Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-22

{ftEE !, y
"Let me see your face, yo,lng gentleman"
deed--I uncovered She shot piercing
glance at my fnce, ard looking down on
tho floor traced hurricdly u figure with her
stick. She studied the phantom lines q
moment and then looked up.
Listen, she said solemnly, and wav-
ing her stick round me she quayered out
in tones which filed me with strange
tremor:
ssThe man goes east, and the wind blows west
Wood to the head. and steel to the breastl
The man goes west, and the wind blows east,
The neck twice doomed tho gallows shall feast!
Beware'' she went on more loudly
and harshly, tapping with her stick on
the floor and shaking her palsied head at
me. Beware, unlucky shoot Of crooked
branch! Go no farther with It'll Go backl
The sword may miss or may not fall, but
the cord is sure''
II Master BERTHE had not held my arm
tightly, should have recoiled, as most Of
those within hearing had already done.
The strange illusions to my past, which
had no difficulty in detecting, and the
witch's knowledge of the risks OF our pres
ent enterprise were enough to startle nd
shake the most constant mind, and In the
midst OF enterprises secret and dangerous
fot svxln on firm, nn rnC NC n
disdain omens. That she was one Of those
unhappy beings who bay dark secrets at
the expense of other souls seemed certain,
and had been alone should have, am
not ashamed to say 1t, given back.
But was lucky in having for my COM
panion man OF rare mind, and besides of
SO single o religious belief that at the end
of his life he always refused to put faith in
thing of the existence of which have
no doubt myself mean witchcraft.
He showed at this moment the courage
of his opinions. Peace, peace, woman!"
he said compassionately. 'sWe shall live
while God wills it and die when ho wills
1t, and neither live longer nor die earlier!
So let us by"
would you perishv' she quavered.
aye ii SO God wills!" lie answered, un-
daunted.
At that she seemed to shake all over and
hobbled aside, muttering: Then go onl
Go on God wills it,"
Master BERTHE gave me no time for hest
tation, but holding my arm urged me on.
to where the hostler stood awaiting the
event with face of much discomposure.
He opened the door for us, however, and
led the way up narrow and not too Glenn
staircase. On the landing at the head of
this he paused and raised his lantern so as
to cast the light on our faces. She has
overlooked me, the old witch!" he said
viciously. .Iwish had never meddled in
this business.
Man." Master Berthe replied sternly
lido you fear that weak old woman
mo, but fear her master. retorted the
hostler, .sand that is the devil!''
'.Then / do not" Master BERTHE an
swercd bravely. For my Master Is ms
good a match for him as I am for that old
woman When he wills it, man, you will
die and not before. So pluck up spirit. .
Master Bertio did not look at me- though
I needed his encouragement as much as
the hostier, having had better proofs of the
woman's strange knowledge But seeing
that his exhortation had emboldened this
ignorant man was ashamed to seem b
hesitate. When the hostler knocked at the
door--not Of so, but of 15-and it present
ly opened, went in without more ado.
The room was d bare inn chamber. A
pallet without covering lay in ono corner.
In tho middle were a couple of stools, and
on one OF them taper.
The person who had opened to us stood
eying us attentively, bluff, weather
beaten man with thick beard and the air
of sailor. We'll, (" he said, what now3"
These gentlemen want to buy some
lace, !" the hostler explained.
What lace do they wantf' was the re-
tort
French lace" answered.
'sYou have como to the right shop,
them the man answered briskly. Nod
ding to our conductor to depart, he care
fully let him out Then, barring the door
behind him, he as rapidly strobe to the
pallet and twitched it aside. disclosing a
trapdoor. He lifted this, and We saw a
narrow shaft descending into darkness.
He brought the taper and held it SO as to
throw faint light into the opening. There
was no ladder, but blocks of wood nailed
alternately against two of the sides, at in
teryals of u couple of feet or So made the
descent pretty easy for an active man.
''The door is on this side, he said, point
ing out the one Knock loudly once aud
softly twice. The word is the same y
We nodded, and while he held the taper
above We descended one by one without
much difficulty, though admit that half
way down the old woman's words, Go OH
and perish, came back disquietingly to
my mind. However,, my foot struck the
bottom before had time to digest them,
and a streak of light which seemed to
issue from under a door forced my thoughts
the next moment into new channel
Whispering to Master BERTHE to pause
minute, for there was only room for one
OF us to stand at she bottom Of the shaft,
] knocked in the fashion prescribed.
The SOUND Of loud voices, which ! had
already detected, ceased on sudden, and
] heard shahairg on the other side of the
boards This was followed by silence, and
than the door was flung open, and blinded
for the moment by blaze of light
walked mechanically forward into room.
made out as ! advanced q group Of men
standing round rude table, their figures
thrown into dark relief by flares stuck tn
al IL r.