The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-04


rs GOOD LUCK.
Being quite little artist In her way,
she decorated lot Of plain cards with
pictures of owls, bats, black cats.
brooms, etc, and on each one she let
tered some such rhyme as this:
Come Halloween night at eight.
The witches will tell you your fate.
Now lock IN your bosom this plot,
or III luck will likely be your lot
With each card she sent this notice:
Masquerade party. Devise your own
costume"
or course. as II turned out, almost
every guest was costumed as a witch
or wizard. with high peaked caps,
brown stained faces. long brown robes
and carrying weird looking brooms.
Some had black cats. live or stuffed.
on their crooked backs.
The house was dlmly lighted by jack
o'-lanterns. over the faces Of which
were pasted masks which were as
grinny and creepy In appearance as
Helen and her family could devise.
The door was opened by mysterious,
unseen hands. and on the wall was
huge black paper hand pointing
solemnly up the stairway.
Every one involuntarily fell into
whispers, II they spoke at all. The
hostess and her assistants received
them silently with outstreched hands,
which, when grasped. sent chllls up
and down backbones. for they We're
cold and clammy (being, In fact, gloves
stuffed with wet sand instead OF the
human hands that were expected.
When all were ready and expectant
a deep toned bell was solemnly In
toned; then curtain was drawn aside,
revealing the three witches OF Mac
beth lowering over n steaming cal
dron. While two OF them stirred the
'hell broth" with huge spoons the third
croaked the famous witch lines:
Thrice the brindle cat hath mewed,"
etc.
Next the guests passed one by one
into fortune telling booth, which was
built up IN front Of large open FIRE
place. Here the fortune telling witch
foretold their fates by means Of solder
melted in big iron spoon. When
dropped into water, the solder took
strange forms, which she interpreted
according to her fancy.
After this came n most sensational
epsode-three huge black cats per
sons dressed up TO represent CATS en-
tered the room. and hollow voice an-
nounced, slowly and awesomely "lf
cat sits down at your side you will
have lifelong peace and domestic hap
piness II cat rubs herself against
you or jumps into your lap you will
he exceptionally happy. But II all three
cats avoid you III fortune is yours"
Finally came witches dance &c
the music OF weird witch dance tune
NIL OF the witches joining silently in it
silently. that is, until they broke ouI
into giggles as a shaft OF light fell on
this face and that, revealing its Identity
Then all removed their costumes aud
settled down TO many jolly Halloween
games, for which Helen had made
ample preparations.
4 ucht supper ended the party. The
ahL sss decorated with jack-o-lan
;erns and chrysanthemums, and the re
freshmeLts were old fashioned, con
slsting Of huge platters Of gingerbread
heaps Of apples and other orchart
fruits quantities OF nuts, raIsins anC
candles. and. last Of all. a Halloween
cake containing a ring, a coin, thin
Die aud button.
The ring promised It's finder an early
2>grlagc. the coin great riches, The
he splnsterbood and the buttoE
selorhood.