Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-06-26
D|ANTHE OF
THE WOODS.
1t Wasn't a Witch He Caught,
but His Ideal of a Girl.
BY M. WOODRUFF NEWELL.


ton when he met his fate.
A severe attack of typhoid had put
him considerably on the bias. so that
he welcomed quiet recuperating old
farmhouse twenty miles from lem
on" as desired haven and went there
for summers sojourn the list of
July.
The old couple with whom he board
ed were one Lemuel Merriwether and
his wife, and they worried constantly
for fear he should have relapse.
I'm very apt to-" Andrew assured
them often. being so weak, you know.
The delirium especially is likely to
return"
Being lone young bachelor. he en-
joyed their anxiety In his behalf and
worked shamclessly ON their sympa-
thies.
"My heavenr' exclaimed Mrs. Merri-
wether the morning that he told her
that. throwing away raisln that she
was seeding and putting the seeds into
the cake In her excitement.
"Oh. It's very sad diseased con-
tinued Andrew pensively, reaching for
his fifth cooky.
Then he took his camera and went
out for mornings prowl through the
woods.
The country was In its summer
glory. and just before he started back
to the house he took the picture that
started the trouble.
He had been walking along by the
river, and, struck by clump Of birch
trees that fringed dim woodland
path, he trained his camera on It and
sought the finder. He smiled happily
as he saw the picture 1t made-the
slim young trees with the long path
winding up behind them.
That's finc!" he told himself and.
holding the camera steady, snapped It.
He could scarcely wait to get home to
develop 1t.
Mrs. Merriwether saw him coming
and exclaimed anxiously, Gracious
me, boy, where's the firef"
Got prize package" he answered
solemnly.
Mrs. Merriwether, honest soul. stared
after him.
you don't suppose, now, the heats
affected his head. do you?" she whis-
pered to Lemuel as he came up from
the barn little later.
He's been on the go all day In the
hot sun, and after such fever as he
had he's liable to have spells of
looney, you know he said so. just
asked him what he was hurrying so
for. and he said he had prize pack
age, and declare to goodness didn't
see nothing but that old camerar
"Shoo. shoe. mother. the boys all
right. It's probably just some of his
funny business"
II they had seen 1.-THE boy" at that
precise moment they would probably
have been more anxious than they
were about him.
He was looking at the developed
film with startled eyes. His hands
shook as he held It up dripping be-
tween him and the small ruby lamp on
the table.
"By Georgew he said and put 1t
through the bath again.
A second time he held It up and scru-
tinized 1t in the dim red glow.
by gum" he said, tits a witch or
I'm going looneyw
There was the path stretching out al
luringly into the woods beyond. There
were the birch trees, tall and slender
and beautiful, and there, just beyond
them, peering out between two mass
i've oak tree trunks that bordered the
path. was girl or witch or dry
ad, with laughing lips. flying hair and
an extraordinary eighteenth century
gown.
"How the dickensr' puzzled Andrew.
Its something ON the film. There
couldn't have been a real girl there.
alone. Lord. there amt one within
twenty miles! She surely wouldn't
walk that far, and there was no team
In sight. and, anyway, what would a
girl Of Revolutionary days he doing
here?"
lie WuSutu tue uith tuichuHy anu
put II through the hypo bath. Then he
washed II again and. hanging 1t up TO
dry, went down to supper.
There he talked at random. his mind
being full OF the mysterious picture.
Ills remarks were so rambling that
they confirmed every suspicion that
Mother Merriwether had formed that
afternoon.
Hes offr she whispered sharply to
Lemuel outside the kitchen door. Its
the heat. He's way of. Just see how
funny he talks. II he amt better I'm
the morning wen have DR.. Snow come
over. Wen have to watch him with
out his knowing 1t. We must be
mighty careful not to excite him. oh.
goodness, amt 1t awful, that poor boy!
My, but typhoid's a fearful disease"
Lemuel. vastly alarmed, was In
stantly ION to his job" For n watch
dog he proved Al. Andrew had diff
Guilty IN shaking him on long enough
to go to the dark room at bedtime.
The film was almost dry, and he