The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-13
CHAPTER TX.
Tho Yelled witch.

CHAPTER TX.
The Yelled witch.
Outside tho witch's tent all was 81
lent and deserted. Darkness had
f Ear ihe e rssss q tie fa,s va.
cerned.-ndditional noise and exuber-
ant gaioty.
d HksFd t 81 se q sSn %" very
booth, throwing quaint red lights, and
deep, mysterious shadows ell round,
dst9rtlng the faces Of the snpi,nds INV ~
Mi from some neighboring Brocken.
whether the world-fnmous .necre,;,
innncer Mirrnb and her attendant genii
LACKING bep ness Or h aotch
to to lure the passer.by. The open place
in front Of tho platform was dark
and still.
.o s"aGhfny .es 5S% 3Yt tss sssssT
Whilst a mysterious "Ist! fist!' came
ecloiLG from more than one direction.
Gradually the sound became more
distinct. dark figures emerged from
every side. and presently q compact
s5Ssp 81 mos soms eW yards
from the booth. Then voice. still
low and muliled, but firm and en-
phatic, detached itself from the ghost
like murmur around.
ncss! N. The Scriptures say. Let
obey the Scriptures and allow that
s wi.sh to and lvs she devl we shs rs nhos
BOOTH"
Groans and threatening curses greet.
his voice somewhat
. ,n "wn. You you, allow allow Satan to remain
mo! no! MOI" came in excited ac-
"And say death to the WITCH
added .1I the leading voice solemnly.
Death to the Witch" camc In weird
ech2es from all around.
Then there was silence. Tho dark
heads bent closer together.
What wilt thou do. Matthew" whis-
pered one voice with awed timidlty.
va lsrn cracs say replied the on 1s
way OF getting rid OF Satan"
It had been q hot day. The heads
OF this pack Of country folk had been
9 With sack and spleed ale;
superstition Tor It's basis. had COM
pleted the work of completely adding
their loutlsh brains. All day there had
been talk OF this yelled witch. theee
strange spirits and weird monsters
which she was reputed to conjure up
at VIII. Thoughts of poisoned wells.
OF sweating sickness. OF hell-fire. ragged
through these poor, misguided Fellows
minds
What did they know Of charlatanlsm
living awesome. terrible. The devil
was person with glowing eyes. two
horns and forked tail. who caused
innocent people to fall fat on their
backs and foam at the mouth.
Every malady then unknown to
science was ascribed to hellish agency.
And here, within few yards, was an
sorted with the creator of all evil, who
w!lfully brought him up from his
burning abode below the earth. and let
him loose upon this peaceful village
"Nay burn her. burn herr" they
shouted. brandishins their sticks. em-
boldencd through their very cowardice
into deeds they would otherwise never
have contemplated without shudder.
UP their exaltation and their excite
ment: the devil Is known to favor
whisperings.
81, After me: my masters" continued q
thia insane band OF nnischievous fools:
after me. Remember. there's saliva
ton for our sins II we burn the witch.
With another wild shout the little
the booth. Just as Abra and his hench-
man, attracted by the strangeness OF
the noise. came out OF the tent to see
what might be aniss.
Before they had time to utter a sound
stops with violence. The people had
no time to trouble about lout such
as he. They wanted the witch herself,
and boiling. and the guard might come
round at any moment and Illustrate
them In their Will.
"out Of the way. lout! out Of the
damned w!tch!'
Abra had fallen on his knees. under
standing only too we'll the danger
which was threatening him. He had s.a
he was taking. Twas not we'll in these
days to tamper with the supernatural.
But he had trusted to the good tenn
per Of holiday kers. whilst, the Ger.
court gallants had proved an oyer:
whelming temptation to his greed OF
gain. For the wenoh. he cared bu:
little. He had picked her out of the
and had used her a tool--a willing
one enough-for his own pecunlary
ends.
Even now. with cursinE throng q
of s ow roun asfe a, a beet
cowardly, he. fell upon his knees.
"Merciful heavens. my masters" he
pleaded.
But the crowd was not in humol
to listen. The men kicked him on one
side, and he fell up against his mis-.
cradle companion. who was too terror
stricken to move.
Then there was another rush up tc
the platform. without thought or pause
for those would have been fatal to the
solute purpose In view. and might
give the devil time to look after his
own.
From within the tent there came now
a frantic Shrek of terror The neyt
moment. the foremost among the crowt
had pushed aside the gaudy draperias
and that one Shrek was answered b,
dozen awesome. Mortified curses.
There was the Witch at last. a poor
trembling girl. scarce out Of her teens
with beautiful. delicate features ant
an abundance Of golden hair falling
round her shoulders: her mysteriou:
veil--a bit Of snowy tinsel-.lying IN
heap on the floor Nothing super
natural or devilish about her. surely
Quaint. perhaps, because of that sin,
gular beauty OF face and skin whicf
seemed so ill-assorted witt, the sordid
ness Of her surroundings. One Of ma
frao 1s,f-