judgment of the court."

Dame Woodley, turning to a matron near, whispered: "Sarah Drummond,
there is John Stevens, the husband of the woman who had Ann Linkon
adjudged. How dare he come here?"

"For shame!" whispered Sarah Drummond.

"Yea, verily."

"I wonder he could witness the wrong she hath done."

At this a young wife with a babe in her arms interposed:

"They do say that John Stevens had naught to do with the matter and did
protest against having one so old as Ann Linkon ducked."

"John Stevens is a godly man," remarked still another. "He would not
wrong any one."

"If he were my dearest foe," whispered goodwife Woodley, "he would have
my sympathy for living with Dorothe Stevens."

"Whist, Dame Woodley; speak not your mind so freely," whispered Sarah
Drummond, "for there be those in hearing on whose ears your words had
best not fall."

All the while, Ann Linkon had been struggling with her executioners; but
now, helpless and exhausted, she was bound in the chair. The sheriff,
who was a humane man as well as a stern official, remonstrated with her.

"Ann Linkon, do not so exert and heat yourself, or else when you be
plunged into the water you will take your death."

"Death! Take my death! That is what you want, wretch!" she screamed in
her shrill voice.

"Peace, dame; be still!"

"I will not be silent. She is a hussy. John Stevens, I defy your wife,"
she added as her eyes lighted on Stevens who was near. "I told no
falsehood on her. Go to your friend Hugh Price, and if he will speak the
truth, he will say I spoke no falsehood."

Again Stevens was seen talking with the sheriff; but he shook his head
with the inexorable:

"The judgment of the court--the judgment of the court."

Stevens turned away with a look of disappointment on his face. The sight
of him seemed to increase the anger of Ann Linkon, and she railed and
struggled until, exhausted, she panted for breath. The sheriff fanned
her with his hat until she had partially cooled; but as soon as she
regained her breath, she began again:

"It's a merry sight to you all to watch an old woman. Verily, I wish
Satan would rend you limb from limb, all of ye."

"Go to! hold your peace, Ann!" said the sheriff.

"I will not," she screamed, the froth appearing upon her lips.

"Then you shall be plunged hot."

"I care not."

"It may be your death."

"That's what ye want."

"We don't."

"Ye lie, ye wretch!"

"Ann, I will duck you the ful