The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-09
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 5roans and threatening curses greet ed this peroration. The speaker raised his voice somewhat.
 .wiil you allow Satan to remain amongst your"
 sNo! no! no!' came in excited acc cents from the little crowd.
 And I say death to the witchF added the leading voice solemniy.
 &Seath to the witch!' came in weird echoes from all around.
 Then there was silence. The darh heads bent closer together.
 s.What wilt thou do, MatthewT whispered one voice with awed timidf- Let her burn, I say" replied the learned village oracle, "'tis the only way of getting rid of satan" :. It had ben a hot day The heads or this pack of country folk had been overheated with sack and spiccd ale, superstitfon for its basis, had com pleted the work of completely adding their loutish brains. All day there had been talk of this yelled witch. these strange spirits and weird monsters which she was .reputed to con5ure up at will. Thoughts of poisoned wells, of sweating sickness. of hell-fire ragged through hHSAc PVSht hiob uieSA " lows. minds.
 What did they know of charlatanism or trickery? To them 1t was all real. living, awesome. terrible. The devh was a person with glowing eyes, two horns and "a forked tail. who caused innocent pAopls to fall flat on their backs and foam at the mouth. Every malady then unknown 70 science was ascribed to hellish agency. And here, within few yards. was an unearthiy creature who actually con sorted with the creator of all evil, who wilfuf1y brought him up from ms burning abode below the earth, and let him loose upon this peaceful vil- lage and It's God-fearing inhabitants. "NayI burn her! burn herr they shouted, brandishing their sticks, efn- boidened through their very cowardice into deeds they would otherwise never have contemplated without shudder. And they shouted in order to keep up their exaltation and their excite ment; the devil Is known to favour whisperings.
 After me, my masters" continued Matthew, who was still the leader or
 this insane band of mischfevous Tools
 after me. Remember there's saliva ton for our sins if We burn the witch" With another wild shout. the little crowd made a rush for the platform of the booth, just as Abra and his | henchman, attracted by the strange ness of the noise. came out of the tent to see what might be amiss. Before they had time to utter sound of protest, the two men were l seized by the crowd and dragged down ! the steps with violence. The people l had no time to trouble about lout such as he. They wanted the witch | herself, now, at once, while their blood 1 was up and boiling. and the guard might come round at any moment and | frustrate them in their will. | "Out of the way, lout! out of the wayl or thou'It burn alongside of thy damned witch!"
 Abra had fallen on his knees, under standing only too well the danger which was threatening him. He had l known all along what terrible risks | he was taking. Twas not we'll in these days to tamper with the super
 natural But he had trusted to the l good temper of holiday makers. whilst 1 the certain patronage of rich burghers
 and Court gallants had proved an over l,whelming temptation to his greed of gain. For the wench he cared but little He had picked her out of the gutter one day, a starving little slut. and had used her as a tool-a willing one enough--for his own pecuniary ends.
 Even now with a cursing throng of maniacs round him he only thought of his own safety. Mean. abject. and cowardly, he fell upon his knees.
 'Mercifut heavens, my masters" he pleaded.
 But the crowd was not in a humor to listen. The men kicked him on one side and he fell up against his miser- able companion, who was too terror stricken td move.
 Then there was, another rush up to the platform, without thought or pause, for these would have been fatal to the resolute purpose in view. and might give the devil time to look after his own.
 From within the tent there came now frantic shriek of terror. The next moment, the foremost among the crowd had pushed aside the guady draperies. and that one shriek was answered by a dozen awesome. mortified curses.
 There was the witch at last. A poor, trembling girl scarce out of her teens. with beautiful, delicate features. and an abundance of golden hair falling round her shoulders: her mysterious veil--a bit of showy tinsel-lylng in heap on the floor Nothing super natural or devilish about her. surelyl Quaint perhaps. because of that singu- lar beauty of face and skin which semed so ill-assorted with the sordid- ness of her surroundings. One of Natures curious freaks. this kitchen wench. with a head which would have graced a duchess. her interesting per- sonality merely the prey of common charlatan who used her for vulgar. senseles trickery.
 For the moment her beauty was dis torted through the dawning of an aw- full terror. To sane man she would only have seemed a wretched, miser- able, frightened woman. But not so the ale-sodden, overloaded minds of these excited creatures. blinded by an almost maniacal fear.