Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-06-28

Margaret Maryland, half sit
ting, half reclining on lounge
In her bedroom, glanced ut her cousin,
who sat in a low chair opposite. with
petulant expression on her face.
"Such storms" she continued COM
plainingly, 'such deluges of water
with clustering winds, 1 had ne'er
thought to witness in this life! 'Twere
well thou vert with me, cousin, or
should have died twenty times over Of
Inconsistencies and megrims."
Hetty sighed sympathetically.
Last night twas awfulv' She shud-
dered and drew her soft gray shawl
closer about her shoulders.
"The wind screamed about the house
and whistled through the lattices, max
Ing such eerie noises that covered up
my head with fright. Twas fear
some night, Margaret, and methought
the elements at war affected thee, for
thou vert restless in thy Dreams"
With an air of mystery about her,
Hetty reached over and touched her
cousins arm, saying in lower voice,
"Didst think of witches, cousin, an
hobgoblins 2"
"Nay, not of Witches" Margaret re-
piled, with light laugh, "but Of
truth the thought occurred to me more
than once that twas the DEVILS night
and lie was holding, forsooth, high rev.
elry with his imps and demons. But if
what folks say is true-that witches are
his hirelings, having sold their souls to
him-I doubt not that many of them
also We're abroad to rouse the elements
and disturb poor mortals.''
Margaret, hist" Hetty's face grew
white, and her eyes opened in fright
and horror. "Speak not so frivolously
of the uncanny, wicked spirits that
dwell In the air or they Will do thee
evil Didst never hear of the fate Of
Sarah Goodwin, n woman in Sterndorf
who denied the malevolent spirits who
ever hover near us and laughed ut
witchcraftT'
NAY, good Hetty," Margaret smiled
indulgently, II have neer heard of her.
An SO, besides frightful storms, long
faces, lonely hours and almost impass-
able roadways, this country is beset
with spooks and witches? Tell me Of
Mistress Goodwin, good cousin"
Throwing herself Mt full length on
the couch, Margaret prepared to listen.
Hetty drew nearer, her face still pale
and casting timid, furtive chances all
about her
Lower thy voice, Margaret, or Ill
may happen us. see soft mockcry In
thine eyes, but It's cen SO. Why, one
warm day last summer" she contin-
ued earnestly in her desire to convince
her cousin, two journeymen were
mendlng the spire Of our meeting house,
and as they worked they discussed the
bad effects Of evil spirits and said that
all witches should be burned, thereby
destroying the wicked devils in them"
Hetty's voice trembled. aust then a
burst Of thunder rent the air, great
black clouds gathered in the heavens,
but no rain fell. Lightning such as
never was seen before flashed across
the sky, striking one of these men to
the earth, who in falling brought the
other one down with him. The former
ne'er spoke again, although he lived,
and t'other's arms We're powerless to
do stroke Of work again"
The blue eyes of Mistress Maryland
reflected the seriousness of her cousins.
"Hetty, thy tale is a tragic one, an
wot the poor men but i'll deserved
their fate" she said. "But of this wom-
an, Sarah Goodwin? Sold she her soul
to Satan that she became witch?"
"Ah, lackaday," with deep drawn
sigh, "'twas never known, but on her