The Red Cloud chief., 1876-06-01
I will not forbid myself to love Graham

i Will not 1OTDiO myseu I'd iONe UIAIidAn
Lindsay. And he already loves me-!
She smiled again. a %rapturous smile.
as she unconsciously bowed to the per-
lection Of her Creators workmanship.
dwelt a few minutes longer on the con-
temptation Of her goddess-like form.
then, p~rayerless. sought her couch.
Three weeks passed, and the blue cir
cles below Lucy Lindsay's eyes had
deepened with the decline Of every sun.
Her sweet manner had lost none Of its
cordiality, and her lips never uttered 4
%reprOach; but she withered inwardly
under a sense of humiliation against
which she felt herself powerless. Ora
ham took Claudia 10 ride nearly every
afternoon, and spent his evenings play
ing chess with her. His manner to his
wife was distant and reserved, and often
of evenings while she sat, silent and
forgotten, in a corner of the sofa, SEEM
ingly ~engrOssed with her crochet work,
SIC DtltClsCu SthiItSo VI uIIiiIAotAhooiC
tenderness exchanged by the chess
players. The injured wife shrank like
the veriest coward from the searching
gaze of old Martha's eyes; and. in her
youthful inexperience, brought for the
first time in her life face to face with
such a shameful wrong, it seemed
almost as though she herself were the
criminal.
1t wanted just three days Of being a
month since Mrs. Levin's arrival, when
she came in from riding, one afternoon,
and running gayly up stairs, tapped at
Lucy's ~dressing-roOm door.
Come ill.," was the gentle response,
and Claudia entered and thew herself
down on the lounge.
what do you say to my leaving you
tomorrow, petite Lucy?" she asked.
fixing her eyes upon her cousins face.
Despite the self-cOntrol to which she
had schOoled herself, the red blood
sprang into Lucy's face, and a hopeful
light kindled in her eyes.
20, Claudia, I'm very sorry" she said,
constrainedly. "Why cannot you stay
lOnger?"
"Well," replied Mrs. Levin, with a
little laugh, Il wish to be in Charleston
during race week"
And the next morning Graham drove
her to the station.
Two days after her guests departure
Lucy, taking her accustomed morning
walk down to the negro settlement to
inquire into the health of the children
and the intirm old negroes, and see that
they were properly attended to, thus
cOmmuned with herself:
Il am thankful, now that Claudia has |
gone. that l was neyer betrayed into |
being rude to her. And l never spoke |
a word to Graham the recollection of |
which could mOrtify either of us now.
1t is all best as it is. Claudia is a vain
woman, and certainly spared no pains
to increase the infatuation with which
she inspired my husband. However.
now that she is out of his sight, he will, |
l hope, gradually recover his right mind.
But l am resolved never to have her in
my house again. Such women are
dangerous guests"
Just then there came to her a con-
fused jargon of tongues. and all the
other sounds attendant on a general
excitement.
"The ricefieldSw she exclaimed aloud, |
stopping short. a bank must have
given way"
But as she listened the noise seemed
to proceed from the direction of the
Westinghouse, and she turned and re-
traced her steps. AS she drew nearer
she perceived a thick smoke that seemed
to issue from the left wing of the build
ing; and presently one of the black
waiter boys came running towards her
with his eyes and mouth wide open and
an expression of horror on his face.
20, missus,"he cried, "the debil is bOke
loose in the goce room. He's sennin
fire trew de windows and the chimbly;
an all dem niggers is a stannin roun'
de house an hOllerin,' 'cep Josey an me.
He done gone down to de feel for mas
sab, an 1 come yah for you"
us the house on fire, Paul." asked
Lucy, q%uickening her steps.
"Yes, missus. IT'S brock out in de
goce room. an dem niggers amt do muffin
but hOlla."
In a few minutes Mrs. Lindsay was
on the spot, and saw that the boys
words were only too true. A fire had
broken out in that part of the house
where the haunted chamber was, and
the panic-stricken negroes, who had col
lected from all quarters of the plantation,
held themselves alOOf, talking and max
ing a great commotion, but not one of
them putting forth a hand to save the
building.
what do you all mean by this con-
duct?' demanded Lucy, authOritatively
confronting them will you see your
masters house burned down before
your eyes,"
At this. some of the men, looking
rather sheepish, ran for the garden
engine; and as Lucy listened she heard
piercing shrieks, which seemed to her
to proceed from the haunted room.
My God! that is a human voice" she
cried, clasping her hands in an agony of
terror and bewilderment, scarce knOw1
ing which side to hasten to. -
Presently one of the wooden wir6ow