Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-11

tho floor and shaking her palsiCd head at me. "Bewarc, unlucky shoot of n crooked branchl Go no farther with iti Go backi Tho sword may miss or may not fall, but the cord Is suro!''
 If Master Bcrtie had not held my arm tightly, should havc rocoiled, as most of those within hearing had already done. Tho strange allusions to my past, which had no difficulty in detecting, and tho witch's knowledge uf tho risks of our prcS- ent enterprise wcro enough to startlc and shakO the most constant mind, and in the midst of enterprises secret and dangerous few minds arc so firm or so rccklcSs as to disdain OmenS. That she was one of thoSe unhappy beings who buy dark secrets at tho expense of other souls seemed certain, and had been alone l should havo, am not ashamed to say it, given back,
 But I was lucky in having for my com panion man of rare mind, and besides of so single religious belief that at tho end of his life he always refused to put faith in a thing of the existence of which have no doubt mySelf-I mean witchCraft
 He showed at this moment tho courage of his opinions Peace, peace, woman!" he said compaSsionately. "Wo shall 1.-Two while God wills it and die when he wills 1t, and neither 1.-Two longer nor dio earlier! So lot us by"
 Would you perishf" she quavorcd.
 Aye, if so God wills!" ho answered, un- daunted.
 At that shc seemed to shake all over and hobblcd aside, muttering: Then go on! Go on! God wills it!'
 Master Bcrtic gave mo no time for hesi tation, but holding my arm urged me on to whcrc tho hoStlcr stood awaiting tho event with q face of much discomposuro. He opened the door for us, however, and led tho way up n narrow and not too clean staircase. On the landing at tho head of this hc paused and raised his lantern so as to cast tho light on our faces "Sho has overlooked mo. the old witch!" hc said viciouSly. "Iwish had never meddlcd in this business. "
 Man" Master Bcrtie replied stcrnly, do you fear that weak old woman?"
 No, but I fear her master. " rctorted the hostlrr, and that is tho devll!'
 Then do not, Master Bertio an sworrd bravcly. For my Master Is as good match for him as am for that old woman. When he wills 1t, man, you will die, and not bcforo. So pluck up spirit. !"
 Master Bertic did not look at me- though needed his encouragement as much as tho hostlcr, having had better proofs of the woman's strange knowledge. But seeing that his cxhortatiun had cmboldcnod this ignorant man l was ashamed to sccm to hesitate When the hostler knocked at the dOOr-not of B, but of l5-and it present ly opened, l went in without moro ado.
 The room was haro inn chamber. A pallet without covering lay in one corner. In the middle wrr, n couple of stools and on one of them a taper.
 The person who had opened to us stood ewing Us attVntiNrly, n bluff, weather beaten man with a thick beard and the air of n sailor. Well, " he said, what nowy"
 "Thcse gentlemen want to buy some lace " the hustlrr explained.
 w hat laco do thry wantr" was the rc tort
 "Fronch lace, RnSw rrrd. You have come to tho right shop, then, the man answered briskly. Nod ding to our conductor to depart, he caro- fully let him out Then, barring the door behind him, ho rapidly strudo 10 the pallet and twitvhrd it asidts disclosing q trnpduur. He lifted this and wu saw narrow shaft descending into darkness. He brought the taper and held 1t so aS to thr0w faint light into tho opening. Thrru | was nu ladder but blocks of wood nailed alternately against two of the SidVS at in trrVals uf a couple uf feet ur su, made the dr>IN'nt pretty easy fur an active man. h0 ut"'r k on thlS Sluc, hE Salu, point ing out the one. ''knnck loudly once and | softly twice The word iS tho samC We nodded, and while he held tho taper | above wr descended unr hy one without much difficulty, though l admit that half Way down th" uld wuiuau's words Go on | and perish. came back diSquirtinEly tu my mind However, my fuut struck the bottom I"fnrr had timo tu digest them, | and streak uf light which seemed tu issue from l. ldvr l door fnrc,d my thou uSnt> | the next moment into a new channel. Whi>lwriuS to Master Brrtic tn pause a minMIN, fnr thS rN Mhs only rnMln for one