The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-01
THE WITCH OF YELL.

doorway when | saw her first, looking
like nothing in the world but soncie .
Zetlander of some 40 odd years, with n
fresh color and thick coil of raven
black hair half hidden by her headgear, /.
a bright blue handkerchief spotted with /
white. l gave her good morning and
asked her if she would give me glass
of water and hammock of oatcake as I
had been walking for some hours and
was both hungry and thirsty
"And welcome" she said, with the
pretty Shetland courtesy, If you be
from Ireland, mistress.
81 am Irish, ." | said, but wouldn't
you give an oatcake to an English wom
an, my friend? No?" as She shook her
head resolutely. "And how is that"
"No food of my baking will pass
Scots or Southron lips, she said harsh
ly. "Sit ye down, pointing to her own
stool. "Ne're fair tired out, mistress. y
| laughed family as | accepted the I
seat. Il have been trying to walk away
from myself, " l said, "and though I've
tramped through a whole forenoon |
haven done it yet. D."
AN Sllt Stlils Nlllllll- u lulu
with her lips, for her eyes kept their
steady sadness. Its a far way you
have to 60, mistress, and you must walk
by night stead o. day. You're mar
ried, - glanciny down Mt my ungloved
hands Have We ever borne a Child|'
l looked down at my black dress and
nodded silently. The woman drew in
her breath sharply as if she We're hurt
at heart AYE, she said, $50 have |,
and lost it too. Poor lassr' And to my
intense astonishment she stopped and
kissed me once and again. How old
was hep she went on gravely, taking
no heed at the wonder i'll my face.
mine was a man grown, but yours
must ha' been but BARN. Ye have the
look of n BARN yourself.
Have r. l said, with a dreary
laugh. "An old BARN, I'm afraid. My
boy was years old. "
AYE, and your mans alive? Do l
know your man, and what for does he
let you come here to dree your weird
alone?"
"NIy man knows it's the llindest thing
he could do, " Isaid. "And / think per-
haps you know him, " l added, little
proudly. Nearly every one in the is
lands knows Hector MacKenneth. "
LAY, do they. He's mani the witch
said emphatically, as she came out Of
the cottage with plate Of bannocks
and big cup of milk. and there's
never a soul in the islands but he has
done kind turn or spoken a kind word
to-even to me. -
q - - 1 nsl-al Nv
husband has a great respect for you. He
told me you We're the wisest woman in
the islands, Lief. -
did he, now? And l his brother S
Wife" the witch said musingly.
l started Whose wife? Not Ronald
MacKenneth 's-Ronald that died in
England"
"That same Ronald, " she said quiet
ly. He died in the south, l know, and
some Southron brought the news to
MacKenneth himself. But he lies buried
away in the south, l heard say. Do ye
know where, Mistress MacKenneth?"
mo; l wish l could tell you, poor
soul, - | said pitifully. II wish l could
help you"
my bonny Ronald, " she said, look
ing out to the blue, tumbling waves of
the sound, her eyes grave and sad and
her voice very low. Its little we
thought Of me, but ON the day we We're
handfasted and the day We lay a-dy-
ing" Then she bent down a little and
looked sharply into my face.
Did ever any one in the islands say
to ye that we two We're not man and
wife? Did ever MacKenneth HIMSELF"
"Never MacKenneth, | said honest
ly.
''Others have, though. " She looked
sharply at me again, then caught my
hand in hers and dragged me up from
my seat. Come wi me, you wife of
the MacKenneth, and I'll show you
what handfasring means to woman. p"
l drew my cloak round me with my
free hand, and we went slowly together
over the scattered rocks and sand and
down a little grassy slope, till we stood
in front Of an upright stone with a
round hole in its center
There, said the witch, still hold
ing my hand fast in hers, there's
where we were married-my man and l.
See ye here, Eleanor MacKenneth, do
you love your man, or liked ye your
first lad best?'
l cried in my heart TO the dead and
gone Oscar to forgive me, and then
looked the woman fairly in the eyes and
answered her, Il love MacKenneth
best
where were ye married? In kirk, of
course?"
In kirk, yes. We were married in
/ pnnnn 0lnrah - / cafI. ba Tlprnl,
of ST. Stephen "
Kirk Stephen, aye? Well, this is
Kirk Odin, where thousands have been
made man and wife in their day. Go
you nearer to the stone, wife of Mac.
Kenneth, and you shall be married
there too, if you re no afraid.
do / look afraidY | said, with q
smile, and she smiled back at me.
put your hand-closed so-through
the hole in the stone. " | obeyed with
some difficulty, for the hole was UNI
evenly cut, and its edges were jagged.
''Now," said the witch, "open your
hand and hold it so, and now say after
mel
| hesitated a moment and then re-
peated after her. "Iu the name Of the
One Eyed, the name of Odin, | hold
thee and have thee through this life,
and that life, and all lives to follow
call thee and keep thee, my hand for
the witness, my lips for thy kissing
my strength for thy weakness, my tears
for thy sorrow, my breast for thy head
when thou boune thee to sleeping, my
life for thy calling Then she stop.
ped and looked vaguely at me and be-
yond me, and | finished the oath with
words that rose in my mind, though l
had never heard them before;
MY life for thy calling, my death
for thy living Hear, Thor and hear
Odin and Hector MacKenneth. F" Then