Read Online The Wishing Star by Marian Wells - Free Book Online

about his stone: “Back home there’s a girl who had a stone. She could look into it and see things nobody else could see. I went to visit her and she let me take a look in hers.” Joe’s voice had lost its waver and it rose, filling the room with confidence.
    â€œAll I could see was a stone, far away but coming close to me. Turned out it was my stone. It shone like a light.” Again Jenny caught a glimpse of the same strange gleam in his eye she had first seen when she was with Joe in the woods. He paused to take a breath and his voice deepened and dropped. “I could not rest until I found it. I got myself a grub bag and set out. I worked my way, following what I knew to be the direction to the exact location. I knew I would find it, and I did. ’Twas buried under a tree. I dug it up, carried it down to the crick and washed it.”
    Joe paused, and with his voice deepening again, he said, “I put it in my hat, and lo, I discovered I possessed one of the attributes of deity, an all-seeing eye.”
    A murmur rose and swept the room. Jenny looked around at the people and then turned back to Joseph. Justice Neely was asking him something. With an eloquent sweep of his hand, Joe held up the small chocolate-colored stone, by now familiar to Jenny. Silence settled on the room as the people studied the object.
    Close to Jenny came a whisper, “There’s those who really do see things in a peep stone. Reckon he’s one of them?”
    â€œHe’ll have to prove the power.”
    Another whisper asked, “What’s he being charged with?”
    The reply came, “Being a vagrant, a disorderly person and an imposter.”
    â€œâ€™Tis a shame; he’s nothing but a tad. Let him have a little fun.”
    â€œMust be something to it, if he’s come to trial.”
    Then Jenny heard Joe speaking again. “Josiah Stowell came to Manchester after me, and I’ve been working for him, looking for a silver mine and working around the farm. In between times, I’ve been going to school.”
    There was a question and the answer came. “He came lookin’ for me because he heard I had the gift of seership.”
    And then the question. “Did you find the mine?”
    â€œNo. I persuaded him to give up looking.”
    Joe Smith sat down, and Josiah Stowell took his place. In the murmur of questions, the voice rose. Justice Neely was speaking. His voice was solemn, but the room was filled with his thundering question. “Josiah Stowell, do you swear before God that you actually believe the defendant is able, with the use of his peep stone, to see objects buried in the ground just as clearly as you can see the objects on this table?”
    The old man straightened and, with a determination that set his double chin to wagging, declared, “Your Honor, it isn’t only a matter of belief; I positively know that Joseph Smith can see these marvelous things!”
    In the uproar, the gavel smote the table and the next witness, Mr. Thompson, was called. “This here fella says to Mr. Stowell that many years ago a band of robbers buried a treasure. They placed a charm over it all by having a sacrifice done, so it couldn’t be got at less’n he had what he called a talismanic influence. So they decided to go after it. Joe called for some praying and fasting, and then they set out and commenced to dig.” He paused to swallow hard, then continued.
    â€œThey found the treasure all right; we heard the shovel hit the box. But the harder they dug, the more it slipped away from them. One fella even managed to get his hand on it before it slid clear away from him. Finally Joe called a council of war against this foe of darkness—spirit, he said it was. We knew it was a lack of faith or something wrong with our thinking, so Joe devised a plan.”
    There was a gulp and Thompson’s voice rose with excitement. “We got a lamb. Stowell