The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-10-28

agree as to just what a heuthen Is
All our squubbles have been about
that. | AIN disposed to include all
who believe In fairies good, or bad,
and persons who honestly believe In
signs, omens, and lucky stones nnd
nli who have the receipt o, fern-seed
and walk nvislble-there's Shakes
pIure for that"
81 think" said Mrs. Bashford
soberly, that have always believed
in witches; and If l keep on believ '
ing ! shall see one some day. We
shall fnd anything In this world that
we believe In hard enough"
She was talking very gravely, as
though witches were the commonest
topic Of conversation, but finding my
eyes turned upon her in frank wonder,
she laughed at my amazement.
Let us be honest with you, Mr.
Singleton" Mrs. FurnswOrth explained,
land tell you that we are just testing
you. II may be a breach OF hUspilul'
ity, and you are but stranger, but
we are curious to know whether you
are of that small company Of tho
favored Of heaven who can play az
being foolish without becoming idiotic,
Alice is sometimes very near idiocy,
You admit that. Alicew
"l not only admit It, but / might
even boast of itw my aunt replied.
AT the mention of witches / had
caught Antoine crossing himself Us he
turned to the sideboard. confess
that myself had been startled by the
drift of the talk. Mrs. Fnrnsworth
and my nunt treated each other as
though they were contemporaries, ana
1t was Alice and Constance between
them. AS the talk ran eXhauStively
through tie lore Of witches and gOh-
Inns ! had hoped that one or the other
would drop some clue rs 10 the previ-
GUS history of my amazing aunt. Ii
was ms nlnin as day that she ana
Mrs. FarnswOrth INDUCED IN whims
for the joy Of it, and her zest in the
discussion Of witches, carried on while
Antoine served the table, lips tightly
ana with an eNuggeratiOn
Df his stately tread, was the more
startling from the fact that my uunts
was woman OF years, a
handsome woman with a high-bred ut
who did not look at ull like perSCn
who would discuss witches as .hough
hey had been made the topic OF the
lay by the afternoon newspapers.
And Wh"n the shape of a witCE'S chin
Decame the Immediate point Of dis
'uSsion | knew it was in AEtoine's
mind that such conversation was un-
becoming. all orfenSe to the memory of
raymond BaShford. Mrs Farms
vorth's brown eyes sparkled and the
color deepened in my uunts checks as
we dlScourSed upon witches and The
'hins thereof. | had friend i'm col
ege who used TO indulge in the same
sort Of pihlng but that my uncle's
widow and her elderly companion
should delight in such uhsurdities hN
me. | had been HddresStl I
my aunt as Mrs. BaShford-t
seemed ridiculous to call her Auur
i'm the heat of our argu-
ncnt as TO whether witches are neccs'
Surily naughty and malign beings |
had just uttered the Mrs" when s.
bent toward me and said gravely ANA
with no hint Of archneSs: Cant we
make It Alice ANA Bob? ! think that
would be a LOT friendlier."
experienced curious llutter OF
the heart the first time | tried it, but
after that ii came very easily. She
was simply the jollieSt, prettjest girl
that had ever crossed my horizon. and
10 be talking to her across the table
gave me thrills compared with when
sliding out of clouds in an ulrpane is
only u rocking-chulr pastime for olP
men.
We had coffee on the vcrnnda (AhS~
thought it would be nicer there). ana
rs Antoine gave me my cup he edged
close TO my chair to whisper:
"That party, sir. If he should
Tell tho troops not to attack any
visitors" | said, loud enough for the
others to hear. MIR. Terrence will be
here shortly, and II would he annoy
ing to have him ushered In on shut
ter"
81 know why this is the land of the
free and the home of the brave"
luurned Alice. zone has to be brave
to live here"
"ThoSe women are play