Rock Island Argus., 1902-07-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Story of a Witch.
IOriginal.1

it to my father, and my father gave
it to me. What possessed the people
of those days is Il wonder TO all of us
now. I've thought that the devil plant
ed the superstition in them for his own
purposes, but /, being 4 Scotch Pres
byterian, am myself accounted bit
cranky in my religious notions.
Anne Holliwell when she was eight
cen years old was accused of witch
craft. Mark Spooner, n big, strong
fellow, wanted to marry her, but he
was wicked one-they said he had
secret meetings with Satan at midnight
i'll the woodland Anne would have
nothing to do with him. Moreover,
she loved Joel Hallitt, son of Deacon
HaIlitt, who went off with the Roger
Williams people. Joel was the reverse
of SpoOner, being small. pale looking
young man, but with very intellec-
tual cOuntenance. He was not in ia
vor with the congregation. however,
because he openly denied the right of
the church to burn out woman's
tongue with redhot iron. Indeed, so
great was the Indignation against his
heretical protest that Joel came near
paying the penalty of his rashneSs
with his life.
Now. l am not going TO vouch for
what l intend to tell you. I'll give 1t
as got 1t from others and their inter
probation OF it. If you choose to take
different viaws concerning 1t, 1 shall
have no objection.
Anne Holliwcll was accused, as 1
have said, of witchcraft. Ny grand
father used to say that Mark SpoOner
was at the bottom of the accusation
with view to getting Anne into his
power, but this was not current ut the
time. However this 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 Il wood nearby
and advanced TO the party. He wore
purple dOublet, bordercd with red. and
red hose, while on his head was con-
ical hat with n single feather in it.
There was something so singular in his
appearance that the people turned
from Anne Holliwell, the stake and
the fagots to look at him.
what 90 you with the wench?'
asked the stranger.
witch
"a witch?' The speaker threw back
his head and, displaying white. pointed
teeth. gave Il laugh. At first it was
simple ironical ha! ha, Then it had the
ring of a trumpet in it. Then came
back an echo. though there was 10 ell
inence or cliff to send it.
"Who are you:" 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"
"NO matter who / am, / have come
for the wench.'
'Stand off, cried several of the most
piOuS 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 We're seen to fly from the
point of the sword, some that his face
suddenly from being quite handsome
became SO demoniacal that every man
gave way instinctively 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 exertion, he dragged her away from
the fagots, after which she walked be-
side him passively, as though under
spell. In this way he took her to the
edge of the wood, where the two dis
appeared, no one daring to follow.
oil
companied by Joel HalIitt, came back
into the town. She was not further
molested by the people. 1t was not
generally known why, though the mas
ter of ceremonies who was to have
presided at her execution, after long
interview with her, gave out that she
could not have been Il witch because
the devil had tried to rescue her AMI
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 Hadlitt on the night before the
expected execution, instead of giving
way to his grief. spent the hours on
his knees praying that the people
might be absolved from the supersti-
tions 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 it and
sailed forth. His course lay through
the wood, and after entering it he met
the stranger, leading Anne. Approach
ing them, he asked whittier they We're
going. Anne gave her. lover an ap-
peaIing look, and the man glared at
him with such demoniacal counte-
nance that Joel instinctively held up
the sword in his hand between himself
and the stranger. Whether it was the
cross OH the hilt or an angelic express
sion that Anne aftcrward declared ap-
fl,oC Cf,.o