Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-01-12

t'l iOi thtCs
At the earnest solicitation OF her lov
o. lIctty rose and. making her wa!
qlowly through the crowded couhcl
room. reached the witness bench. where
rhe stood. oblivous to al the curious
g,anccs east in her direction. regarding
Margarets dropping figure win III
expression in her dark eyes of mourn
fri sympathy. Sharply rebIked for
her inattention by the chief councillor,
uetty was instructed to be seated. ana
tie young attorney took his place be-
fore her
"Henrietta Taunston, he commenced,
with great seriousness, thou hast Deen
herein summoned as Il witness against
this woman Margaret Maryland on the
representations OF thy family that thou
didst on several occasions come under
the balcful influence of her spell. Hast
thou aught to say
"Oh, SIR Hetty faltered tearfully in
trembling tones, although the EVIL
dence is awful an convinC ing, l can
not bring myself to think i'll Of Mar
garet, who was ever most kind TO me.
/ can think of her only as my fathers
sisters chid-now both dead-alOne
among her accusers, forsaken i'll her
hour OF trouble by the man she loved
an how nearly, only one close to her,
as | ha been, could give thee under
standing of it,
She began to sob bitterly.
"Have pity on her. If she hath done
aught of wrong it's of the cross she
weareth, OH account of promise, good
councilmen, given her by Il dying
papist. mayhap with dying curse
breathcd Oh IT, Entreat her to destroy
it and let her go away" she cried
piteouSly.
Her brothers face was black as
night. and he sat we'll forward on his
seat, glaring ut Eetty sayagcly as if
he could strike her words back into
her throat. His mother, seeing his
agitation, plucked the sleeve of the at
tOrney who stood near her and whis-
pered some instructions in his ear.
When she finished he stepped forward
Sternly. with upiifted hand.
Enough, Henrietta Taunston. IT'S
not thy place TO plead for the prisoner,
but to give what evidence thou hast"
Good sir, rs | have promised to
tell the truth before God" Hetty sob
bed, not daring to look toward her
mother or brother, Il have never felt
any Influences of the evil spells at
tributed to her, but rather have l re-
,eived much kindness from sweet Mar
yaret"
"Didst thou not one evening meet
his woman-the accused-On tue road
md pass her by with averted face in
obedience to thy mothers commando
Il did, sir"
"And did she not in her anger stand
'igid, fixing her baleful glance upon
hee so that thou didst run with all haste
o thy homo. falling in a fit on the floor
It thy brothers feet. where thou didSt |
ie like Il creature possessed by the |
levil, foaming at the mouth and NOV
ng convulsivcly?"
In her excitement Hctty almost rose
rom her seat
Nay. sir, nay" she cried earnestly. |
Thou hath wrong impression obtain
d from evil tongues. IT'S true that
met Margaret. but her glance was
ot baleful, but, oh, sirs," lifting her
earful, supplicating face toward the
twas so sad that my heart
ath not stopped aching since with the
memory Of it. An believe that twas
OF our meeting that caused my swOon-
lg, but the news brought
Here Josiah Taunston. unable to con-
,ol himself any longer. rose from his
Fat, white faced ana Wrathful.
II 10 proclaim the witness now to
g under the spell OF the prisoner" he
red in load voice hastily in his de-
re TO stop her further utterances,
who was ever wont 10 influence my
ster easily, and do affirm that she is
ot responsible for what testimony she
veth.'
Immediately there was great up
)ar and wild excitement in the coun-
| hall Hetty, frightened ut her
rother's violence and bewildered by
e confusion, rose from her seat, and,
lille the attorney consulted with the
,uncilmen and Josiah TaunstOn on
e ACCESSIBILITY Of questioning her fur
er, the witness. regardless of conSe-
fences, made her way hastily to ST.
on Kempster and, sinking into her
ace by his side, laid her face against
s coat sleeve, sobbing bitterly.
The gaping auditors eyed her curl
sly, entertaining themselves with 8
arse comments on her evident fond
,ss for her lover and sneers for her
ROW at the prisoners predicament.
lddenly there was loud rapping for
der. The council, having decided not
recall Hetty, made the fact known,
d when all again was quiet the Wild
, Dawson, whose child had died of
nvulsions, was on the witness bench
wing an account of that nights ex-
riences
Time and the constant repetition Of
IS story to the credulous, awe struck
ople of the community had caused it
lose none Of its interest, so that the
e the woman related in a low, dis
ct voice WAS supernatural in the eX-
me and g:eWSome il its horrible de-
Is. The supcrstitious listeners, eager
drinking in every word the widow :
erred, expressed their sympathy for
and their fear and detestation Of
, prisoner, who continued through 1t 4
to sit silently with bowed head and \
sped hands, by giving vent to louder