The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-19

the Gallows hill. In Boston it was a
time of terror When Salem had filled
her own prisons with people suspected
of witchcraft Boston opened to he vic
tins her prison doors.
The sworn testimony of the most
reputable people of Boston may be
found in the state archives today, to
these then so-called "wOnders of the in
visible world" People thought that
they could feel tormenting spirits that
they could not see. Nervous, Suscepti-
BILE women would be thrown into fits
and long agitations and have terrible
visions. According to the testimony of
q large number of people. of which
signed evidences, l think, still exist. a
woman by the name of Margaret Rule
was beset with evil spirits, So that her
body turned black from the blows.
which could not be seen to be dealt. and
was blistered by birthstone, the 'Odor
of which filed the house, but which
was invisible. She used to be sus-
pended in the air. Two witnesses say
of one of these levitations: 1T was as
much as several of us could do to pull
her down." and another witness says:
II have seen her thus lifted when a
person had thrown his own weight
across her arms" No hypnotic mystic
ries of the present day have cqualed
thes strange scenes.
1t was evening. The year was shad-
ing toward fall. Sir william had
gone to another part of the province.
AS Lady Phipps lighted the astrals,
the dead don's cup" cleaned again.
She saw its golden luster, and was
again picturing the strange past when
the bushes We're rustled at the window.
Calef came in and they talked of the
spreading delusion, in the gleam of the
dead Don's cup.
He went away. and Lady Phipps was
left alone. She bent forward and
studied the equistc carving in the
gold, and the engraving of her own
name--"Lady Phipps." She raised the
golden cup. a chuckling sound pierced
the air. She sat down the cup. There
was long silence.
Then there fell loud rap upon the
door. A servant answered, and an
nounced to Lady Phipps that woman
wanted to speak to her.
Let her come in
A strange figure presently came sid
ling into the room. little woman.
Enthusiastically dressed, and smelling of
balm, looking out of the corner of her
black eyes, and stopping suddenly.
Il heard ye."
q" do not understand you, madam"
you don't know who l am, do ye?"
Yer used to-"
Madam"
Il am no madam. Don't use no fine
words with me. ] am just Jane Cone.
He struck me by" (boy).
comprehend"
"Phipps-he were a sailor then. He
struck me by, what died at sea. and
when the news came that he was dead
and gone. l vowed a vow against the
hand that struck me by. I've head
YETI
What? Pray tell me. woman!''
I've heard ye consulting with Calef.
the infidel--and Lady Phipps. you are
a witch-that's wot ye be-"
Lady Phipps rose.
"Oh, don't look that way at me. I
know your arts. Bushes have ears.
have followed We all these years ever
since your hot-headed sailor struck me
by, down among the lumber wharves
1t was long way ago, I've never for
got ii, and ] never will, even if live to
be as old as the crows. / know yer
arts. Listen, and then well sit down
in this fine room and have a talk to-
gether. Now listen!"
Jane Cone thrust forward her head,
and contracted her thin, hard, cunning
face. and uttered low. chucklins
whistle. 1t had a mystic. far-away
sound. and seemed to penetrate the
whole house and to die away in the dis
taht rooms.
Jane Cone gave q courtesy.
did you ever hear q sound like that
before. Lady Phipps; a sound like that
in the air like as it were?''
Lady PhiDps sunk back in her chair,
and Jane Cone sat down and leaned
her elbows on her knees. She wore a
green calash. and she pushed back the
ribs of whalebone, revealing her thin.
gray hair.
Lady Phipos had heard that sound
before: so occult, SO mOcking, so SEEM
ingly far away. She had listened to II
that very evening, but she had a vague
and mystic memory of hearing some
thing of the kind many yeras ago, be-
fore her good fortune.
Eyes, Jane Cone, l have heard 1t this