The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-03
TO tho about 1000 words eaen
lEor- r-I,uhlc aionA Anrilll
Nas PemhsrsON'

10 lvette, at all the speed or which asses
are capable. Long the Able called
them. in language the church might not
have approved. but which the occa-
sion and the Abbe's fear demanded.
When he found at last that he was alone
beads OF perspiration stood upon his
forehead, and it seemed that a hundred
spirits were moclNng him in the wood.
"Oh!" groaned he, what do see!
Where am L? Who is it that follows
nge? That l should have left my home
to have come TO such n place! Heaven
help me or | am surely lost"
lie beat his pony the more in his fear,
nddriving the unwilling beast through
the thicket only by generous applica,
tion OF his cudgel, he came out at last
upon sward over which great trees cast
shadows of fantastic shape. The spot
was desolate enough for anything; but
it was lighter than the copse he had just
quilted, and the stars, shining brightly
in the gray heavens above, seemed to
send down a message of courage.
Come" said the Able to himself, as
he wiped the perspiration from his fore
head and began to take heart little,
"why do / fear when / have but ten
crowns in my pocket? Who would
harm the Cure of Ivette? Not the
footpads of Saint Cloud, | am sure.
And / do not believe i'm spirits-certain-
ly they are for bag's tales. What l
snw was the fire of some charcoal burn
err No doubt that was it. My men
will come up presently, and we will all
GO on together. 1 could laugh to re-
member what n figure cut"
He did laugh at the remembrance.
but il was "A poor attcmptr-hollow and
mocking like the thought which bred
it, And lie began now 10 he very anX-
ious for the company of his servants.
bidding them come forth from the
thicket where he believed them still TO
lie.
Francois. Jean." he bawled, sit is /
your master, who calls you. What do
YOU fear, knaves? Am / not here to
protect you? Oh. surely, will lay my
cudgel upon your backs tomorrow"
To his amazement, neither Jean ncr
Francois answered his appeal: but in
the wood behind him there arose again
tanned and piercing like the wall OF
witches upon the wing.
"Hail to the Lord Bishop OF Blois!"
was the cry; hail! hail! Whittier he
goes, there GO Observation-Disclosures
lalla!"
The echo fell from wood to wood and
grove to grove until it died away in
moaning sighs afar, at the heart OF
the forest. When the last note was
stilled. the Able heard voice, sweet
and fresh and young, crying
what shall be done to the Lord Bish-
op of Blois!"
And from the woods the answercame:
"He must suffer, he must tsuffer-lolalla
-lolalla--lolalla."
A loud peal of laughter followed the
words. and while the laughter rang.
the thicket was lit again with the flam-
ing crimson light. The Abbe's heart
threatened TO stand still when he saw,
grouped there upon the green, tho
strangest company he had ever beheli
i'm all his life. Dressed in scarlet, some
like devils, some like dwarfs, some like
hideous creatures with horns protrud-
ing from their brows. the throng ap-
peared to I've led by n woman whose
sugar-oaf cap and sweeping crimson
skirts answered in all things to the pop
ular picture of witch. When the Able
beheld her she rode upon n great, black
horse, but those around her were mount
ed upon white ponies. and the whole
company, galloping out of the woods
presently, they surrounded the tremb-
ling eccesiastlc and roared until the
very woods rang as with demon voices:
Long live the Lord Bishop of Blois-
lolalla-lolnllal"
II was n strange scene; the torches.
which many of the masqueraders had
now lighted, casting livid glow upon
tht iet dresses and masks and
wi 4 faces of the dwarfs and de-
mons and horrid monsters who now
locked about the amazed Cure of Yvette.
he. on his part, knew not whether tho
whole were hideous dream, or the
preparation OF some masquerade, OF
which he was TO he the victim. Pos
sibly deep down In his mind there was
borne the question--are these human
things or spiritual? Even the learned
were gross In superstition in ;he mid
die of the eighteenth century, and the
excellent able was no wiser than other
men-perhaps even little more prone