The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1923-10-18
HIGH Tops WITCH
BY JANE GORDON
VS. 1921. Western Newspaper Union.J

the window. Sam, he says, L bet
that's High Tops witch which, ]
asks, and Sam tells us. She roams
the mountains, aid its bad luck for
the man that sees or tries to catch
her. Joe, he once give chase, when
the witch come prowlin' around the
messhouse. and she throws a laugh
at him and gets quick behind a tree,
and when Joe looked all about she
wasn't there; an next day Joe lost
his job, dlggln' on High Top"
Glen King laughed. but the golden
haired child on his knee warned:
1T is true what Jim says. l saw
the witch one evening just as l was
going Off to sleep. Sister Norma had
tucked me into bed and kissed me
goodnight. She threw a rose from the
edge right through my window and
into my bed-and first she kissed the
rose-so L wasn't afraid at all. May
be its only bad men that she Furnishes,
Mr.. King; Joe was bad niger, Mary
Murphy says. He gambled money and
took all poor Tim Murphy had"
Information bureau" Glen King
remarked, and pinched the little girls
cheek.
$50 you have seen the witch, and
are not afraid OF her, Angel-Gnd
Norma says that red roses mean lover
Glen King was quite untutored In
the ways OF John Kirkwoods daugh-
ter. And the chief engineer was.
Glen was torn with jealousy at times
by the sight of Norma, walking the
sweet mountain trails at the side Of
Bob Whitley. Bob, a New Yorker
like himself, had come with the en-
cheering commission, as secretary to
Mr.. KirkwoOd, and Glen could not get
over his dislike and suspicion regard
ing the ingratiatlng stranger. Norma
appeared not to share this dislike.
Signing now, he put the child down
gel walked at his side.
"And If you don't believe in the
witch, Mr.. King" she continued her
favorite topic, you just watch for
her some evening on High Top"
Glen sat long in the moonlight at
his cabin door that night; Jim, as
usual was absent. AS he sat across
the moon-lit path fed a shadow. He
got to his feet, interested-the witch,
beyond a doubt. He saw a dark en-
veloping cape, peaked hood rolled
low.
The witch eluded him; but moon
light showed a touch of scarlet lining,
where the persons arm had frightened
for moment the cape about her
or him.
Next day Glen King astonshingly
received notice that his services on the
great engineering commission were
dispensed with. When he sought out
his chief John Klrkwood received him
coldly.
This grieves me more than 1t can
possibly grieve you," he said. "If
had not undoubted authority, I would
not find 1t possible to believe you
guilty of the very fault you have ap-
parently been eager to help me to
subdue. You were an active gambler
1t last nights disgraceful meeting on
High Top"
Stunned, indignant, Glen King
spoke but one word. Mistaken" he
said brusquely, and went to pack his
things.
Black Jim brought him coffee. dat
rascal call himself Bob Whitley, tell
Mr.. Kirkwood lies bout you, Mr..
King" Jim said. "Pretendln' to look
up the gamblers when he's one of 'em.
Dressed up like you last night. Went
to the whites cabin. Got out so no
one could cotch him, an den made the
detective believe 1t was yoself.
know It. An It's Miss Norma Kirk
wood that rascal wants, an maybe'n
get her, on account of his smooth
ways"
But to think" Glen murmured bro
kenly, that after all our association
Mr.. Kirkwood would disbelleve In
me"
Dat Bob" Jim confirmed, lis
mighty smooth, Mr.. King" Glen
bowed his head in his head-toward
him a slender figure came. The negro
flew. "The witch! !" the disheartened
man heard him cry. Glen raised his
head. Norma stood before him. A
dark cape wrapped about her, it's lin
Ing showed scarlet. She held out to
him wide black ribbon. The peaked
hood" she said and smiled.
81 have been High Top witch, Glen"
She came to sit beside him. After
Angel was put to bed for the night
1 roamed the Top; really it was fun,
but had an object. Bob Whitley had
whispered things about you-had In
situated to father. / had to know.
SO, / peeked In the cabin windows
where games were played How did ]
know where to go2 / followed Mary
Murphys Tim one night, secretly. She
had bewalled the fact of his nightly Wis
Its. And last night, Glen, / saw through
a cabin door, left open but for a moment
TO admit q man-that man dressed as
you might be dressed-but It was not
you. ! have told my father who the
man was. And here I saw you, sOll-
tary, on your own doorstep-untl you
went I'm to bar for the night your
cabin door ] have told my father
that, too Tomorrow Il will be Bob
Whitley who will leave the High TOP
commission-and not you, my Glen,
dearw
His longing arm was around the