The Carlisle independent., 1909-09-30
The HoOdOO
lCopyright, by J. B. Llppincott CoO
By E. s. Rladen

Don't you ever pay him?"
 Pay him!" she snorted, and gave whitening glance before which I fled.
 On a sharp winter morning she an nounced: The pipes are frozen and I am having water carried in"
 From across the alley came a line of boys, girls and an Italian woman bringing up the rear, with pitchers, buckets and jugs. Hattie stood with her hands folded and her head thrown back marshaling them with her military eye. All bowed profound ly as she closed the gate on them aft CT their services.
 She is tall woman and, summer CT winter, always dresses in white, which is to say, wears a voluminous white apron completely covering her i skirt and white kerchief crossed over her breast, the whole surmounted by a white cap.
 Hardly had she solved the water problem when some carts arrived with coal from the mines, and these | having no chutes, the question was how the coal was to be got into the cellar. Voieing this anxiety, Matte waved me indoors.
 Drive up, son." she commanded | and fearing he was an Irishman and might brain her with his shovel, I re- | treated to parlor window, whence saw the cart drivers shoveling all the i loads across the wide pavement and doing various other services which were certainly not in the contract.
 had long observed that market | people, grocers, etc, would never diff fer with her even when they were right and she had been mistaken, and asking one with whom I was friendly why this was, he said: "Oh, there is no use in making her mad, she is queer"
 Believing that a happy life consists in prudent compromise, I ignored many of the mysteries, but one day saw Matte walking in the front door with a nicely Drowned chicken on a plate in her hand
 T never cooked on a gas-stove be- fore,'' she remarked, smiling, so went into Bedelia's an made her he't hers up fur me-
 Bedel1a was first-class cook from Ireland, and this was wash-day, yet the .conjure queen still lived It was said that Bedelia was quite weak and nervous. however
 1 It would seem as though this hoo dooist can call telepathically nearly every one she has seen or talked to. One Saturday afternoon she felt the need of a plumber Very shortly a plumbers boy came walking in. He said he would turn the water off and make repairs on Monday.
 You will fix it now" decided Mat tie, and he did, though he lost his half holiday.
 One day, feeling the need of fash ionable society, the conjure queen asked my opinion as to whether a cer- tain Miss Loui or a Mrs Turner would most enliven her. l thought l Mrs Turner would be the most ele- gantiy attired, but she was at Allan tic City
 She'll have more news, so she'll nofo lo SoiHe up, ueClueu MdClie, anu sure enough, about D. m. Mrs. Fur ner arrived in black silk and rhine stones. l heard her say quite excited ly: What is the matter? You kept calling and calling all afternoon, un- til I just had to drop everything and jump on the five o'clock train"
 Except long silences with folded hands and bowed head there are no external indications of this occult power, though as a weather prophet she is infallible in prediction and has a knowledge of sun, moon and stars, and their movements which would put a high school graduate to the blush.