The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-09-16
THE STORY
 OF A Wl1rGE
forlrlnal1


 1t to me What possessed the peorle of those days is a wonder to all of us now. I've thought that the devil plant cd the superstition In them for his own purposes. but l, being Scotch Pres byterlan, aul myself accounted a bit cranky In my religious notions. a ''.'
 Anne Holllwen when she was eight cen, years old was accused of witch craft. Mark Spooner. a big, strong fellow, wanted to marry her, but he was a wicked one-they said he had secret meetings with satan at midnight in tho wood -and Anne would have nothing to do with him. Moreover. she loved Joel Hallitt, son of Deacon Hallltt who went oI with the Roger Williams people, Joel was the reverse of SpOoner. being a small pale looking young man, but with a very intellec' tual countenance. He was not In fa- vor with the congregation, however, because he openly denied the right of the church to burn out a woman's tongue with Q redhot Iron. Indeed, 80 great was the indignation against his heretical protest that Joel came near paying the penalty of his rashness with his life.
 Now. I am not going to vouch for what I intend to tell you. I'll give 1t as got 1t from others and their inter pretatlon of 1t. If you choose to take different views concerning 1t, I shall have no objection. -.. .N t. ..
 Anne Holliwel was accused, as l bave said. of witchcraft. My grand- father used to say that Mark Spooner was at tho bottom of tho accusation with a view to getting Anne Into his power. but thls was not current at the time. However thls be, Anne was tried and sentenced to be burned When the fagots were prepared and Anne was being bound to the stake, a tall man stepped out of a wood nearby and advanced to theparty. He wore purple doubled, bordered with red, and red hose, while on his head was a con ical hat with . single feather fin it There was something SO singular in his appearance that the people turned from Anne. Holliwell, the stake nnd the fagots to look at him.
 What do you with the wenchT asked the stranger.
 We're going to burn her. She's a witch"
 "A witchY" The speaker threw hack his head and. displaying white, pointed teeth, gave a laugh. At first 1t was simple ironical ha ha! Then it had the ring of a trumpet in it. Then came back an echo. though there was no em. thence or cli6 to send it
 "who are youT" asked one of the pillars of the church who were con ducting the execution. "You strangely resemble Mark Spooner. but you are not Mark Spooner, for Mark is but twenty-five, while you-you may be young or you may be old" fai |
 "No matter who am. have come for the wench."
 stand offv' cried several of the most plous men present, who had no mind that the Lords will should be inter fered with, but the stranger, drawing his sword, stepped up to Anne Holli- we'll and, cutting the cords, led her away toward the wood. Some said that sparks were seen to tly from the point of the sword, some that his face suddenly from being quite handsome became so demoniacal that every man gave way instinctvely before him. As for Anne, from the first she shrank away from him, but he took her by the wrist, and, though he seemed to make no excrtion, he dragged her away from the fagots, after which she walked be side him p0ssively. as though under a si,sL In this way be took her to the edge of the wood, where the two dis appeared. no one daring to follow.
 An hour later Anne Holliwcll, ac campanicd by Joel IIallltt, came back into thc town. She was not further molested by the people, It was mol generally known why, though the mas fer of ceremonies who was to have presided at her execution, after long interview with her. gave out that she could not have been a witch because otlp devil had tried to rescue her and had failed. My grandfather claimed to have got the story of what happened after she disappeared with the stranger from one of her children.
 Joel Uallltt on the night before the expected execution. instead of giving way to his grief. spent the hours on bis knees praying that the people might be absolved from the supersu tlons of witchcraft and persecution, When the hour of the execution came, he was seized with an impulse to go and save the girl. Seeing a sword standing in the corner whose hilt was shaped like a cross, he seized 1t and sallied forth. His course lay through the wood. and after entering 1t ho met the stranger, leading Anne. Approach ing them, he asked whither they were going. Anne gave her lover an ap- peallng look, and the man glared at him with such a demonlacal .eounte- nance that Joel instinctiyely held up the sword in bis hand between himself and the stranger Whether 1t was the cross on the hilt or an angelic expres-
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