The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-02-11
A WITCH STORY,

good wishes Of all his neighbors; he was
an excellent master and a good friend.
He owned great deal of real estate, |
and among it was the finest mill prop
erty in the county. 1t was known as
McKin's grist mill. and was very vslu- |
able. He always kept a miller there. |
and of course the miller had his men.
and a thriving business was carried on
for years Meanwhile Mr.. McKin re-
mained bachelor and lived in the old
family mansion with his mother and
sisters until the former died and the lat
ter married, and people began to say that
apw no doubt McKin himself would
marry.
However. neither maid nor widow of
the place could tiatter herself that the
bachelors attentions were particular"
He lived alone with his large retinue of
servants for year, and at last aston
ished his friends by marrying lady who
was an utter stranger to every one. a
/ very beautiful young woman who had
golden hair, great black eyes. a skin like
cream and a brown mole on her left
cheek
He gave a great supper to introduce
| her, and she was-admired by all Her
/ dress was exquisite. She sparkled with
| iewelry. and a magnificent cluster ring
! which she wore on the middle finger of
/ the right hand attracted much atten-
ton 1t was, like all the rest, gift
from Mr.. McKin.
The host did his best The supper was
delightful: there was band of music
from Richmond; there were roses every
where. Mr. McKin had tried to make
to make the affair a splendid one, but
when it was over the guests began to ac-
knowledge to one another that they were
disappointed. Why they could not say
Perhaps Mrs. McKin was cold in her
manner. Some people could not help
being that. But they had not been hap
py, and in old times every one had en-
ioyed themselves so much at the Nc
Kins
Then some one limited that the house
servants did not like their new lady, and
liked still less her foreign maid, little
and dark and withered as an old monkey.
NO" old Phoebe, the cook, had said
to some one, I'VE all don't like madame's
maid-we all don't like her. We got no
right to talk about de madame nohow.
But madame's maid, she jes a nigger,
same as de rest, and we all reckon she
mighty cur'us-mighty cur'us.'
The day after the party was Saturday.
Mrs. McKin professed herself weary
and remained in bed until supper time
Sunday morning, however, she rose. AS
she was eating breakfast her husband
spoke of the hour.
1--WE shall have to make some haste,
my dear" he said, ''in order to be at
church in season"
It was some time before his wife an
swered him; then she said;
~ will not go to church today"
81 am very anxious that you should,
my dear, Mr.. McKin said. 1T will be
expected of us. -
"You can go alone" she answered
coldly.
"Alone, the first Sabbath after my
: marriagel' he cried. "Oh, my dear, inn
possiblel See what | have bought for
you for the occasion" And he took
from a table small parcel, unfOlded il
; and handed TO Mrs. McKin a beautiful
, little prayer book bound in blue velvet,
with silver clasps, and her name on the
? corner in silver letters. As he placed II
before her she uttered low cry and
tainted away The maid rushed to heI
and they carried her to her room. where
thenceforward she remained. From that
moment Mr.. McKins beautiful young
wife seemed to be bedridden. She nevel
left her pillow. Mr.. McKin consulted
the most celebrated physicians. None oi
them could discover what allied her. Hei
2 maid nursed her continually. Mr.. Nc
Kin was not encouraged to enter th'
room; he always made his wife's heaC
ache when he spoke to her. Finally h
contented himself with brief call of In
quiry every morning. He was a yer,
unhappy man. more unhappy than in hi
bachelor days
Old Pho.be began TO tell strange sto
ries 70 her friend, the housekeeper at tn
hotel.
"Marsy Jack mighty nigh done brok
his heart" she would say. "rze might,
sorry for Jack. but we all jes despises
madam. She sick in bed all day. bu
in de night | reckon she mighty we'll
yesln. she mighty well den. and she &c
up and dress sheself and eat n big SUI
per and 20 out ob de do Yes'm, she dc
And dat little chipmunk Of maid sh
go along wild her, and dey done com
back jes' befo sun up. Yes'm, we a
knows dat lie libin tIuff,
"Why don't you tell your Marse jack
the housekeeper asked.
"Dere amt nobody dast tell dat va
10 Marse Jack McKin," said Pheb,
nobody"
And nobody did dare. But soon it wa
whispered everywhere that Mrs. McKi
had lover whom she went 20 meet
the pine woods at midnight
But there was something else that Nj
Jack McKin was to hear shortly. Thel
was trouble at his mill. and the troub
was of supernatural sort-the mill,
and his men had seen a ghost,
One by one the men had been frigh
ened away. and the miller was alone 1
his post AT last he came up TO the NJ
Kin mansion one day and resigned h
millership He was reluctant TO give h
I reasons, but finally did so. The ghos
/ there were two Of them-msnifests
themselves every night They were N
10 be frightened away and did mischi
. 70 the grain and set fire to the mill
a various places. though he had alwa,
Z found the flames in time TO put them ON
Now they threatened 90 kill him if
was not out in ilrec days.
d 81 am amazed to hear such a stol
/; from a white nan Of intelligence, W
i Jack McRins comment on the tal
6 "Somo one is evidently trying TO frigf
: en you away Remain, and on the mig
= they threaten TO take your life the sher
t, and his men thall be with you"
's Finally the miller returned 10 the m
e and at dusk on the tllird day was Ne
1 alive and well by people who came wi
g grist. When the sheriff and his N
o came stealthily through the woods
y hour iater the mill was perfectly dai
u They lighted their lanterns and We
through Il, calling the miller by nan
\ but receiving no answer until III
found him in his own room living on
h face, a pistol IN his hand, an oyerturu
= lamp beside him. dead. He had be
e shot through the heart There was
a living human being IN the old mill, a
d for long while nobody went near
, AT last people began 10 say that the u
ler had shot himself BY accident aud n
n the negroes had frightened aim.
other miller applied for the place 3
remained three days. n fact, 70 cu
laRg HtqU l1qIt - lRly glalI Hil