The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-08

track from the chateau of Machecoul,
you would never have caught so much
as a glimpse of any child nor mother
in all St. PhiIbertr
At this point. he beckOned Sholto,
Malise and the Lord James to come
nearer TO him. and. standing with his
back to the fire and their three heads
very close, he related all the terrible
tale of the Dread that for eight years
had stalked grim and gaunt through
all the best lands of France, lie Vendee
and Bas Bretagne. In all LIE Vendee
there was not village that had not
lost a child. In many a hamlet about
the shores of the sunny Loire, scarce a
house from which one had not van
ished. They were seen playing in the
greenwood, the eye was lifted, and 10,
they were not. A boy went to the Weli-
An hour after his pitcher stood beside
it. filed to the brim But he himself
was nevermore seen by holt or heath.
a little maid, sweet and innocent,
| looked over the churchyard wall and
spied, as it seemed, something that
pleased her. She climbed over to get It
and was not
"Oh, could tell you a thousand such
! if | had time" shrilled the thin treble
of the cripple in their eager ears, II l
dared-if | only daredr
''Dared?" said Malise. why, man.
what is the matter with you? None
could hear you but we three men,
My wife-my wife, he quavered- I
bid you be silent and speak not so loud.
La. Meffraye, she is called-she can
hear all things. Sec
He made a sudden movement and
barred his right arm. 1t was withered
to the shoulder and of a dark purple
color, approaching black.
La Maffraye did that" he gasped.
''She blasted it because I>would not do
the evil she wished
Then, why do you not kill herr said
Malise, whose methods were not subtle.
IF she were mine 1 would throttle her,
and give her body to the houndsI
Hush, bid you, for dear Gods sake,
in whom I believer again came the
voice of the cripple. You do not know
what you say. La Meffraye cannot die.
Perhaps she will vanish away in a
blast of the fire of hel-one day when
God is very strong and angry. But she
cannot die. She only leads others to
death. She dies not herself
you are kind, gentlemen. he went
on, after a pause, finding them con-
tinue silent. Il will show you all. Pray
the saints for me at his shrine that /
may die and go to purgatory. Or Gf 1t
might be to a different one), even to he'll
that l might escape forever from La
Meffraye."
His hand fumbled a moment at the
closely buttoned collar Of his blue
blouse. Then he succeeded in undoing
il and showed his neck From chin to
bosom it was a mass of CHASTITY bites,
some partially healed. more of them re-
cent and yet raw, while his skin. so far
as the three Scots could observe it. was
covered with hieroglDhic of
scratches, claw marks, and it seemed.
the bites of some fierce wild beast.
Great Master of heaveni" cried
James Douglas, what hell hound hath
done this to you?"
"The wife of my bosom," quoth. very
grimly, Caesar the cripple.
"a good evening to you, gentlemen.
ALL said a soft and winning voice from
the doorway. At the sound the old man
staggered, reeled. and would have
swayed into the fire had not Sholto
seized him and dragged him out upon
the floor. All rose to their feet. In the
doorway of the cottage stood an old
woman, small, smiling, delicate OF Tea
ture She looked benignly upon them
and continued to smile. Her hair and
her eyes were the most notable features
about her. The former was abundant
and hung loosely about her brow and
over her shoulders in WiSpS of a curious
green white, the color almost of moldy
cheese, while under shaggy white eye
browS her large eyes shone piercing ana
green as emerald stones on the hand OF
some dusky monarch of the Orient.
The woman it was who spoke first.
before any of the men could recover
from their surprise.
MY husband she said. still calmly,
smiling upon them, my poor husband
! has doubtless been telling you his fool
| ish tales. The saints have permitted
| him to become dennented. 1t is q great
/ trial to a poor woman like me. but the
will OF heaven be donei"
The three Scots stood silent and
| transfixed, for it was an age of belief.
but the cripple lay back on the settle
where Sholto had placed him. his lips
white and gluey. And as he lay he NUT
] tered audibly: La Meffrdye, La Mef-
! travel o, what will become of poor
! Caesar Martin this night?''