Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-03-28

! To this small stock of information
was added a stock of information
/ which put all circles of the village in
to buzz of sensational comment.
Late one evening in the latter part
of July, IS, Elizabeth Gabler and
Joshua Goodweather. who were sup
posed to be .'engaged," were taking
an evening stroll. The moon was sifl-
ing her soft light through fleecy clouds.
An occasional elm made a dark shad-
ow across the path, which presented
possibilities for lovers to hide what
| would be sweet for them but soft for
onlookers.
After many mutual pledges. which
would not affect our tale if put in,
these young lovers decided to visit
hut on the mountainside overhanging
the village, where reputed witch lived
(who could tell fortunes), that she
might confirm what they had SO firmly
decided.
Or perhaps this visit would lengthen
their stroll and offer the shadow of
more elms. Along they go, guided by
the soft light of the moon.
The gentle murmur of the breeze
and their light tread on the grass
brought them before the open door OF
the hut unheard. The light streaming
out of the door of the hut laid bar of
white on the mellow green sward. and
| as our young people stepped on this
lighted oblong square. sight met
their eyes which made them forget
their errand and might have sent JOSH
ua home in run had not Elizabeth
clung to him.
There under beautiful lamp. tinted
with crimson and green, sat a beautiful
lady. Her hair falling down from a
princess brow in golden ringlets clung
about shoulders bare but as shapely as
those of a queen of fashion.
Arrayed in a costly robe with gems
sparkling here and there, she sat erect
and looked any thing but the old with
cred witch who was the reputed dwell
Ter in the hut.
But before this fair vision was kneel-
ing man and Joshua whispered to
Elizabeth, whom he called Betty. .It
is the old man of the mountain"
Joshua wanted to run but Betty,s Gu
riosity held them awhile. 1t seemed.
from what was said, that this witch
had entertained this caller before and
she had been expecting this visit.
She sat upright and in her proud
face there was a stern look as she
spoke. 1t was a dismissal. 1t was to
end all other meetings. 1t was the fin
al separation.
An unnamed crime had stained the
hands of this old man of the mountain,
and whatever had been the bond be-
tween these two strange people. it had
been broken by this woman, and a
nightly visit for ten years, by this man,
had been n vain in binding together
the broken cords. @ 7
Saddened by the earnest pleading of
the kneeling suppliant and the stern
bearing of the one besought, Elizabeth
and Joshua turned silently away. Betty
thinking. .'If it were Joshua pleading
so, should forgive him." and Joshua
saying to himself, IF that was Betty
know she would not be SO stuck up"
They had followed the line of light
made by the lamplight shining through
the door. and had silently gone off
some fifty PAGES from the door, when
a scream which froze the blood in their
veins and made them turn round. And
this is what they saw. The old man
hao risen and siezed this beautiful
woman by the shoulders and was hold
ing her in the grasp of giant with
his left arm. In his right hand, lifted
above his head, cleaned long knife.
The glow showed the terror written on
the beautiful face of the woman and
the hatred and revenge cleaning out
of the face of the man like the face of
a demon.
Betty and Joshua took to their heels.
A crash made them again turn round.
The light was gone out and the shad-
owy outline of the hut in the deep
shade OF the oversprea ling elms was
all they could see, and all was silent
as the grave.