Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1916-03-24

"Ao questions released Mrs. PAGE
lrom the sgaad aud set her nj liberty
to drag herself back to her quiet cor.
Ber
She had laid bare an the tragedy OF
heg married life fer the sake of het
Child ana what it had cost her to tel
50 calmly the story of shame and
want and suffering and of the efforts
of the drunken father 60 sell his daugh#
ter SO q man She did not ieve-oaly
She herself knew. There was more
than one woman among the spectators
who could and did guess what IL cost
her, and whose heart Went out TO heI
in pity
Ii was. however. an unfinished story
that size had told. and the room was
vibrant with the unspoken query,
Where did Mary go2" when bangdon
called his next witness:
Alexander MacPherson!'
The barly Scotchman. with his deep
ly tanned face, his heavy beard and
rough clothes. was striking contrast
to the delicate little witness who had
gone before him, and he surveyed the
Judge and jury with wary hostility
that under less tragic circumstances
would have won smile from the spec
tators.
MACPHERSON, you are a woodsman
are you not?"
Il am. sir"
Where were You employed six years
ago."
Il was wurkin' to the Paisley estate.
elearin out the aud timber in the
woods" There was n hint of Scot
fish accent in his speech. though lone
years in America had left il no more
than burr, pleasantly suggestive Of
the wide woodland spaces among
which his life was spent
Did You ever see Miss Pager"
Yes, sir She came tae the woods
often. She had a luye of the wild
things IN her heart, and I'd COON across
her many times, sittin vie a book. OF
just dreamn' in the woods"
"Macp herson. can you remember the
last time that you saw Mary Page In
The woods Of the Paisley estate?"
I've a guide meraory," he answered
rehukingly. and K was a time TO set
In anyone's mind. Twas ON the night
OF. the party Jim Hanley give. up TO
the ridge"
"Will YOU tell rs, please. what oe-
Cured on that aight2'
Il had been tae the party and was
comm home We had sat sac lang it
were pretty late and says 10 myself
TN na go way round hy the road. but
straight through the woods knew
them too well to lose my way, even in
the dark had COON almost TO the
Hollow. which Is like bowl in the
middle of the wood. when | heard
iomebody singin'. II came strange like
in the night. ana ! am nae ashamed
TO say | was scared. SO | stood
hidin', mind We. but waitin' tae see
what il was. Then | seen figure on
the other side of the hollow coomin'
Though the trees-all In white-nnd
wssn' its arms. daft.like. and singin'
and hughin' and eryin' MI in one
Gould You see who II wasY"
Not at tirst, it were toe far away.
| out | SAYS 10 myself, It's nae n ghost.
u fairy. lis some puir daftie got
| away from its keeper I'll wall till II
! gets nearer, then try and stop It,
could you hear what she WIS sing
ing
Nae But presently ! heard another
yoiee-a @l'ee shontin. and knew il
were SOMEONE alter her was mind
i it. +h5Ht ~. K. but WIS afraid of
= ariu tAe poor DAFT thing, So ! stood
tea,a tia suddenly she COON eat
intu patch OF moonlight aud J saw
her fece it WAS Mary Page!
= fHlle aust OF 81 lsperiHg comment
rippled throush the room, and the
Jud e. leaning forward. broke in
sharply
"Iow far distant was This figure
when yoH Gr.t thought you recognized
it as Mary Paee?
Il d.nna ken, exactly" said the
woedsman thoughtiHlly twas ne
more than maybe twice the width OF
the space Of you door, nodding To-
wards the entrance into court, but to
get to her | would have had to skirt
the lip of the hollow, so / stood still
watchin'''
"Wm you tell us how Miss Page
looked?'
"Her dress or her pettlcoats was all
torn and muddy. her hair was hangin
down onto her shoulders, and her face
and arms were scratched and bloody
and there was something that looked
like great sore OH her forehead She
moved like a blind person, stumbin'
| over stumps and bumpin' into the
trees, and yet she KEEP on that strange
croonin' song-laughin, too. at times. .
could you hear any other sound 2"
AYE. I heard a voice calm Mary!
Mary And ! could hear the smashin'
of the underbrush as somebody came
runnln Int she didna look around.
Did she pass youT'
NO: she sRirted The hollow round
the other side. but / could see her
wonGua BET her ont of my sight. tin
she were safe. but didna want 70 lay
hands on q daftie myser Then sud
| denly I snw man come lunnin'
| through the woods and when he saw
her. ne gave ereat cry and shouted,
Thank cod Taen be GATED again.
MARY. Mary wait for me-wait for
| me dear" The echo IN the hollow
caught # np so that the whole woods
were fun % fbe cry and at that she
turned aad stood swayin'-like a
youue sanling cnt at the root Then
she eave ,&Ay. aud fell all crumpled
In =. ffttIa fsgaf4