The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-01
CHAPTER v.


CHAPTER v.
THE YOUNG WITCH.
When Atlee and his men returned tc
the settlement but little adverse com.
ment was made upop his action Hillary
had broken his bonds, defed the law,
aad, when ordered to surrender, attempt.
ed to escape. Still, his action would have
been denounced had not the settlement
become honeycombed with the half-ex.
pressed belief that Hillary was indeed in
league with the devil.
Dorothea Hillary, his daughter, was al
this time nearly twelve ears old. For sew
eral days after her fathers tragic disap'
pearance she remained in the cabin in the
woods, but soon the more human senti-
ment came to the surface, and the leaders
of the village consulted as to her future.
Tho cabin and farm which her father had
built and claimed was settled upon her,
so that in years to come she would be
comfortably we'll off, as far as worldly
possessions 60. But in the meantime it
would not do for the young girl to be
neglected.
After much debate, the question Of her
future home was settled by Athiel Len
nox offering to receive her into his home
and care for her, in return for what work
she might be able to do about the house.
He was the village doctor.
Dorothea's new home proved to be
pleasant one. The girl was bright and
sweet-tempered, and soon became a
favorite not only with the family into
which she had been received but by the
villagers generally. Her very loneliness
appealed to their honest hearts. In time
she was warmly welcomed by every one
she met, and her figure became o COM
mon one by the firesides OF all with the
exception Of the minister's.
When Hillary's death was announced
to Mr.. Granville be was inexpressibly
panied. He felt that an unprepared soul
had been sent to its Maker, and feared
lest some act Of his might have stood in
the way Of its being prepared.
This feeling of regret also prompted
him to offer any aid in his power to the
little waif left among them. He would
even have taken her into his own home
had not another been provided for her.
The first Sunday after Dorothea had
gone to live with Dr.. Lennox the minis
ter invited her home with him; for. while
Sunday visiting WIS discountenanced in
sagnauck, he rightly considered this in
vitation more O. work Of mercy than
worldly pleasure.
After the cold dinner, which was al
ways served on Sunday to dispense with
any unnecessary LABOR, the family were
gathered In the minister's study. Dor.
othea, with q child's bashfulness, had
seated herself by the window and an.
swersd the minister and his wife in
rnonosyllables. Even had she felt free
to talk it is likely that she would have
done the same. for the remarks which
her father had frequently made about
the minister caused her to look with
doubt upon his friendly advances. AS
was his custom on Sunday, MIR. Gran
Vile was ca'ecbising his family.
"Whe is Satan?" he asked his younger
daughter. Ashubah b.
Dorothea turned her Great brown eyes
toward the minister and startled him BY
asking:
did you ever see him3"
He was about to reply hastily in the
negative, when Achsah spoke up:
Il have, papa ! saw him to-day.
My child, my cniid, what are you say
ing? You could not soc the evil one"
But have, papa.
What did he look nke2" asked Doro-
thea, turning to the girl.
Achsah looked at her que stioner with
shrewd CLEAN in her eyes, and replied:
Like your father"
The next instant Dorothea had picked
up a book lying upon the desk near her
and flung it at the creature. Achsah
smiled and said:
"That cannot hurt me as much as some
other things you might DO" and the in
cident was passed over without any more
words. But that evening Achsah was
taken with one Of those nervous attacks
to which she was subject, and the minis
ter remembered her words.
Was the daughter, like the father, in
league with the evil one2 The question
gave him subject for long meditation.
Dorothea was not invited to repeat her
visit.
Some months after this occurrence an
incident happened which deepened Mr..
Granville's meditations on witchcraft.
When Dorothea was removed to the
doctors home, a small chest. filed with
books and papers, had been found in
Hilla rvs cabin.
The doctor had glanced hastily at the
latter, and, finding that they referred to
HilIary's family connections in England.
laid them carefully away. These, with o
locket which Dorothea always wore sus-
pended around her neck, were the only
links binding the little waif to her friends,
il she had any. The minister heard OF
this locket, and with the best of mo-
tiyes wished to see it. But this Dorothea
refused to allcw, and in his distorted
Imagination the poor man wove story
of caDaiistic relics and internal charms.
For what else, he reasoned, could 1t be so
sedulously guarded By one so young?
At length, one day, he exercised his
authority as minister Of the parish, and
commanded Dorothea to deliver up the
charm. She refused to obey, but he
forcibly drew the ,ocket from her bosom
and opened it.
A fai- face, the counterpart OF Doro-
thea's, Only more mature, met his gaze,
und beneath the glass Of the other side
Of the case was lock OF brown hair.
He dropped it involartarily. aud Doro-
thea ran away. But now, in his mind,
there was no doubt. His deep study of
witchcraft had familiarized him with all
forms Of smulets and charms.
Dorothea wore the badge OF the devil.
FIom this time on, Dorothea bore
double character. To those around her,
and with whom she associated, she was
pure, high m inded, lovable girl. But the
minister's convictions of necessity had
their weight with his parishioners, and
while he made no charge against her the
report that she was a witch was soon
circulated. The simple minde plon GERS
treated her as il she were one OF their
own flesh and blood. yet they could not
mi oh