Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-01-05
LITTLE WITCH.
(By Jane Osborne.)
Copyright, 1918. by tho Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.

wifi, his companion made his first Visit
to the Nottingham estate. winch $1,000
on rise of ground about hVe minutes
walk from the end of a city trolley lihe'
and James Parloa was not ilttic I'M, :,
pressed by the long gravel path that iea
by the lofty -ceilinged hall and drawing
room into which they were ushereo.
IiIIabelle and Drusilla impressed him,
foo They were willowy and fair with a
sort of distant cordially which, added
to the irnpressiveness Of the mousse,
made it obvious to James that ne was
in the society Of the social elect OF the
city.
Apparently, even by the suhdued
1,ghta of the Nottingham drawing room,
neither Lillabelle nor Drusilla was IN
her first season, but in the face of their
obvious aristocracy that was fault
that James was willing to discount. A
few days later James received an lnvl-
tation to a dance at the Milllnghams.
and as he went alone on this occasion
he was more impressed than before
with the size Of the estate He could
see rows of hedge and marble figures
dimly outlined by the light OF the
house.
Loftier than before seemed the walls
Of the house, and James was positively
bewil6ered when, after their guests had
arrived, Lillabelle and Drusillc. LED the
way down a flight of stone stairs to
bali room below. There was something
Accordingly interesting about the place
when he observed that the room was
darkened about the baseboards, as II
generations of use had actually left its
mark Of wear on this ball room.
II 1t had not been for the absorbing
interest that James felt for this preten-
tious house, he would no doubt have
fallen q more easy victim to the charms
Of one Of the aristocratic Millinghams,
hut his eyes wandered from their fair
FORKS to ever increasingly mystifying
details of the house. There was one
door especially-a heavy oak door that
stood ajar and showed tantalizing
Elimpses of dark corridor beyond
Lillabelle, the elder of the two sisters,
was interesting. She, too. was mystlfy-
tng. On James first dance with her.
having remarked on the state of the
weather without, he mentioned the
state Of the floor within, two subjects
which he considered perfectly safe
openings to small talk.
"Oh. the floor" she said with shrug
Of the shoulders. TITS a perfect mess.
1--WE run ever so many splinters in my
slippers from 1t. 1t hasn't been relaid
for ages, and 1t gets frlghtfuliy nara
wear
sisted James, wondering how a private
ballroom could possibly get such inces-
SAINT wear.
Eyes, we get the children to do 1t.
We give them pieces of old candles,
Lillabelle explained, land they scrape
them with blunt scissors and then
slide, It's easy enough to get the wax
on. and it keeps the little witches out
OF mischief"
7 III Soi1
feeling a desire to meet the little Mil
linghams and wondering how many
there were Of them.
The dance passed off and James
made his party call in week and was
asked to come to another dance, which
was much like the other only that Lii
labelle was giving 1t, whereas Drusllla
gave the other.
"The little witches succeeded won
derfully tonight" said James, by way
3 Of opening conversation with Lillabelle.
Don't talk to me about the witches
was Lillabelle's unexpected rejoiner. Il
wish might never see them again. II
they were only boys-but they are all
girls"
.'That is better than family Of all
boys like mine," said james politely.
How old are they?"
'.All the way from four years to|
eighteen. Drusilla and I really hate
them"
.'Extraordinary,' said James wonder !
ing how it was that Drusilla and Lila !
belle could be so de voted to each other I,
and hold such heartless feelings for
their little sisters.
James next dance was unengaged
iand in spirit of growing curiosity
as to the probable outlet of the door
that had interested him on the night
Of the first dance, and with natural
craving for fresh air, he pushed his
way through this heavy portal, shut
through a long and narrow hall. At
the end Of it was an iron stairway
that led to hall above, where low J
light was burning. Suddenly James |
caught sight Of a figure that fitted
aAead Of him, and then he heard
g1r1ish voice:
Hush, some one will hear you. Let
trying to slip up the stairs. She was
clad In shapeless, heavy flannel XII
mono, with one tight braid of curly
brown hair sticking oddly out behind
each ear.
OF course, she was one of Lila
bellies sisters; probably the eighteen
year old one, thought James
honor" The girl spoke in an appeal
ing monotone that charmed James
from the first. II was peeking at the
door and then you came and I tried to
scoot You had your last dance with
Lillabelle, Chilly Lilly-that's what we
call her. Old Bones is what we call
Drusilla You are one of the latest flies
In their web, aren't you? They're old
spiders, they are I saw you at the last
dance just love to watch, though l
know well enough if they caught me I'd
be put out. What's your name-I love
names
James and the Little Witch as he
called her, sat down on the bottom step
and he answered the volley of questions
she fired at him. Then he rose to leave
her. you must go back to bed now;
you will soon be old enough to come
to some of the dances"
"Me come to dance!" exclaimed the
girl "The old spiders would die before
they would ever let us come. But steal
out of the dormitory and come down
the hack way and watch, though"