Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-17

ing more and more painful, the mas
ter yelled out: stop, fool, or you
will kill me. Are you, too, bewitch-
ed?"
Come, take that CAD and beat the
young wench,' commanded the old
woman, speaking to the shepherd. The
young fellow looked at Henda, then
looked - the stick which lay on the
slowly shook his head, saying: NAY,
mistress | will herd your flocks and
obey you in things pertaining to my
work, but l will not lay hands on this
poor little child slave
"Ah, she has bewitched him, tool"
shrieked the old man. Then, turning
his livid face toward Henda, he
screamed: Leave this place at once
Or I'll have you burned at the stake
for you are a witch
But before Henda could turn to de-
part the door was darkened by a
form, and, glancing about, she beheld
the same beautiful young peasant
woman who had visited her the night
before and who had darned the old
couples stockings. The woman enter
ed and, smiling on those assembled,
said: Il think l would better explain
something before this little maid de-
parts from this roof forever. am re-
sporsible for the bewitching of those
stockings, If You wish to call it by
that name. I have woven into every
stitch Of darning a double and twisted
pain, and you must suffer those pains
every one OF them-before you can
remove those stockings. Then after
you have been able to take them off
you will continue to suffer the pains
as long as you are mean, cruel,
stingy and oppressive to those in
your employ. / am not a peasant
woman, as you suppose me to be, but
am the fairy, Good Friend, who goes
about befriending such unhappy lit
tie orphans as this dear maid Henda.
And more than this. know where the
child's aunt-a good, motherly wom-
an lives, and to her ] shall this day
lead this little girl. But before go
let me warn you that every word
have said about those stockings and
the pains you must suffer before YOU
can remove them will prove true, SD
you'd better make up your minds to
turn over a new leaf and to learn
kindness and sympathy. For so long
as you remain selfish and heartless
and cruel you will suffer just as you
are now suffering
Then, turning to Henda, the fairy
took her hand, saying: Come, little
one, shall take you to home where
you will be happy and we'll loved"
ooh, you are not fairy; you are a
WITCH" screamed the old woman, shak
ing her fist towards the fairy.
Suddenly the room became dark,
then light again, but during that in
slant of darkness the peasant woman
had disappeared and in her place
stood beautiful fairy with wand
in her hand. And, waving the wand
over Henda's head, she caused the
child's ragged clothes to fall away
and new, beautiful ones to adorn her.
Nov. my bad old woman, what do
you say to my identity? And look
you at your threatening fist which
you so savagely shook at me a mo-
ment ago"
All eyes turned on the old woman's
clenched fist to see it shriveled up
and lifeless. The old woman, now
understanding the power Of the fairy,
began to whine: ooh, mercy, good
fairy
"You should not ask me to have
mercy on you till you have learned
to be merciful to others. If in the fu
ture you repent of your sins-you and
your wicked husband shall return
and make your hand whole. Till then
goodby."
And the good fairy led Henda. happy
and smiling, away from the place
where she had known only misery,
taking her to home of happiness
and love.