Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-28

ate her supper When the flames
began to crackle the boy came TO
her and asked for a share or the
bread and cheese; but Mombt re-
fused him.
I'm hungry" said Tip, in a sulky
tone.
You won't be hungry long" re-
piled Mombi, with a grim look.
The boy didn't like this speech,
for 1t sounded like a threat; but he
happened to remember he had nuts
in his pocket, so he cracked some
of those and ate them While the
woman rose, shook the crumbs from
her apron, and hung above the fire
small black kettle.
Then she measured out equal
parts of milk and vinegar and pour
ed them into the kettle. Next she
produced several packets of herbs
and powders and began adding a
portion of each to the contents OF
the kettle. Occasionally she would
draw near the candle and read from
yellow paper the receipt of the
mess she was concoctlng.
AS Tip watched her his uneasi-
ness increased.
What is that for?" he asked.
For you," returned Mombt'
briefly.
Tip, wiggled around upon his stool
and stared awhile at the kettle,
which was beginning to bubble. Then
he would glance at the stern and
wrinkled features of the witch and
wished he were any place but in that
dim and smoky kitchen, where even
the shadows cast by the candle upon
the wall were enough to give one the
horrors. So an hour passed away,
during which the silence was only
broken by the bubbling of the pot
and the kissing of the flames.
Finally, Tip spoke again.
"Have 1 got to drink that stuff?'
he asked nodding toward the pot.
yes" said Mombi.
"What'll it do to me?" asked
Tip.
"If it's properly made" replied
Mombi, "it will change or transform
you into a marble statue"
Tip groaned. and wiped the per-
spiration from his forehead with
his sleeve,
"I don't want to be a mable sta
tue!" he protested.
"That dosen't matter; I want you
to be one" said the old woman,
looking at him severely.
What use'll l be then?" asked
Tip. There won't be any one to
work for you"
TN make the Pumpkinhead work
for me-" said Mombi.
Again Tip groaned.
"Why don't you change me into
goat or q chicken?" he asked anx-
iously. "You can't do anything with
marble statue"
"Oh, yes, / can," returned Mo-
bi. I'm going to plant a flower gar
den, next spring, and I'll put you in
the middle of it, for an ornament.
wonder / haven't thought of thai
before; you've been a bother to me
for years"
At this terrible speech Tip felt the
beads of perspiration starting al
over his body; but he sat still ant
shivered and looked anxiously at the
kettle.
perhaps it won't work." he NUT
tered, in a voice that sounded weal
and discouraged.
"Oh, 1 think it WILL" answered
Mombi. cheerfully. II seldom make
a mistake"
Again there was a period of 81
Ience-a silence so long and gloom!
that when Mombi finally lifted the
kettle from the fire it was close tt
midnight.
You cannot drink it until it ha:
become quite cold" announced the
old witch-for in spite of the Law
she had acknowledged practising
! witchcraft. I'VE must both go to bee
now, and at daybreak 1 will call yol
and at once complete your trans
formation into a marble statue"
With this she hobbled into hel
room, bearing the steaming Kettle
with her, and Tip heard her CLOSE
and lock the door.
The boy did not go to bed as hi
had been commanded to do. but still
sat glaring at the embers of the dy
| ing fire.
Next Story-"The Flight of the
Fugitives," in which Tip decides Il
run away, rather than stay and bt
turned into a statue by old Nom
bic in the morning. He goes to the
cupboard for food and finds there
accidentally, the magic Powder ot
Life. which he takes with him Sc
that Mombf cannot do further harm
with it. Not liking to leave Jacl
Pumpkinhead to the mercies of the
witch, he let's him out of the stable
and the two escape. Does Momb
follow them? Wait! You will see.