Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-11-15
=
The Hearts
Highway 1;,i,i; 14S5 !; /;
py
MARY E..
WILKINS
Copyright. 1900. by DOUBLEDAY. PAGE a CO.

pearl. and Master Wingtield,' said
she in whisper. lest she disturb
Catherine. what. what, / pray thee.
| was it the witch woman said|"
laughed. "She was calling down a
blessing upon my head, madam" /
said.
"A blessing and not curse?'
"As | understood it, though l know
not why she should have blessed me-"
"They say she is white witch and
worketh good instead Of harm. and
yet said Mistress Mary, and her
voice trembled. showing her fear, and
| could see the negroes rolling eyes Of
wide alarm at me, for they We're much
affected by all hints of deviltry.
81 pray you, madam, to have no
fear" | said, and thought within my
self that never should she know Of
what had happened on my way thith-
er.
"They say that her good deeds work
in the end to mischief" said Mary,
land, and--'tis sure no good whatever
can come from unlawful dealing with
the powers of evil even in good
cause. | wish the witch woman had
neither cursed thee nor blessed thee,
Harry"
| strove again to reassure her and
said. as verify l begun to believe. that
the old DANES words, whether Of ours
ing or blessing, were Of no moment.
but presently Mistress Mary declared
herself afraid Of riding alone, shut
within her sedan chair, and would
ulight and have one Of the slaves lead
my horse and walk with me, taking
my arm the remainder of the way.
| had never known Mistress Mary
Cavendish to honor me so before, and
knew not to what to attribute 1t,
whether to alarm, as she said, or not.
And | knew not whether to be enrap-
tured or angered at my own rapture. or
whether should use or not that au-
thority which / had over her and
which she could not, strive as best she
aOuld. gainsay, and bid her remain in
her chair.
But. being so sorely bewildered, / did
nothing, but let her have her way, and
on toward Drake Hill we walked, she
clinging to my arm and seemingly hold
ing me to slow pace. and the slaves.
with the chairs. and my horse forging
ahead with III concealed zeal on ac-
count Of that chanting proclamation or
Margery Key which, l will venture to
say, WAS considered b: every one of
the poor fellows as Il special curse di-
rected toward him instead of bless
ing for me.
AS we followed on that moonlight
night she and alone. of sudden |
felt my youth and love arise TO such
an assailinS of the JOY Of life that l
knew myself dragged, rs it were, by it
and had no more choosing as to what
| should not do. Verify 1t would be
easier to lead an army of malcontents
than ones own self. And something
there was about the moonlight on that
fair Virginia night, and the heaviness
of the honey scents, and the pressure
of love and life on every side, In bush
and vine and tree and nest, which
seemed to overbear me and sweep Inc
along as on the crest Of some green
tide of spring. Verify there are forces
of this world which are beyond the
overcoming Of mortal man so long as
he is incumbered by his mortality.
Mary Cavendish gathered up her
blue and silver petticoats about her as
closely as blue flower bell at night
fall and stepped along daintily ut my
side, and the feel Of her little hand on
my arm seemed verify the only touch
of material things which held me TO
this world. We came to Il great pool
of wet in our way, ana suddenly
thought Of her feet in her little satin
shoes. madam, you will wet your
feet if you walk through that pool in
your satin Shoes" said, and my voice
was so hoarse with tenderness that !
would not have known it for my swD.
and | felt her arm tremble. NO. she
said family. But. without waiting for
any permission, around her waist
put an arm and had her raised in
twinkling from the ground and bore
her across the pool, she not struggling,
but only whispering family when
set her down after it was well passed.
"You-you should not have done that
Harry"
Then of a sudden close she pressed
her soft cheek against my shoulder
as we walked and whispered, as
though she could keep silent no Ion
ger, and yet as if she swooned for
shame in breaking silence. Harry,
Harry, liked the way you thrust
them aside when they were rude with
YOU to do me service, and, Harry,
Won are stronger, and-and-than them
ALL"
Then | knew, with such shock Of
Joy that l wonder l lived, that the
child loved me, but l knew at the
same time as never l had known II
before my love for her.
Mistress Mary" l said, II but DID
my duty and my service, which you
can always count upon, and did no
more than others would have done
Sir Humphrey Hyde
Marsery Key sending