
Dorothea, Gods gift and come from
| Satan?"
You need not play upon words with
me, for know you. Tell me, if you are
! Gods gift and not the devils child, who
! it is you go into the woods to meet?"
THAT I may not tell, reverend sir.
mo; the truth you say now. 1t would
be to your shame to mention him whom
| you meet"
Nay, sir" Dorothea answered, blush
| ing; there is no shame about it. But
whom meet does not concern you, and 1
shall not tell you"
Perhaps You will not deny then. that
you received from him money and furs?"
the persecuter said, in a fury.
Have you been a spy upon me? Was
it not enough for you to drive my father
from his home? Have you. no mercy that
you follow and perseeute a helpless
child? Whether I receive aught from any
one does not concern you. And now
let me go on my way. for it is not seemly
for you to hold such converse in front of
the meeting house on the Lords day.
And without waiting for a reply, Doro-
| thea made her way to her adopted home