The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-30
A WITCH BEWITCHED.

A water lily fell at Mona's bare feet. She
knew quite well what it meant. She knew
whose boat was coming around the bend
in the river, but she did not stir nor look
up. She was leaning against the old oak
tree at the waters edge, and idly picking
to pieces a spray of goldenrod. The sun
beams sifted through the tree and fickered
over the dusl1y head, slipped down past the
lowered lashes, and kissed the dimples on
the bare elbows. The oars in the water
ceased their regular plash and the boat
glided up to where she stood.
The bits Of goldenrod 1oated by on each
side.
AN, Mona, did We have no greetin' for
mel Why did ye Gomez"
Mona drops the last scrap of flowers and
looks at him.
as it that you think have come here to
your" she laughs. Gerald, sure ye don't
think that"
And why not'" he says, in an injured
way. 81 told We Sunday was goin' to the
Shadows; didn't l ask ye thin to :ome
down."
Perhaps" she says; 81 have forgot.
camedown to pick the cress; tits busy am. +"
So she flashes one glance at him and
picks up her basket, as yet empty.
"CressI Why, Mona" he says, ''come,
get We into the boat. This cress is not half
SO lush as some bit further. Come on"
he urges.
Mona hesitates and swings the basket up
and down. Back across the green slope of
land she looks, across the stile and just
beyond the hill, where a faint film of smoke
creeps up curling from the little chimney
barely visible.
Gerald follows her gaze. Come, Mona"
he says. "TheY won't miss ye."
"Well," she says slowly, "well." In
reality she Is longing TO 20, but of course
it would not do 10 lot him see it. "Ye
needn't help me. can get in"
Lightly he dips his oars, and they glide
down the river. Mona laughs.
They will be after me soon," she says.
"Aunt Mollie will be a-callin' me, but she
won't know; win she, Gerald"
mo, Colleen" answers Gerald in delight
at the smiling face she turns to him. He
rests his oars in the oarlocks and lets the
boat drift.
Mona" he says, bending toward her;
mona, listen"-
"An' won't catch it, too?" she says with
peal of laughter, as though catching it
would be festive occasion.
Here's the place; yes, Gerald?"
eyes," he answered moodily. "Wait,
I'll get the stuff; We needn't move"
She catches hold of the bending branch
of willow and draws the boat close in
shore One small bare foot swings back
and forth in the water as she balances her
self on the prov and huns softly to her
self. She knows he is angry, she guesses
what he had started to say to her a mo-
uent ago; but what does she care for that?
The lips are demure and serious as she
thanks him, but the violet eyes are laugh
ing.
Gerald" she says when the oars COM
menced TO move, "Aileen's here"
"AileenT'
Eyes She has the chance TO see us now
while Lady Lindores is at home. She is
still my lady's maid, ye know, Aileen is,
and it's myself would like to be in her
place"
"Monal Ye would like to go away from
-KilgarnockY
Yes" she cries, surely"
The boats keel ran up to the landing
place. She jumped out and then turned
away with the Basket in her hand. One
glance she gave him over her shoulder.
AN would We care, GeraldY"
Faith, tbs not elikes of me she would
be afther plasin'," he said to himself as he
watched the little figure trip up the green
sward and over the stile.
He forgot about the fishing expedition he
had planned. He leaned back in the boat
and fell to thinking. All the witches in
the world are not yet suppressed; there are
still some few left TO tangle up the senses
of a man and leave him in bewilderment.
The witch in KilgarnoCk must have taken
up her abode in Mona Carey'S small head.
To torment the lads of the village, TO be
guile and capture each unsuspecting heart,
were accomplishments in which long prac-
tice had made her perfect. There seemed
such a sunshiny atmosphere always around
her that it made her as dangerous as she
was lovable and winning.
Unlucky Gerald All her life he had
known her. even back TO the time when
she had begun TO talk in broken baby
phrases.
Although he was years older than she,
Mona treated him in the same careless,
laughing way in which she did all the
other suitors. And though not one OF
them could boast of any especial mark of
favor, yet each one believed himself 10 he
ahead In the race-each one except Gerald
Shearn. Daily he questioned himself, tried
to understand her; but no." he thought
bitterly, Its an om,oih2un / am. She
laughs at me-
With all the love Of his passionate Irish
nature he loved the maid, worshiped pretty
-,iona, who would look at him so roguishly
from under long lashes and would not lis
zen And now be heard her voice calling:
-Eghtfoot, Lighuoot, come up, come
up; come 10 me. accushla,' and the tinkle
Of the cowbell echoed back again. He
pictured her sitting on the little stool and
milking the cow; he knew how she would
loOk-he had often watched her. The
sleeves of her frock would be pushed up
over her round arm; the dark rings of her
hair would lie loosely over her head and
float against the duh dun Of the COW :
side. lie imagined lac could hear her talk
ing and cooling 10 old Lightfoot, VINO
saemed to him 50 unsppreciative.
lie remem bered Aile,n She and Mona
we're about the same age, but 50 unlike in
appearance that kinship would have never
been suspected. While Mona was rather
below the average height, Aileen WAS
above it; Mona's curly tresses we're black
as midnight. and Aileen's bronze gold.
IL had been proud moment to them all
when my Lady Lindores sent for Aileen to
come to the big house, AS the tenantry
AL .Avr,ad the ~r~st stone mansion, and