Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-18


depths Of that lake OF night that In,
so lustcrleSs in the blaze OF day
Against his will Count Ramon saw
vision OF Julia's head relieved a.ains
the blaCkneSs-Julia as he had las
seen her on the desk OF the Swami
irSush;.
With tremendous EFFORT ne de
,acheG his gaze from the Vision,
"Wi,chcraft.' he mittcred. staring \,
the Noodoo woman like a man pos,
SeSscd.
She smiled loftily.
look again. senior
Reluctantly he bent his gaze TO the
pool OF black liquid. Again he STOOD
iranstiNed by the vision that was paint
ed on its surface by an ina ginatior
now completely dominated.
He saw. or drcamt lie saw. a path
/ winding up Il steep hillside. upon this
the figure of Julia. telling upward
supported by Philips arm: she seeme ell
half fainting with fatigue. Philip III
little better case.
I Ramon began to iremble SO violently
that the LIQUID stopped out OF the hol-
/ low ~ his palm. ills pscudo-vision
erased.
, You saw ne stammered, looking
up ST the voodco woman.
She SHOOK he. head, Il saw moth
inc. | know"
/ You shall have more gold. more than
YOU ever dreamed to possess =
Again the woman shook her head Il
cannot show YOU the way to And her:
but will do better. 60 on TO the
3 place ! shall tell YOU OF and wal, there
iii come, When | come viii bring
you this girl Then YOU shall reward
} Wholly under the spell of her per-
( sonaliiy. Ramon agreed
( The woman turned TO The Cuban
/ guide and gave him simple directions
as 10 the place OF rendezvous
/ Il shall b. there with the Sirl before
/ shutdown" she said Now go--ou,cllly
I for I have much "a do and the time
! is short
Al the Bridge.
( For some moments the witch woman
remained IN the doorway az her hut.
watching the departure q Ramon and
his companions upon the trail that led
inland 10 the hills.
AS long as tneN We're in sieht her
look was steadfastly inscrutable: once
they had disappeared. a dark malicious
smile co!ored her expression. yielding
swiftly 70 speculative frowu.
Then shaking herself ont OF reverie
/ with gesture OF determination. she
stepped back across the Threshold
presently 30 rea ppear and. after "a sharp
door and swung away down IA path
a; risht angle 10 that followed 10y Ra-
mons party.
When she was gone the clearing
hasked in tranquility Cor as much as
twenty minutes. sieaminE gently as
the perfervd rays OF the tropjc sun
suck moisture from earth sodden with
recent rains
A, the end OF that period. two hui.
To-,
frantic haste into the clearing. a.
sight OF the hut paused for momentary
consultation. then approached It,
Prince Phili0. the first 20 reach tn,
door. raped on il loudly. There va.
no response.
Following an instant OF doubt h.
thrust II open with a shoulder.
], revealed 2 shadowy interior in,
habted by a strange aromatic atmos
phere. punEent and heavy.
Cnchaliengcd Philip stepped boldl,
in Juan Lopez Al mis- heels.
AS his -dazzled vision accus,om
ed itself 20 the half-licht within III,
, hut. he made out a rather start.in:
scheme OF furnishing and decoration
The top OF a rude table in the middl.
OF the earthen floor was Uttered Wit
a curious miscellany OF fresh and dry
ing herbs in punches. together will
bottles OF various shapes, and bleach
ed human skull from a hole in who's
. Uranium half burned candle pro
/! aided. Other skulls. 10 the numbe
oF half a dozen. Grinntd from shadow
. ed corners and inches round the walls
, y semiarticulatcd skeleton dangle'
from nail. Strings Of dried herb
, and more repulsive thinSs-dead liz
. ards. indurated frogs. snalte-skins. an,
tho like--tianSied from rafters sup
, porting the thatch. over the embcr
. OF a wood Are in the fireplace an irol
Kettle was suspended. its contents sim
merins gently and giving off an oddl
, favored steam In oSe corner ther
was straw pallet covered with wha
A. first glance seemed merely a dis
, orderly heap Of rags.
Curiousity moved philip to investi
, gate Sweeping The rags aside. ne Ut
tered a cry OF cornninglcd alarm an
> relief and dropped 10 his knees besid
tn" Princess Julia.
She was resting quietly. apparently
in natural sleep y him OF perspira
ton dewcd her hrows. but her colo
was normal, and her respiration regu
: lar.
Gathering her into his arms. Phil
crushed his lips 70 hers. But She Iii
not waken. Calling her by nam
served him no better. Perplexcd an
5 more than slightly worried, he low
$ cred her 10 III. pallet: she stirred
. .i''le. then. and sighed. her lips form
!, iiG an almost naudiblc word Bend
!ng his ear 10 them he oaugh, tn
q whispered syilables OF his name. Wit
i mat sh" became immobile once NOR
:, sutsiding into slumbcrs stu NOR
" profound
3. The dev!i"' lie mut:ered. looking II
Al Juan Lopez. Il don't like Thu
9he seems all rieht--aEd yet she ough
:, TO be rested enough TO wake up b
y this time. don't understand i:-an
mere Than Understand how she &C
INTO TINS ehasIly hole
!. She VIII sleep till noon" said
voice behind them, fuli-toned voic
. mat spoke ia Spanish. that ba rbarou
l pat"is 81 spanish that is curren,
Y the rcmoier districts OF Cuba.
Ph'hp Jumping to mis- feel. the tw
men Turned 20 SEQ the voodoo woina,
standing IN the middle % the room an
l.. resardinr them With subtly shrew
expression.
Who ar" YOU rEilip demanded.
:, am the woman who lives here
l. Snc replied. Il live here alon. an
u"c'or sicN negroes with herbs. s
th"H call nc witch"
. Il