Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-08-17

NSN~ A000 ApOA ~ NA0OAS W4VA
hooking words. And here came q
wonder. For the dead hand raised
itself and caught her ~ the wrist,
d aged her from her trembling steed
and held her in . grip that never
relaxed uutil the sea came up and
sucked her wicked life out with its
sharp, salt kisses. But the steed gal
Iored nome, and they tracked its hoof
marks to the shore next day at the ebb
Of the tide. And there they found Ter.
But the dead hand kept Its hold-until
the holy prior of the monastery sprin-
killed. it with holy water and conjured it
in the Holy Name. Then did the rigid
fingers open. And SO they buried the
seabirds might scream above him for
ever, and the rear of the ocean be in
his ear till tho judgment day. But
the body of the Witcn Princess they
burned with pitch faggots, and the
dust of her was scattered to the four
winds of the heaven she had outraged.
Well, it was autumn five years ago.
The corn was all cut, the apples had
been gathered indoors. and the people
were free to take q rest from their
work. We live within five miles of
New England, you know, and husking
bees r still held here. We had one
in the barn over there. 1t was q jolli-
tication. Moa was the life and soul of
it. She recited again, like an actress.
the story of the Witch Princess and
and the voices Of those who had
listened were loud in praise, I lifted
my eyes from her, and saw that q
stranger had joined u party. He
was tall, showily dressed, after the
fashion of cities, and of middle age.
He joined in the applause and loudly,
as If he wished to attract Moa's notice,
but she never looked at him. We ate
u roasted apples, and drank the hot
cider to each others health, and danced
on the floor OF the old barn in the light
of candles.
Next day the stranger came to this
house. He was a rich man, so they
said, and we'll knownin New York. He
took up his board in our house, for the
sake of the hunting and fishing here
abouts, and We made him welcome. He
slept in the spare room you are now
using, and ate and drank of the best
that we could give. He told us his
name, or the name by which it was his
wkim to be known among US, Henry
Mercer. A curse upon his name! A
curse upon the day when he brought
his face into u house!
November came, the skies were gray,
and the last poppies of the year hung
withered among the barley stubble. It
was on Thanksgiving when 1 first
spoke love to Moa. We were in the
kitchen together where the brown on.
ions hung in roEes from the moke
stained beams of the ceiling, and the
old marriage plates of my fathers
family hung on tho wall. The fire
burned low on the wide hearth, a great
tree root lay beside it, that 1 had
rolled up from the beach for fuel. 1t
was cracked by the sun and l strove,
instead of using the Ratchet, to widen
a long split with my fingers and wrench
q piece away. She Knocked me and
said 1 could not do it Her eyes
ingly, and the power of her woman
hood struck me like q blow. l seized
the great root by two Jagged horns OF
it. and rived it in half, but still she
Knocked at me. l stepped across to her,
took her roughly round the waist. and
XII sed her till she kissed me back
again, and vowed before God to be my
faithful wife. Then l sought my moth
err and tod her the news.
"You ars my son, and the house and
farm are yours" she said. And Moa
has grown up in the hous,, it is not to
be denied. The good God give you q
true wife in her" She shook her head
and twirled her distaff till she broke
the thread. l went out vexed, but soon
forgot my grievance in the light Of
Mo- smiles.
Henry Mercer heard the news next
day. It had gone round the village.
He smiled and said that l was q likely
fellow to have gone SO quietly about
securing the hands, NEST girl in
Hoosac. He said, too, that he grieved
that he should not be able to witness
our marriage and salute the bride. as
the time had now come when he must
return to New York. The evening
came-the last he was to spend among
us-and he ate and drank with us and
tod us stories. He cal ell for wine and
drank q health to our betrothal. This
ism much of an inn, and it hasn't
a wine cellar, but he brought q bottle
of Madeira from the village. The
glasses were few, and he offered Moa
his. The wine acquired q richer flavor
from the touch of her lips, he whis-
pered in her a 1 heard him, and
passed it over as IN idle compliment,
though l saw the red color burn across
her cheeks and throat. An instant
y Oulys duu u was SOuc. Dut Sne VOOk
the glass and drank to him. and he to
her. We told tales, and sang, and he
joined us. And, last of al, nothing
would do but Moa must tell the story
of the Witch Princess. He had al
ways praised her e%locution whenever
she had lecited anything. and told her
that she had the making of a fine
actress.
Next morning he left us. He had
bought the olddiscarded spinning wheel
in the garrett, and my mother rejoiced
in a lapful of silver coin. He had given
me his meerschaum pipe with the sill
yer setting. Everybody had a gift but
Moa. was secretly vexed that she
should be neglected SO. Christmas was
not far Off. / had to go to Petersburgh
to buy extra provisions for the holi-
days, and l made up my mind to pur.
chase something by way of q gift for
my girl. Night had fallen when ! re.
turned and the do r of the home stood
open: but there was no CHEEKY freight
re -