Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-10-12
THE WITCH OF YELL

| Ike uOtnlDS Ill Gu0 WOflu UuG d SOuCio
i Zetlander OF some 40 odd years, with
fresh color and a thick coil Of raven
black hair half hidden by her headgear,
o bright blue handkerchief spotted with
white. I gave her good morning and
asked her if she would give me glass
of water and a hammock of oatca]ze, as
had been walking for some hours and
was both hungry and thirsty
"And welcome she said, with the
pretty Shetland courtesy, eff you be
from Ireland, mistress. 2"
| 81 am Irish,' said, ''but wouldn't
you give all oatcake to an English wom
an, my friend? MOI" as she shook her
head resolutely. "And how is that?'
mo food Of my baking will pass
Scots OF Southron lips" she said harsh
ly "Sit ye down." pointing to her own
stool ''Ye're fair tired out, mistress. -
/ laughed family as I accepted the
seat. 81 have been trying to walk away
from myself, I said, land though I've
tramped through whole forenoon
haven't done it yet.
''Ah'' she said, smiling little-only
with her lips, for her eyes kept their
steady sadness. "It's a far way you
have to go, mistress, and you must walk
by night stead O. day. You're mar
| ried," glancing down at my ungloved
hands. "Have ye ever borne child?''
I looked down at my black dress and
nodded silently. The woman drew in
her breath sharply as il she were hurt
at heart. FAYE" she said, $50 have I,
and lost it too Poor lass!" And to my
intense establishment she stopped and
kissed me once and again. ''How old
was hep she went OH gravely, taking
no heed at the wonder in my face,
milne was a man grown, but yours
must ha' been but a BARN. Ye have the
| look of BARN yourself. -
''Have I?'' I said, with a dreary
laugh. Gan old BARN, I'm afraid. My
boy was years old. -
"Aye, and your mans alive? Do
know your man, and what for does he
let you come here to dree your weird
alone?"
my man knows it's the kindest thing
he could do, said. "And think per-
haps you know him. added, little
proudly. 'Nearly every one in the is
lands knows Hector MacKenneth.
Gay, 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 soul in the islands but he has
! done kind turn OR spoken kind word
| to--even to me-
"Why feyen to you?' asked. "My
husband has great respect for you. He
told me you were the wisest woman in
the islands. Lief. P"
''Did he, now? And I his brothers
| wife!" the witch said musingly.
started "Whose wife? Not Ronald
MacKenneth 's-Ronald that died in
England?'
THAT same Ronald" she said quiet
". He died in the south, know, and
some Southron brought the news to
MacKenneth himself. But he lies buried
away in the south, heard say. Do ye
know where, Mistress MacKenneth?'
mo: wish I could tell you, poor
SOUL" said pitifully. 81 wish l could
help you.
"My bollny Ronald" she said, look
ing out to the blue, tumbling waves Of
the sound, her eyes grave and sad and
her voice very low. otis little ye
thought Of me. but Oh the day we were
handfasted and the day ye lay a-dy
ing" Then she bent down little and
looked sharply into my face.
Ibid ever any one in the islands say
to ye that we two were 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 handfasting means to a woman. -
| drew my cloak round me with my
free hand, and we went slowly together
over the scattered rocks and sand and
down little grassy slope, till we stood
in front of all 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 I.
| See We here, Eleanor Mackenneti1, do
| you love your man, Or liked We your
| first lad best?"
! cried i'll my heart to the dead and
gone Oscar to forgive me, and then I
looked the woman fairly III the eyes anG
answered her, II love MacKennetk
best. ;"
"Where were ye married? In kirk, OF
course?'
I'm kirk, yes. We were married in a
London church, - I said; ''the Church
If st. Stephen -
Kirk Stephen, aye? Well, this is
| Kirk Odin, where thousands have been
made man and wife i'll 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 I look afraid:" l said, with a
smile, and she smiled back at me.
''Put your hand-closed so-througii
| the hole i'll the stone" / obeyed with
some difficulty, for the hole was I'M
evenly cut, and its edges were jagged.
Now" said the witch, "open your
| hama and hold it so, and now say after
me"-
] hesitated moment and then re-
| peated after her. ''In the name Of the
| One Eyed, the name of Odin, hold
thee and have thee through this life,
md 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-
You'd me- and l finished the oath with
words that rose i'll 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. Then |
drew my hand out from the hole and
turned to the witch, but the next min
ute 1 saw that her thoughts were not
J with me or with this material world at
all, and went softly away, leaving her
standing with her back to the sea and