The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-09-13

StubVS VI uSltullOu appeared at their
doors, and began to call their children
Bernard. Eugeue! come in at once,
Prosper! Claudne!-here. Immediately
what Joseph, you rogue. you will moi
come? Resale, just wait till | catch
your
Then other names were shouted loud.
~. "Lucienne! Corale! Pierre! Celes.
UNI! The fathers did not say any.
thing, but pulled ears freely, and more
than one boy screamed.
Evidently something of dire import
was about TO occur, to thus rouse the
sleepy little borough from its natural
lethargy
Suddenly there appeared at the far.
.ner END OF the street near the first
houses, a queer, grotesque. almost mon.
strous figure. 1t looked at first like n
heap of colored rags, propelled forward
by distressful jerks The human franc
under this medley was, as one NAV i'm.
aglne. wretchedly put together. The
Two legs, thin as switches. were of nm
equal length, ana the knees knocked to-.
gether; the body was bent on the left
side, and one hip made sharp prom.
lnence, while on the other side over
hung shoulder outrageously loaded
with abrupt swellings. The head. in
It's effort to keep upright. was on n
line with the protrudiug hip The two
long arms were like two tentacles. and
with them the creature was able TO
DICK up aims without bending. A stick
held in one hand supported this heap
OF tatters. The whole-warped knotted
twisted, full of depresslons and proml.
nences-gave the impression Of cork.
screw on legs.
10 crown all, the head was oblong.
ana the hair, scant and stiff. struggled
over the face. The mouth stretched
from ear to ear and smiled uncon-
sciously and necessarily, in manner
that was irritating after awhile. Be
meath this sordonlc grin hung a heavy
chin, and above 1t was a nose with
wide nostrlls. Flabby. overhanging
cheeks added, II possible to the ride.
ulous appearance of this lamentable
creature.
There is Tortillon! There is Tor
tllon!' was repeated along the street,
and the village children crept into their
houses in fear
1t was indeed terrible fear that Tor
tillon reused wherever she went. Many
called her witch. Did she not seem
typically one? How-without tile aid
OF the devil-could she find means TO
live In such a distorted body? More
than one asserted that he had seen
cloven foot under her ragged skirts.
She was accused also of travelling
through the air at night. with a broom
for steed. Indeed. she could not an
pear within six miles of place with
out being suspected of stealing chill
dren to kill them in order to drink their
blood while holding her evil orgies.
And names were given. Jeanne
Gaudru's daughter had been spirited
away; and Annette Souas' little boy
had disappeared one morning after Tor
tillon had passed. Some few. who were
not superstitious, had the boldness to
say that Annette Soulas and Jeanne
Gaudru might themselves have done
harm to their own children. But 1t
was sufficiently proved-to the rest.
TortillOn was constantly seeking little
children; she must be watched.
AS II TO corroborate this, little boy.
dirty and charming, appeared at the
third house. Possessed by an impera-
tive desire to see Tortillon. because
such pleasure was forbidden, he slipped
his head through the half-opened door,
slice of buttered bread between his
teeth.
The beggar stopped abruptly. II
must have been that the sight of the
child was sweet to the miserable crea-
ture. for her eyes, usually half.closed.
now opened wide. and disclosed great
limpid depths, feminine and full of
caresses. The monster was indeed a
woman.
A harsh voice broke forth: go your
way, Tortillon; go your way, or take
carer
The little one received a slap. and
was drawn back. Utterlng n sigh, the
beggar drew herself up, swung her
humps backward and forward, raised
the stick which served her as a sup
port, twisted herself from her heels to
Nv hNNhf plbNtthth eltD. "A
second effort, second step. Her eyes
lowered; she was as hideous as before.
II was May. The sky was clear
blue, the earth all perfume. Never had
spring come In clearer garb; buds were
everywhere; birds caroled. One felt
life-full, ardent, mysterious-slnging
through space!
The warmth became intense and JOY |
Gus; the twelve strokes of the midday |
struck lazlly in the village steeple
Tortillon continued her way with diff |
tieulty. She reached the door of the |
parsonage at last-quite exhausted II
was the custom of the curate to give
her once n week a silver piece, a loaf |
OF bread and some fragments from the |
table.
She was about to touch the bell when !
the door opened, Marianne, the SER
want, came out, holding a child of six |
by the hand. Evidently inspired 10y an
Irresistible impulse, the beggar. with |
4. 1 A. a.