The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-10-16

20 the village and bring the medi-
sins men, net the padre, Juann, and
ssep -.thsy win know the rest--they
we11 snsH NAae to dof's He put out
both hsu3b Ad pushed her away
from him. She 10 coming back;
you must 60, Juana. You are not to
come to me; you are to walt and
watch---and then"
Juana bent her head silently and
then orept back to her hiding place
In the low thorn bushes. She did
her curiosity grew too strong for her
prudence, and in spite of pricked
fingers she made a little peephole
among the thorns and looked eau
tiously through. The witch's f1re
was burning very low now, but there
was still light enough to see the fair
witch herself, seated on the ground,
with her slim hands twined among
her long, loose yellow hair, and Luis
lying at her feet like one crucifled,
with outstretched arms on which the
great muscles stood out knotted with
pain, and face drawn and changed
out of all youth and coIneliness, with
half-closed eyes and set lips.
why will you not cry out?" the
Lady of the Iris was asking, as
Juana bent forward, looking at her
with horror-stricken eyes. Are you
stronger, then, than my masterf And
stronger than me2 For l took the
poems, Juanito and Teodor, and tor
tured them; and because my master
heard them crying he was pleased
with me. Cry out; and then 1 will
let you die, Luis"
"Oh, but cry out-ory out" plead
ed the witch, with glimmer Of tears
In her large eyes. "For unless you
cry my master will not hear me
and then he will be very wroth. Obi
cry out, man, until your wife hears
you, and then she will come, and
shall have two" an
"You shall have but one," Luis
said, unclosing his lips for the first
time, $50 be contented with what
you have, Woman of the Iris"
Cry out-cry OUT, she entreated
again, "and I will let you go free,
Luis, son of Luis. ,e Are not your
wife's lips warm, and her arms kindf
Cry out, and you shall go back to
them" ,ae ,--
II put no faith in you, Matshi Sko-
neon," Luis said sharply, "and you
shall have no more words from me,
good or bad"
The Woman of the Iris settled her
self in her former crouching posi-
ton, with her beautiful eyes fixed on
the man lying at her feet.
"I never harmed you, and will
bid the pain cease II you do but obey
me, mani Ohl who has made your
heart so strong against me? Ay de
mil ay de mil"
She was weeping now, and with
out an instant's delay Juana leaped
to her feet and crept away. Beyond
the shelter of the thorn hedge she
took to running, and soon the
marshes were behind her and the
cleared path before, and stilllshe ran
on desperately, conscious only that
Luis had bidden her bring her kins-
men to take his enemy alive. So be-
fore the dawn was red in the tops of
the forest trees Juana was In the viii
lage street, painting out her mes
sage; and when the party of aven-
gers set out she went with them,
guiding them to the iris marshes
with feet that never once faltered
for doubt or fear. yJu
Soon the beds of irises came in
sight, and the black quaking marshes
where so many little children and
young lovers had been brought to
die. % J..ys .aa,
And there, by the dead fire. lay
Luis, and his dead lips were smiling;
and beside him crouched the Lady of
the Iris, moaning, moaning. So they
kindled the fire again, and fed 1t with
dry thorns, and they tied the witch
hand and foot and threw. her Into it
to burn, and she shriveled up into
the likeness of a. withered flag
| flower.
But Juana fell upon her husband
and kissed him desperately; and be-
| fore they laid him In his grave, SO
kissed him all the women of the viii
lagos of ALE and Aga, for had he not
saved their husbands and lovers to
them, and stopped the deadly mis-
chief wrought by Matshi Skoneon?