The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-16
CHAPTER XXI.
Wen-DPck.

Wen-Deck-
As before mentioned on one side of
the valley where Cedar Dell was nes-
tied among the hills. was an opening of
a cave, grim. gloomy and dark, sugges-
tive of ghosts, murder and all the NOR
bid imagination could associate with
such a place, and many were the wierd,
mysterious stories the village garner re-
lated about the "Hag's Den," as the
cave was called. They told of the dead
that stalked forth from these gloomy
confines at low twelve; the strange
voices that came from the dark opening
and of unearthly, shadowy forms that
always vanished crying, Lost, lost"
Regardless of all these stories the cave
was not always TO be without a real
flesh and blood tenant.
One bleak December evening, as the
short, dreary day was deepening into
night and thickening clouds mingled
with the blackness. the villagers shiv
cred as they hurried along the streets
to collect about the inviting hearth,
most repulsive looking creature came
shutting along in the middle Of the
street bearing on her back two large tin
pans, a few cooking utensils and a large
willow basket filled TO overlooking with
one or two old, soiled bedquilts and
some very ragged garments. Farther
down in the basket was slice of bacon
and a loaf of rye bread a bottle Of
whisky, pipe and some "dOg-leg" to-
bacco. Inspection of the newcomer in
better light would have showed her TO
be club-fOOted, crOss-eyed and blessed
with a suit Of fiery red hair that was
never cOmbed and hung all around her
shoulders. To this uncanny appearance
add a dark, bluish-colored wen, large
as a gallon jug, dangling from her neck
and laying on her breast. At one point
on the convex surface of this abnormal
growth the skin grew in a loose fold,
the bottom of the fold growing down
ward and widening, while the upper
part remained the same, forming a
gathering string to the bag. leaving an
opening two inches wide to the cavity
beneath, making a neat little pOke-a
cul-de-Sac-large enough to carry a deck
OF playing cards. for which purpose it
was utilized. As this anything but pre-
possessing creature hobbled along the
street one foot going over the other at
every step, striking the ground with
heavy "chuck-chuck, chuck-chuck,"
the beholder was inclined to debate
whether to call her human or monste
and upon a more extended acquaint-
ance would call her both human and
monster. which she truly was all the
more horrible because she was a woman
Her voice was as defOrmed and inartis-
tic as her body, a Squeaky, hOarse' grunt
with a nasal twang that seemed to be
pumped up from beneath her diaphragm
Once heard this voice could never be
forgotten and IT was impossible to inni-
tate. Though horribly deformed as il
was, seemingly a monstrosity of gut
teral sound mingled with Kisses and
quacks, truly a conglOmeration of ear
insulting noise, yet with this queer
noise, as shocking as il may seem she
would fr-~- 70 eli 10
an accompaniment with an asthmatic
accordion, that to guess it's age from the
appearance and music ii gave forth one
would declare II of antediluVian origin
Removing the basket from her back
sitting it down in the middle of the
street. she deliberately sat down upon
1t, throwing one leg over the other as
carelessly as a plantation darkey at a
chicken show, rested the instrument of
torture, the accordion, upon her knee
and commenced. with a nervous, tremu-
lous jerk, initiating it's bellows and
simultaneously her repulsive voice broke
forth with the old, wheezy instrument:
I'm wandering alone; the night is drear.
And the clouds are hanging low,
The evening star does not appear,
And the chill air threatens snow"
Though nature cursed me at my birth.
DefOrmed and crippled me-
And there's no home in all this earth,
ma " SiACANtL me
I'm hungry and cold. and sad at heart.
I'm weary and lonesome, too,
feel affections keeneSt dart
Stranger, l appeal to YOU
BY the time this jargon was done and
the pulling and wheeling of the rickety.
old accordion had ceased quite a crowd
collected about the woman as her song
and music, if / dare call il such at
tracted the villagers. Rising from her
seat Of rags in the basket picking up a
tin pan, she hobbled about from one TO
the other Of the villagers that stood be-
fore her and said in the same unlovabIe
voice, Would you give a poor, wander
ing woman a few pennies?' Each one
DehOlding her as creature truly of
physical If not moral, misfortune. gave
freely and literally. Among other sDec-
tatOrs. and one who gave much. con
sidering her limited means, was Sparkle
Brooke. Sparkle's heart at this time
was as heavy as the heart Of the poor
wretch to whom she contributed. As
TINS deformed, repulsive-loOking creature
came face 10 face with Sparkle Brooke
tHe contrast was OverpOwering. She
whose face had not one line OF beautxy
whose very look would make YOU shud-
der, picture Of savagery. with her
Irightful eyes crossed outward. the RIGHT
eye looking to the right and the left eve
looking 10 the left, instead Of each look
ing at the end Of the nose. as Is usualIv
the case: her buShy. fiery. red hair
standing out, proclaiming that Il was
never combed or brushed her tagged
teeth adding TO the ugliness Of an u9Iv
mouth. her great wen swinging from
her neck, and the deck of cards in the
little pocket disease had kindly made for
them. She steadily looked into the face
OF Sparkle, full upon whom fen the
lamplight from a neighboring window.
As she gaZed upon the beautiful features
she was as enchanted as Sparkle was
Mortified. One was transfiNed with adj
miration, the other with fear. nor did
Sparkle ever seem more radiant. more
beautiful, more divinely lovely than
when she stood in the presence OF this
shocking contrast. The suffering of the
poor wretch had touched the kind heart
Of Sparkle Brooke and brought to that
fair face the evidence Of pity-tears.-
that gives to beauty a divine touch and
makes IL angelic. A few feet beyond
Sparkle In the range OF the vision of
those awful cross-eyes, was Carl Bran
don, as yet not seen by them. They
were fixed on Sparkle's face with a
piercing and almost unbearable gaze.
She scrutinized the girl for some seconds
and then let her eyes drop to the girls
feet and slowly rise upward to her face,
then down and upward again. Sparkle,
whose face was slightly turned from the