A Tale of the Kloster

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r Brother Martin Br?mer. Secondly, because his death followed so swift upon the appearance of that s

ay to the Brother woods for an armful of firewood for the hall. Close upon where the Brother woods merged into the Sister woods stood a migh

erthrowing him, for that our tailor was so small and slight. However, we gravely saluted each other as though naught had happened; for each knew it had been a mere accident, and were about to pass on when I caught sight of his face,

Brother Martin! I fear the Solitary press upon thee too so

h toilsome, lie pleasantly on me, because I love my work, and those for whom I labor and strive to please seem to love me for what I do f

rt disturbed and suffering, that I see plainly. I

ear, clutching mine arm and leaning on it as though he needed my protection, "I

hell'; but when the fiend comes as such it is not in horrid, repulsive shape, but like those beautiful beings who came to Saint Anthony with such artful, seductive enchantments that n

no seductive siren, as thou sayest; 'twas the foul fiend in his foulest, most awful form, long, tangled hair falling every way over a

artin?" for I saw he could not

rd a snarl like some ravenous beast; I saw her horrible claws uplifted as though she were about to spring on me and tear me limb from limb. I jumped back, my heart almost standing still, thi

his witch or devil?" I said boldly, although

s he cried out, "Nay, not even for the very hope of

ou gentle coward, whil

Nay, go not, Brother Jabez; even if she touch th

aving him shuddering with the terror that had no

ent on, resolutely forcing my way into the vile vines that caught me all about my face and body and limbs so that I was ready to affirm naught human could penetrate such a wilderness; but though I looked carefully

imprint been that of a cloven foot I could not have been more startled; for I knew that the Sisterhood seldom, if ever, came to the Brother woods, and the good wives and daughters of the near-by settlers were too timid and honest to trespass on our lands. Much perturbe

anting to know what I had learned. "Nothing," I said, "of w

brimstone? No cloven fo

ht of this; for they who would not believe thee would only

then the child was strong and healthy, never having been sick; but from that day he wasted away, with naught that could help or cure him, and within a month we laid him down in his little resting-place in the orchard nigh our cabin

elancholy mood, and so we walked back slowly

g health. Only he and I knew, however, that the tortures of mind he was enduring far outweighed the lesser pains of the flesh;

eads on their hard wooden blocks, we were startled by the ringing of the Kloster bell. Clear and loud it pealed through the cold quietness of the night. Like a flash, though I had not thought of it

in the still narrower doorway and corridor. I had been filled, ere I saw him, with a dread that his death agony might have had its terrors increased a thousand-fold by the awful memory of the witch; for I knew he had never forgotten it. But when I looked down on the slight form and peaceful face resting on the hard bench and still more mortifying pillow, I saw no trace of any overpowering, death-dealing visio

ed upon the sill and swept up, and the door immediately closed so that his spirit could not return again to its earthly

stormy night, no moon and no stars to lighten up the gloom of the sky or the still deeper darkness in our hearts; but with our fagot torchlights sputterin

faith who for almost nine years had abided with us, we left in the meadow his mortal remains, but took back with us th