Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-03-15

sYou remember Mark Hillary. who
disappeared ten years ago, he continued,
after his guest was seated IN front Oh the
blazing fireplace; "and you gro also well
aware of the strange manner in whlch my
child has been afflicted"
Does she grow no better as she te-
comes olderp"
Not at all In lodily hellth she is
some stronger, but her attacks nave
| taken more violent form. AT one Time
! might have considered her frall health
as the cause, but as she grows stronger
her whole soul shows ] self to b9 IN an
| abnormal condition. 1t l could nave
doubted it at fist, when she was i'll, !
cannot now. whom she il we'll. My poor
child, 1 fear is the victim OF the EVIL
One"
And who do you suspect?"
His daughter!"
The pronoun may seem very indefinite,
| but it was not to the Squire.
sJust before you entered was reading
n note which I want to show you.
have kept my eye on this daughter, and
have discovered, among other things,
| that she Is in commune tion with some
one. we know not whom, un'ess it is as
suspect This note, which l wish to
| show YOU. was intercepted. have Kept
II in NV desk for some time, but tonight
opened it. See what convcting docu-
nent it is, and the minister handed the
birch bark to the Squire. "Obey! 1t
It is written by one who has authority
'Obey the one who keeps you Who IS
It that Keeps her? Evidently 1t refers to
tha Evil One, to whom she belcEg'.
iAnd the friend you know but cannot
see' Who would th4t be but the author
nf all egilP will always provi 70 for
vou.' Is not that full testimony to her
league with the deyi He ON she
cannot see will prov de.
While the min st was mixing these
running comments the Squire read tne
note through, holding at arms length;
what shall you do with it?" hs asked
when the IN n ster had finished.
THAT is Just VIII wished TO consult
you about. Shall 1 preserve it as evI-
dence against this-person, or shall L
burn itf l must confess tn It was
strongly tempted to do the latter, think
ing only of the safety of my family.
But perchance had better keep 1t, con-
GUIDED the minister, with a sigh.
"By no means, beg Of you, my Gear
sir" responded the Squire, earnestly:
He who hol Is the DEVILS writ ng VIII
soon have the wrteEin his house. 1t IS
by Gods grace that he has not come to
claim his own ere now.
Rut inst as the minister was about to
drop the piece Of lark into the fire. the
study door opened, his oldest daughter
entered. and the minister, instead,
dropped it upon the table near him.
Achsah was clad in white from head to
foot and to the two men, whose imsgina-
tion was excited with thoughts of witch
craft, she appeare like a specte". And,
indeed. the appearance Of the girl at such
a moment and in such q manner was
startling. She was now tall and slender,
and her height was greatly Increased by
che long robe Of white; her face was pale
and would have appeared deatbllke mad
it rot been for the piercing black eyes,
which seemed to CLEAN with an unhoIy
light. MS she stood in silence and gaZed
in the fire. A log upon the hearth
broke in two and fell between the and
irons and blazed up afl esh. AS the flame :
spranp up and illumin ted her face with
tn ir ROSY light, the imagination OF the
Squire saw plainly the traces of some
Grange power which was working upon
her. and he felt as if lie weie indeed II
the pre- sence of an unfortnn tie ore ovel
whom the evil one was hOvering. H6
shivered and involuntarily passed hi;
hand over his eyes.
aAchsah, what do you want?" asked the
minister, anXlously.
Il came in for that, said the girl
pointing to the birch bark. The two meI
looked at each other In silence. Acnsat
reached out her hand a1d took the note
walked stiff]y across the room ana lald II
upon the open desk by the window Ih'i
done. she returned, sat down upon
STOOL Of her fathers feet and became ab
sorbed in watching the flames In the Ire
place as they leaped up from the ourn
ing wood
Horror stricken, tie minister an tnF
Snnire sat in silence also, watching her.
Soon the door opened and Ashubah, thu
Younger child, came quietly in. nd, with
out needing the group by the fire, walked
directly to the desk aud took up th
birch lark, which she gazed at as /
charmed and unable to turn her eye
away.
Achsah arose from her seat, went owe
to ber ster end without ulteripg wol d
took the note from her and laid it bacl
upon the desk.
Ashubah made no protest but returned
, with her sister and sat down on the op
II
posite side of the fire.
,, Neither uttered word or appeared con
scious Of the Squire's presence. Bot
seemed to be in trance, so still wer
they, end so supernatural was their still
ness for ones SO young.
:, The Squire atched Achsah, who wa
seated in the shadow of the fireplace ne !
him. the moro closely. For about fiv
l minutes, but which 10 the excited maj
, seemed like an hour, she sat perfectl
, motionless. Her first emotion was
shudder, and then the Squire saw loo
of fear pass over her face and transform
her features. Her eyes turned to tn
window. In looking around to folloN
her gaze. he saw that her sister was NJ
, fected in the same way, and that tn
. minister was pale and trembling.
Our enemy is near!" he gasped, as b
n net the Squire's eye.
. Looking then towards the window, t
see what had so terrified the girls. he SAY
q black fantastic face Ieering into IN
. room from the outer darkness. Ihe ilgn
from the fire fell upon the window an
made the sight most CHASTITY. 1t was
large head, surmounted with fantastl
9 can from which the Squire could see tw'
. small horns protruding. The face wa
4 rk. except in places where touches @
) naint illuminated it, and wore a malls
naut sneer as its sharp black eyes watch
cd the covering minister and his daugh
= ters.
: Did YOU see that face?" asked th