Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-10-20

in her bedroom, glanced at her cousin,
who sat in low chair opposite, WIN d
petulant expression on her face.
/, "Such sto,ms," she continued COM
plainingy, "such deluges of water
with clustering winds, had ne'er
thought to witness in this life! 'Twere
we'll thou vert with me, cousin, or l
should have died twenty times over or
inconsistencies and megrims."
Hetty sighed alphabetically.
Last night twas awful" She shud-
dered and drew her soft gray shawl
closer about her shoulders.
1.-THE wind screamed about the house
and whistled through the lattices, max
ing such eerie noises that / covered up
nv head with fright. Twas a 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 a lower voice,
"Didst think of witches, cousin, an
hobgoblins p
"Nay, not Of Witches" Margaret re-
piled, with light laugh, but of q
truth the thought occurred to me more
than once that twas the devils night
and he 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 were abroad to rouse the elements
and disturb poor mortals."
margaret, histw 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, q woman In Sternd0rf
who denied the malevolent spirits who
ever hover near us and laughed at
witchcraft"
"Nay, good Hetty," Margaret smiled
lndulgently, IL have ne'er heard of her.
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 at full length on
the couch, Margaret prepared to listen.
Hetty drew nearer, her face still pale
and casting timid, furtive glances all
about her.
Lower thy voice, Margaret, or Ill
may happen us. see soft mDckery 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
mending the spire OF our meeting house,
and as they worked they discussed the
bad effects of evil spirits and said tat
all witches should be burned, therepy
destroying the wicked devils in them
Hettys voice trembled. "Just then !
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 Nen to
the earth, who in falling brought the
other one down with him. The former
ne'er spoke again, although ne lived
and t'other's arms were pOwerless to
do stroke Of work again"
The blue eyes of Mistress Maryland
reflected the seriousness of her cousins
"Hetty, thy tale is tragic one, an
wot the poor men but Ill deserved
their fate" she said. "But of this won,
an, Sarah Goodwin? Sold she her soul
to Satan that she became witch?'
"Ah, lackaday," with a deep drawn
sigh, "twas never known, but on her