The Portland daily press., 1893-07-24
TESTING A WITCH.

We spend the entire forenoon in and
about the old church, and the afternoon
was devoted to the old abbey ruins,
which are nothing but a mass of stone
walls, fragments of turrets, towers and
shrines. A part of the main building
has been kept in repair and is now oc-
cupied by the present owner of the alb
hey for herself.
The shades of night were falling fast
the little village when we fnallyreturned
to our comfortable lodgings. Standing
before the window, looking idly out into
the dreariness, am suddenly interrupt
ed by our little landlady. s.D'ye see the
one tall tree standing on yon little rise
O. ground?'' pointing as she speaks to a
distant hill rising abruptly out of the
stretch of field before us.
eyes, I see it,"
ssWell, that hill is called Whalley Nab,
and that's the tree from which they hung
the witches long time ago. They gi' it
the name of 'Friar tree cause John Par
sley was hung from it, and in that riv-
err" pointing to little stream that
meanders through the field, ''they tested
the witches"
GLOW was that done?" inquire
breathlessly, for am getting interested.
ssThey tied their two thumbs together
and their two big toes; then they threw
them in the river, and if they sank to the
bottom at once they weren't witches,
but if they hoated on top they were
dragged out, hurried up the hill and
hung from the tree. The limb on which
they were hung is dead. God cursed it,
and it died"
[ looked at the tree. 1t was tall and
upright, but now di1nly outlined against
the gray sky and looking rather ghostly
as seen through the fog and mist, with
the Calder river ripping along through
the green meadow at its feet. 1t would
never do to be so near a spot Of such
historical interest and fail to visit it.
at is SO late and growing dark fast.
Why not wait till morning? pleads
Edith.
stBut we must take an early start in
the morning, and you know that means
no time for anything but getting ready"
So, catching up our hats, we are soon
on our way across the fields. 1t is
gloomier even than we expected, fer the
long English twilight is drawing to a
close, rapidly fastened by the fog. Our
road lies close to the forest that bounds
the field ON one side, and we hasten along
on the outer edge of the path, every now
end then casting furtive and apprehen-
sive chances into the dark and silent
depths Of the wood.
We give half suppressed scream as g
startled bird futters suddenly in the
grass at our side and some creature of
the night darts rapidly across our path
md disappears in the forest AS we turn
sudden curve we come upon an old for
saken house standing on the edge OF the
wood. A thick mass of shrubbery al
most hides it from view, but the absence
Of doors and windows and the general
air of desolateness which is always at
tendant on deserted houses are easily dis
tirguishable through the gloom. To our
surprise we discern the figure of two
men emerge from the house and advance
swiftly toward us. l glance nervously
behind me, but the curve we have turned
has completely hidden the village, and
we are alone.
AS we meet the two men they favor
US with sharp glances and stop short to
look after us as we hasten on. We
Reach the Nab at length and stand under
the old tree that has lent it's branches to
aid in so much wrong and misery in the
years gone by. With the exception Of
the one dead branch the tree is strong
and sturdy and towers far above its
brothers which ere scattered about it.
Directly beneath the dead branch no
grass grows, though everywhere else Oh
the Nab there is a luxuriant growth.
AS speculate on the cause Of this arc