Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-05-18

cellent grandson to crack me over the
head. He looks as though he'd do it
for good deal less money, I'll say
that for him.
HE is honest-as honest as his
grandmother" cried the old woman.
She bestowed a toothless grin upon
him. "Now, what is it you want to
do?"
II want to go through that kitchen,
Just to satisfy myself of one or two
things" King was looking hard at
the crack in the kitchen door. Sud-
denly he started as if shot
The staring. burning eye was again
looking straight at him from the Jag
ged crack in the door!
''I'll get you this timer he shouted,
crossing the room in two eager leaps.
The door in his violent clutch swung
open with bang.
The owner Of that hooking, phan.
tom eye was gone!
Like frantic dog, Truxton dashed
about the little kitchen, looking in
every corner, every crack. for signs of
the thing he chased. The old woman
was standing in the middle of the
outer room. grinning at him with gen.
uine malevolence.s
"Ha, har' she croaked. You fool!
You fool. Search. Smell him out! All
the good it will DO you. Ha. hay'
by CAD, I will get at the bottom OF
this!' shouted TruXton. stubborn rage
| possessing him. There's some one
here, and l know it. Pm not such
| fool as to believe Say! What's that?
The ceiling! By the eternal. that scrap
ing noise explains it! There's where
the secret trapdoor is-in the ceiling
Within arms reach, at that! Watch
me, old woman
The bag was standing in the kitchen
! door now, still grinning evilly. She
watched the eager young man pound
upon the low ceiling with a three leg
ged stool that he had seized from the
| floor
He was pounding vigorously on the
roughly boarded ceiling when the
sharp voice of the old woman, raised
in command, caused him to lower the
stool and turn upon her with cleaning.
triumphant eyes. The look he saw in
her face was sufficient to check his en-
terprise for the moment. He dropped
the stool and started toward her, his
arms extended to catch her sWaying
form. The look of the dying was in
her eyes. She seemed to be crumpling
before him.
He reached her in time, his strong
arms grasping the frail. bent figure as
it sank to the floor. AS he lifted he1
bodily from her feet, intent upon car
rying her to the open air, her bony
fingers sank into his arm with the grip
of death, and-could he believe his
ears!-a low, hooking laugh came from
her lips.
Down where the pebbly house yard
merged into the messy banks Mr.
Hobbs sat tight, still staring with
gloomy eyes at the dark little hut up
the glen. A quarter of an hour had
passed since King disappeared through
the doorway. Mr.. Hobbs was getting
nervous.
The shiftless, lanky goose herd cam,
forth in time and lazily drove his scat
tered flock off into the lower glen.
Presently Hobbs caught sight of q
thin stream of smoke, rather black
than blue. arising from the little chin
ney at the rear of the cabin. His eyes
flew very wide open; his heart expert
enced a sudden throbless moment; his
, mind leaped backward to the unex
, planned smoke mystery of the day be
, fore. 1t was on the end Of his tongue
to cry out to his unseen patron, to urge
him to leave the witch to her deviltry
and come along home, when the ole
, woman herself appeared in the door
way-alone.
She sat down upon the doorstep
putting away at long pipe, her hood
} ed face almost invisible from the dis
lance which he resolutely held. Sh
was no more than a black, inanimat
{ heap of rags piled against the doc
jamb.
. Hobbs let out a shout. The old wo
man arose and hobbled toward him
! leaning upon great cane.
'Whe-Where's Mr.. King?' called GU
: Hobbs.
Her arm was raised, a bony finge
7 pointing to the treetops above he
howell.
. Hes gone. Didn't you see him
He went off among the treetops. YoI
V won't see him again. She waited
moment and then went on in mos
: ingratiating tones: Would you care t
/ =
s the road he took. YOU
: But Mr. Hobbs, his hair on end, ha,
: dropped the rein of Kings horse an,
j was putting boot to his own beast
: whirling frantically into the path tina
S led away from the hated, damned spot
e Down the road he crashed, pursued b,
e witches whose persistence put to sham
= the efforts Of those famed ladies o
: Tam o. Shanter in the long ago. If b
:. had looked over his shoulder he nigh