Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-12-19
An Ingenious
Woman
A Story Of the Days Of
Witchcraft.
By F. A. mitchell


There was once a young man named
Conrad who married girl named
Joan. They were vassals on the estate
Of buron who owned and ruled over
a great territory. The man and the
woman were both poor. and their
neighbors wondered how they would
get on. Nevertheless they prospered.
and their prosperity was all on account
Of Joan. who was very shrewd. One
thing puzzled those who knew her. She
did everything In way so queer that
some Of them thought her demented.
And yet her acts resulted to her bene-
ct.
One person. und one person alone.
came to understand her-her husband
Conrad was IL stupid man. and 1t is
likely this was the reason why he came
to be an excellent auxiliary to his wife.
Having no ideas Of his own. he was
readily recipient Of hers. For ten
years she kept instilling her way Of
doing things into him. so that Mt last
not only could she trust him to follow
her lead. but at times to take the ini
tiative on her methods.
There was much warfare in small
way in those days, attacks being made
by one suzerain upon another. In one
Of these incursions upon the domain Of
Baron Elginbrod. where Conrad and
his wife lived. Count Hastings. the In.
cursionist. took Conrad away with him.
having learned that he and his wife
had accumulated money. and held his
prisoner for ransom.
Conrad was thrown into prison and
told that he should stay there till he
paid the ransom. BE remained cap
tive some time. then sent word to his
captor to say that II he would give him
a messenger he would send him to his
wife with an order to pay the ransom.
The count at once furnished the mes
senger, and Conrad wrote the following
message to Joan:
My Dear Wife-I wish you to pay the
ransom demanded by Count Hastings for
my release. I will wait for you to do 30
for one week. One week from tonight II
am not liberated will hang myself In
the chimney Of the room where am con-
fined. Your loving husband, CONRAD.
This letter was submitted to the count,
who read 1t with satisfaction. "for," said
he, III the woman is inclined to dicker
as to the amount she shall pay, the
threat Of her husband to hang himself
will influence her to pay any sum
ask" And be doubled the amount de-
manded for the ransom.
When the messenger delivered the
note to Joan and she read her hus.
bands threat to hang himself she fell
over In q faint. The messenger did
what he could to revive her and en-
deavored to reassure her by pointing
out the impossibility Of the prisoner
hanging himself in the chimney, since.
In the first place, he had no rope, and.
in the second place, even II he had
there was nothing in the chimney to
which he could attach rope.
This seemed to comfort Joan, and,
gathering her strength. she wrote her
husband q note stating that she would
be unable to raise the money required
for the ransom in so short time. but
she would do so as soon as possible.
She added a note begging him not to
hang himself. thus depriving her and
the children Of his care and the pleas
ure Of having him with them.
The messenger went back to the
count with Joan's letter. and It vas
read with satisfaction. for It was evil
dent that she was so terrified at her
husbands threat. Notwithstanding the
fact that 1t would. be impossible to
carry 1t out. that she would do all In
her power to raise the money for the
ransom. So the message was deliver
ed to Conrad. who read 1t. evidently
pleased at the prospect Of getting his
liberty.
A week passed, and the night came
on which Conrad had threatened to
commit suicide unless his wife had by
that time paid the ransom and set
him free. His jailer. when he brought
In the prisoners supper and set 1t
down on the table. said jokingly:
"Well, Conrad, are you going to hang
yourself tonight?"
''Why should I? My wife has said
that she might not be able to raise the
money for my ransom so soon. but
am sure she will do so in time. l am
aware that she must sell everything
we have, including our home. to raise
80 large an amount. and I don't s1.
pect that she will be able to turn It all
into ready money in less than another
week. at least"
"Why, then. did you name a period
insufficient Tor her to raise the ran
som?'
Because did not wish her to lose
any time"
"WeIl. I'm glad you have no reason
to hang yourself. For II you did !
should have to sit up and watch you
tonight and prefer to be asleep in
my he'd"
So the iailer left his prisoner to eat
his supper. aud when he returned Con.
lad was snoring loudly on his cot. The
keeper went away satisfied tnat there
was no danger Of the prisoner cheat.
Ing The count out of his ransom by kill
ina Aimself. and he. too. betOOk him.
self to bis bed and was soon snoring
as loudly as Conrld.
When the next morning the jailer
took Conrad's breakfast to him. ex.
pecting to see his prisoner sitting. as
usual. at the table waiting for II. he
was astonished NOT to nee him Al all.
Moreover. there was strange stiffness
In the room. the Silence Of absence of
any living thing. The man. thinking
that. after all, his prisoner might have
carried out his threat. went to the
chimney. fearing that he might see his
body dangling there. There was neth-
Ing In the lower part, and. looking up.
he saw only small patch Of blue sky.
With fear and trembling the jailer
sent word to the count that bis prison
er had vanished. In order to shield
himself. he declared that he had heard
strange sounds overhead during the
night BE believed that his prisoner
had carried out his threat to hang him.
self and that witches had carried OF
the body.
That was an age when people. instead
Of looking for natural causes. inferred