Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-28
THE HOUSE OF THE
BLACK RING.
CHAPTER XIII.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
Copyright. 1905. by Henry Holt & Col

The Pow-Wowing at Roaring Run.
| The habitation of Poppy Miller at the
/ mouth OF the run had been seen by few of
the valley people-at least by day. The
| children OF the region for half a century
and more had been taught to avoid the un-
| canny place and by no means to approach
| it save under dire necessity, and then only
in the prescribed way: at dead of night, in
dark Of the moon, In storm, If possible, ami
never by the road. No one In the region
confessed to having made the fearful trip,
| but a strange tale II might be were ali
| known.
| The seat of power In the old cabin was
J Gran NAV Miller, a mysterious, dreaded
| parsonage whom few had ever seen save
| those who had visited her on midnight mis-
sions. OF her origin and antecedents there
were only traditions. She was not a native
| of the valley. She and Poppy Miller had
| suddenly appeared one summer, go long ago
| that the date had been forgotten. He was
| manifestly Dutch" but she was OF a type
| utterly foreign to the region, and in half
century or more she had not once been seen
outside of the limits of the run farm. OF
| the surmises and conjectures Of the years
| that had now grown into a solid body Of
| tradition by many accepted veritable his
| tory. 1t Is needless to speak.
One thing, however. was certain:
| Gran NAV Miller had power-not the power
| that removes disease, for all must know
l that what brings disease and disaster will
not remove it-but the power that touches
the internal agencies For ordinary diseases,
| for rheumatism and warts, and liver
| crowd children, and such like, there were
many wowers, but when IL came to
| dealings with the unknown only Gran NAV
| Miller could avail. 1t was firmly believed
| that she had in her possession of the
| few copies now extant of that fearful vol
| ume, THE Seventh Book of Moses" the
book which in the motherland in the old
1 which
| few, 1t is we'll known. took with them at
| the risk of body and soul in their flight to
| the new world.
Thus the little valley and wide circle be
| yond 1t had ever their court of last appeal.
| Would nix-nux have the spell removed, or
maiden win back her faithless lover or
| a father rescue his Maynard son--who
| could avail but Grammar Miller? And
! there were dark whispers of vengeance
wreaked on enemies, of lightning called
from the skies, Of men and women sudden
Iy cut down by Internal agencieS-deeds
| too horrible even to think about All these
| things men averred had been done on black
| nights In the Miller kitchen, and there are
those even today who, could it be known,
| carry on their breasts CHASTITY scars of
| crosses and cabalistic syInbolry done at
| midnight when the lightning was cleaning
on the rocks of Roaring Run.
As to the origin of this belief, so potent
in the Seven mountains and beyond, one
might say much. One might trace the in
carnations and witch lore to the German
| L
| he might study with certainty the wild fe-
| itch elements added by the African, and
| the still more awful lore borrowed from
| the Indian. But this is not treatise.
The night of the 9th of May was dark
and stormy. There was no moon; the rain
came in spurts and swirls; the fog had
| smeared out every trace of light as with
an inky thumb. From the top of Heller 8
Ridge and from the neighboring gaps came
down ever and anon the whimpering OF the
wind among the snags, rising at times TO
long whines. The trees along the pike shud-
dered and twisted though they were as
invisible as If in q cavern.
II was almost midnight. The last light
in the valley farm houses had gone out
hours before; the storm and the night domi-
| ma ted completely the landscape. In all the
region there was not a soul astir save at
one single point-at the mouth of Roaring
| run woman muffied beyond recognition,
| was stealing through the wet shrubbery.
| She did not pause or hesitate. As she
| rounded a projection. guided utterly by thn
| sense of touch and by the snarl of the run
close on her left, ray of light flashed into
! her eyes-a single thin ray as from
dark lantern. She quickened her pace and
walked more confidently. moment and
| The light was filtering through hole in a
blind but 1t gave no hint of the surround
ings. After a false step which landed her
Icruelly in snarl of thorns, she found the
! door and knocked. The blows echoed with
| hollow boom.
Instantly. as If her knock had caused it,
/
sound. She stood moment listening. and
then she knocked again. Utter silence.
! Suddenly there came a sharp whisper out
| of the dark, in her very ear.
| "Who's there?" She jumped convulslvely.
"Who is it?" the voice insisted sharply.
| IT'S me-" she faltered.
| What name?"
| Rose Hartswick.'
| "Alone?''
Eyes. 1 want to see gran maw." The
| door swung open of its own accord.
| Come in" 1t was utterly dark. This
| way"
| She followed blindly the sound of shut
fling feet through what was evidently a
narrow passage A sharp turn and they
came into a larger apartment lighted by
bed of Goals in fireplace. The half light
disclosed her guide, a bowed, hoary old
man who walked feebly. He shambled to
a corner, and after shaky struggle drew
out a handful of something which he threw
on the Goals. 1t smouIdered a moment,
| then burst into flame, revealing the weasel
face and snowy beard of Poppy Miller The
apartment was kitchen, long and low,
| with fireplace, an enormous affair of
| stone, taking up nearly all of one side.
Rose gave single curious glance around
then conferred her attention upon a
| figure crouched by the hearth. 1t was
| woman thin and bowed. incredibly
| old as the freight revealed it. and smoking
| q corn-cob pipe. II did not move or speak.
This here's Rose Hartswick come to see
| yeh wunst." The old man shuffied over to
her, and spoke in an Unexpectedly high
pitched voice.
| "Humphr'
| II want you to help me, gran nav
| Rose went close to her and bent over eager
| ~. I'm in such trouble and L don't know
| what to do She stopped; there was no
| response or movement.
Cant you help me, gran maw?' she
| went on again, growing nervousness In
| her tone.
| sHumph," Again silence, so complete
| that Rose could hear the whine of the run
| outside. She fixed her eyes on the still fig
| ure and waited breathlessly After time
| she caught low rumble:
| "She lets him come; she laughs and plays;
| she looks into his eyes; and when he would
/ give his soul for her, she would have him
| go-and he can't!--Too latet Too latei Too
/ lakeland she comes to me! Ha-ha-ha!
| She comes to mel" She broke into mirth-
less chuckle, then subsidized again into
| silence
[ But gran, nav, Rose cried eagerly. II