The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-01-07
THE WITCH OF YELL.

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Zetlander of some 40 odd years, with q
fresh color and a thick coil of raven
black hair half hidden by her headgear,
o bright blue handkerchief spotted with
white. l gave her good morning and
asked her if she would give me a glass
Of water and a hammock of oatcake, as /
had been walking for some hours and
was both hungry and thirsty.
and welcome" she said, with the
pretty Shetland courtesy, "if you be
from Ireland, mistress"
ST am Irish, / said, ''but wouldn't
you give an 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 or Southron lips, " she said harsh
ly. "Sit ye down." pointing to her own
stool. "Ye're fair tired ont, mistress. ~
/ laughed family as I accepted the
seat. II have been trying to walk away
from myself, 81 said, land though I've
tramped through a whole forenoon I
haven't done it yet"
"Ah!" she said, smiling o little-only
with her lips, for her eyes kept their
steady sadness. Its q 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 We ever borne a child?"
I looked down at my black dress and
nodded silently. The woman drew in
her breath sharply as if she were hurt
at heart. aye" she said, $50 have /,
and lost it too. Poor lass!' And to my
intense establishment she stopped and
kissed me once and again. How old
wa he?" she went On gravely, taking
nc heed at the wonder i'm my face.
mime was a man grown, but yours
must ha' been but a BARN. Ye have the
look of a BARN yourself"
Have II" / said, with a dreary
laugh. can old BARN, I'm afraid. My
boy was Z years old" -
Aye, and your mans alive? DO l
know your man, and what for does he
let You come here to dree your weird
alone?'' II
My man knows it's the kindest thing
he could dc" Isaid. And I think per-
haps you know him, " l added, a little
proudly. Nearly every one in the is
lands knows Hector MacKenneth."
"Ay, do they. He'saman!" the witch
said emphatically, as she came out of
the cottage with a plate of bannocks
and q big cup of milk. And there's
never a soul in the islands but he has
done a kind turn or spoken a kind word
tO-even to me"
why even to you?'" / asked. my
husband has a great respect for you. He
told me you were the wisest woman i'm
the islands. Lief"
did he, now? And l his brothers.
wife, the witch said m~usingly.
| started. Whose wife? Not Ronald
ACKNOWLEDGMENT that died in
England?"
THAT same Ronald, " she said quiet
~. He died in the south, I know, and
some Southron brought the news to
MacKenneth himself. But he lies buried
away In the south, / heard say. DO We
know where, Mistress MacKenneth?"
mo; / wish / could tell you, poor
soul, /" | said pitifully. II wish I could
help you"
my bonny Ronald" she said, look
ing out to the blue, tumbling waves of
the sound, her eyes grave and sad and
her voice very low. Its little We
thought of me, but on the day we were
handfasted and the day We lay a-dy-
ing" Then she bent down q little and
looked sharply into my face.
Did ever any one in the islands say
to We that we two were not man and
wife? Did ever MacKenneth himself?''
Never MacKenneth, " / said honest
".
"Others have, though" She looked
sharply at me again, then caught ny
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 a little grassy slope, till we stood
in front of a 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 /.
See We here, Eleanor MacKenneth, do
yon love your man, or liked We your
first lad bestf''
/ cried in my heart to the dead and
gone Oscar to forgive me, and then I
looked the woman fairly in the eyes and
answered her, 81 love MacKenneth
best"
Where were ye married? In kirk. of
course?''
In kirk, yes. We were married in q
London church, / said; 1.-THE Church
of 81. Stephen"
Kirk Stephen, aye? Well, this is
Kirk Odin, where thousands have been
made man and wife in their day. Go
you nearer to the stone, wife Of Mac
Kenneth, and you shall be married
there too, If you're no. afraid
dol look afraid?s | said, with i
smile, and she smiled back at me
PINT your h-and-closed s~o--through
tho hole In the stone. = / ohAyed with
5N0sqan difarmltv Pr Aha hnga pAaa nm.