Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-09-07

/ ~ ANt"' HNNNH 1'Nl"f
II was May again now But lthrought
no cherished bridal flowers 10 Humphrey
Carhonol and his wife, no clasplng OF
hands, no fulilllment OF loves glorious
prophecy, Esirangement had but deep
ened, and they were parting lnprdo and
anger. Tired with the state Of affairs
at home -the unbendine GOODNESS, the
resentlul tones, the cruel chickering's IN
which both indulged Captain Carbonol
had got placed on full service again.
He was going ont 10 bo shot at, II fate
so wllled; for we were ht war now.
The day OF departure dawncd, and
they parted with bitter words, Heaven
and their own hearts knew how much
or how little they suilcredi there was
no outward sign OF Il. People, who
had ceased TO wonder at the suspected
enlargement between Captain and
Mrs Carhonel said to one another that
it was brave OF him to 90 out volun-
tarily TO the wars "Marlbrouck
s'en-ya.t-en-guerren So he went on
With an Indifferent oountenanco and a
jaunty air; and she stayed behind
equally iauniy, equally Indifferent.
One year passed on Emma Car
bonel began to feel lonely, to sicken Of
hcr unsatisfactory life. Bit by bit she
had grown to see that she and
Humphrey had been but foolish. both
Of them, the one rs much as the other
Did he feel the samep II might be.
Yet their letters continued to be of the
scantiest and coldeSt
Another year dragged itself on, and
then she made no prctense Of keeping
up the farce OF resentment to
her own heart Time, generally
speaking, shows up our past
mistakes in their true colors.
Emma Carbonel longed for her husband
to come home, she grew feycrishly im-
patient to be reconciled Mariana in
the Moated Grange was a favorite read
ing of hers just now
"She said am weary, weary,
He cometh not she said;
He cometh not and all is dreary--
would that were deadHN
Humphrey Carbonel came not.
Nothing came but the details of the
fighting; wars. and rumors of wars.
May was in again; another May.
Mrs. Carbonel sat at her window in the
twilight of chilly, drizzling day The
gloom without harmonized with the
gloom within. And yet, hardly so. The
rain might be cold, dreary, dispiriting,
but it was nothing as compared with
thehesolation of her heart. Childless,
and worse than widowed She had
hoped, ahl for year or two now, that
Humphreys old love for her might
overrule his pride and bitterness, and
prompt him to write TO her word Of
tender regret for their conduct to one
another But he did not, She was
feeling itallto herheart's core this miser-
able evening; unavailing remorse lay
heavily upon her; she wished she could |
die and end it. No sign Of reconcilia-
tion had passed since they parted in
pride and anger; not word Of repent
ance on either side had crossed the
dreary gulf that flowed between them.
Words OF another poet, dead and gone,
noated through her mind as she sat.
Night and day lately they had seemed
to haunt it.
" Alasl they had been friends in youth
But whispering tongues can poison TRUTH
And constancy lives IN realms above.
And life is thOrny, and youth is vain:
And TO be wrath with one we love
Doth work like madness in the brain"
Should she go madp There came mo-
ments when she feared she should If |
this state Of things continued. A week
ago there had been some talk in the pa |
pers that the war would, in all proba- |
bility, soon be over. Then Humphrey |
would come home again.
Her thoughts turned TO this phase;
she began to dwell upon ii, and what il |
would involve to him and to her Pres
emily she lost herself in fond anticipa-
tions, realizing it all as in picture.
Somehow she felt strange nearness to
him, as if he were coming then, were
almost there. She heard the rain beat
ing against the windows, and she glanced |
to see that the fire in the CRATE was
bright when he came in. She gaxed be-
yond the house gates down the road in
the gathering gloom, almost, almost ex-
pecting to see him approach, as she
used to see him in tho days gone by.
She had been wretchedly lonely so long
now; and she wanted 20 hear his foot
step in the hall, TO feel his caressing
hand on her sunny hair, and to hear his
bright words, Good evening, Emma,
my dearl' II did not seem strange to
her that this should happen, or that she
was expecting it, though she had never
once had this feeling through all these
separated years. ii did not seem mar
yelous that be should come thus from
beyond seas without notice. Had he
opened the door and stood there by her
side she would not have felt startled or
surprised. or at all wondered at it. The
bewllderment wrought by long-contin-
ued sorrow has stolen over her senses.
But Humphrey die not come. Only,
instead, the postman came in at the
gate, and knocked at the door. Me
chanically she wondered why he was so
late this evening. She heard the ser
want who answered the knock say the
same to the man.
"Yes, it's late" he answered. "A
mail from the warts in. you see; and il
brought a good many letters
The woman came in with thick let
ter and the lights Her mistress took
il with nervous haste. A thick letter.
and from her husbandi until now his
letters had been Of the thinnest and
slightest. The writing ,cas il Hum
phrey's? Why. yes. II was his; but
what could make il look so shaky? She
opened it carefully, and some Enclosures
fell ont. A fond letter or two Of hers
written 10 him aftertheir marriage, dur
ing temporary separation; a curl of
her sunny hair plain gold ring which
he had worn ever since his wedding
day; and little folded note with few
trembling lines in H.
Il am dying. Emma Fell to-day in
battle. God forgive us our folly. nv
precious wifel / believe we loved one
another all the while. There is another
Life. my dear one. shall be waiting
for you there. Humphrey"
Emma Carbonel did not CRY, did not
faint. She lay back In low, large
chair, her meek hands clasped IN sup
plicaiion. praying to be pard0ned for
all her hard wickednoss to her dead
husband. feebly beseeching God. in His
mercy, 70 take her to that better life.