Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-08-19
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- lage. At the cry twenty
WOW countrywomen in various
stages of agitation appeared at their
doors, and began to call their children.
Bernardo Eugeue! come in at once!
Prospect Claudine!-here, Immediately.
What, Joseph, you rogue, you will not
come? Resale, just wait till l catch
your
Then other names were shouted loud
ly. "Lucienne! COralle! Pierre! Celes-
tinp 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
Their end of the street, near the first
houses, queer, grOtesque, almost mon
strous figure. 1t looked at first like n
heap of colored rags, propelled forward
by distressful jerks. The human frame
under this medley was, as one may i'm
agine, wretchedly put together The
two legs, thin as switches, were of I'M
equal length, and the knees knocked to-
gether; the body was bent on the left
side, and one hip made sharp prom
inence, while on the other side over
HING a-sbONidSS vuJrHge0usly loaded
with abrupt swellings. The head, In
its effort to keep upright, was on a
lin rrytkh he nfN,Y ha
long arms were like two tentacles, and
with them the creature was able to
pick up aims without bending. A stick
held in one hand supported this heap
Of tatters. The whole-warped, knotted,
twisted, full of depresslons and promi-
nences-gave the impression of cork
screw on legs.
To crown all, the head was oblong,
and the hair, scant and stiff, struggled
over the face. The mouth stretched
from ear to ear, and smiled uncon-
sciously and necessarily, in a manner
that was irritating after awhile. Be-
meath this sardonic grin hung a heavy
chin, and above it was a nose with
wide nostrils. Flabby, Overhanglng
cheeks added, if possible, to the ride
ulous appearance of this lamentable
creature.
There is Tortillon! There is Tor
tillOnw was repeated along the street,
and the village children crept into their
houses in fear.
1t was indeed terrible fear that Tor
fillnn po,1cad uharayar che want NFopr
called her a witch. Did she not seem
typically one? How-without the aid
of the devil-could she find means to
live in such distorted body? More
than one asserted that he had seen n
cloven foot under her ragged skirts
She was accused also of travelling
through the air at night, with broom
for steed. Indeed, she could not ap-
pear within six miles Of n 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 Soulas' 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 It
TortillOn was constantly seeking little
children; she must be watched.
As If 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,
a slice of buttered bread between his
teeth.
The beggar stopped abruptly. 1t
must have been that the sight of the
child was sweet to the mlsera BILE crea-
ture, for her eyes, usually half-closed,
now opened wide, and disclosed great
llmpid 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 a 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
her neck, and proceeded q step. A
second effort, second step. Her eyes
InvUnroHs Ohn mn n hidnnT1o nj
1t 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-singlng
through space!
The warmth became intense and JOY
GUS; the twelve strokes of the midday
struck lazily in the village steeple.
TortlllOn continued her way with diff
fculty. She reached the door of the
parsonage at last-quite exhausted. 1t
was the custom of the curate to give
her once week a silver piece, 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
eyes again humid, stretched her arms
toward the child.
"En bien! TOrtlllon, what is the
matter with your said Marianne, re-
colllng in fright, while the child hid
behind her skirts.
Again the wretched creature stifled
her heart. She took her bread, her ten
sous and the scraps duly, almost apa-
thetically. Then she set out again,
with still more difficulty, as If she were
weighted with a nameless burden
greater than she could bear.
She stopped again after going about
twenty feet. She slipped through
gateway leading into an imposing man.
sion, vacant just then. The incloslng
wall made n semiclrcle, which was