Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-10-08

evenly cut, and it's edges were Jagged.
ssNow," said the Witch, open your
hand, and hold it so, and now say af
ter me-
I hesitated moment, and then re-
peated after her. "In the name of the
One Eyed, the name of Odin, I hold
thee and have thee through this life,
and that life, and all life to follow. I
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 stopped and looked vaguely
at me and beyond me, and / finished
the oath with words that rose in my
mind, though 1 had never heard them
before:
''My life for thy calling, my death
for thy living. Hear, Thor, and hear,
Odin, and Hector MacKenneth." Then
I drew my hand out from the hole and
minute I saw that her thoughts were
not with me or with this material
world at all, and | went softly away,
leaving her standing with her back to
the sea and her eyes fixed on the
great stone, listening, intently and
vainly with her hand against her ear.
So 1 saw her the next time 1 passed
her neat cottage. She had been gather
ing some herbs, and now she stood
listening again, with the herbs held
tightly to her breast. This time stop
ped to speak with her. "Lief MacKen
netn," l said quietly, ''are you not
going to give your sister the mornings
greet;n 3"
She gave me quick, wild, wonder
ing look, and her eyes filled with sud-
den sunshine. "God bless you for the
MacKenneth," she said earnestly,
sand for the sisterhood. But you must
not stop with me today"
''Why?" 1 said. awe are not going
to have a storm, Lief"
care we no?'' she laughed. "Wo-
man, dear, you're no Zetlander. There
will be storm on us inside of an
hour, and black wind strong enough
to blow the heart out of your breast,
orr
COR the dead out of their graves"
said with meaning, and her face light
ed up again.
"Maybe," she muttered, "maybe.
Now go home, and dream ofyour man
and the BARNS to be. Oh, ay," as
drew back flushing hotly. "I'm not a
witch for nothing, and can see their
shadows round you, Eleanor MacKen-
meth, two, three, and four. "Now-"
she turned and caught my hands in
hers and kissed me on lips and cheek
and forehead with eager close kisses.
''There now, go home, Eleanor, and
shut the storm out. When do you go
to your own home-soon?"
ssNext week." / answered. "I told
Hector to expect me on Thursday"
cay; and fine calm journey to
you, dear heart. But I'll see you again.
Go now, and goodby, woman dear"
I heard very little of the storm that
night, for [ slept soundly as a child;
and when toward morning began to
dream, my dreams were all pleasant
enough, though the were all of Lief.
The last dream of all was the one
which made the deepest impression
on me- 1t was Lief again, but as 1 had
never seen her. Young, and with
wonderful shy gladness in her eyes
she stood at the door of her cottage
in the driving rain with her hand fast
in the hands of man with fair hair
and bold blue eyes, a younger edition
of my own husband. l saw them kiss
each other, and then l woke.
"Ronald has come back to her." |
said to myself as rubbed my drowsy
eyes; and somehow / was not in the
least surprised or grieved when mine
hostess came in later on in the morn
ing to tell me that the storm had
wrecked half score of houses, and
had blown the Witch's cabin out to
sea. Nothing was ever heard of the
Witch herself; but after little while
nv husband and I had pine wood
cross put up close to the Stone of
Odin, and on it we wrote the two
names, Lief and Ronald. And in the
small church of Kirk Harold, where
Lief was christened, we put up tab
let to the glory of God and in loving
memory of Ronald MacKenneth and
Lief his wife.-MacmiIIams Magazine.
All Free.