Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-15
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she was left to wear through the long hours
Of waiting in the rooms where all Trostie's
life had been spent, and where every chair
| and table grew precious to her in that long
watching, because they seemed to assure
her, with the dumb force Of everyday asso-
citation with him, that 1t was impossible b.
could be really gone forever.
All that night and the next day she lived
through her suspense as women live through
such agonieS Sometimes on Der knees,
when she was spoken to, eating and drink
ing when told to do so by the friends who
took it in turn not to leave her alone But
whatever she did, her whole heart, her whole
soul, was one wild prayer-such q prayer
as most of US make in our bitterest needs,
and whose passionate rebellion against what
may be His viii, the God who made human
love so strong must surely forgive, even
when He does not heed it
1t was nearly sunset on the following day
when Mabel rose suddenly from her kneea
Listen she said, sharply.
There were hurried steps coming across
the parade, and it flashed through her heart
that no one hurries to tell bad newx The
door was pushed open by . soldier, for once
too eager to remember ceremony. The
s9uaw has brought him hack, y he cried
Yes, she had brought him back; for there
she stood in the doorway, holloweyed, and
dust-stained with her long tramp over the
prairie, while out from her blanket, where
she had carried him pappoose fashion,
looked Trottie's tired little face and anxious
blue eyes
For while there was breathless, bliss
e L.,
half-uttered words, as Mabel with eyes and
lips and fingers assured herself that her bo.
was safe and sound as when be had beea
taken from her All! surely there are
moments Of this sad world whose JOY heaven
itself can not surpass, and no angels song
Will ever thrill Mabels heart with more
perfect rapture than did the weary content
in Trottie's little voice as he tucked his head
down close under her cheek and murmurei:
"Trottie dos love his own mamma more
dan tongue can tell"
Pretty boy happy now" said the Indian
woman abruptly, Yet with certain grave
satisfaction in her harsh tones They were
the first words she had uttered, as she stood
silent and dry-eyed among all those happy,
fearful women, and as she spoke she turned
as if to go, but Mabers voice stopped her
Why did you bring him back to me-
she asked, holding her boy tightly to her
breast-a passionate wonder that any woman
having once possessed him could give him
up again overcoming all her shrinking
horror.
Him pretty boy, but not mine," the In
dian answered. And then, laying one hand
on her breast, Me not want white mother
60 feel ache here, like me feel; 50 mo bring
her boy back to her."
But why did you take him, them cried
one OF the ladies' eagerly.
Me not take him, she replied; and very
briefly, in her imperfect English, she told
them what had happened
On her return to their camp the day that
she h ID first seen Trottie, she had told her
husband that he reminded her Of their dead
boy, and her husband, believing that tho
child would comfort her, had gone to the
fort the next morning, without saying any
thing to her Of his purpose, and had man
aged to get Trottie under his blanket when
he was playing quite alone on the parade,
and had persuaded the child, who was as
little afraid of an Indian as OF q white
man, that if he would keep quite quiet he
would take him to see a very wonderful
sight In this way, after having thrown
Trottie's feL down the bluff to avert sus-
picion, they had passed the sentry without
difficulty. When he brought the boy TO
her, and she tried to make him understand
that nsither she nor Trottie would 10 happy
together, he had ordered her 70 be silent,
forbidding her to return the child to the
fort The camp had been broken up at
once, and through all their march that
night he had kept such strict watch Of her
that she could not carry out her plan Of es-
cape. But when, having reached hiding
place he thought safely distant, he left he-,
to hunt some game, she seized her oppor-
tunity, and taking Trottie on her back, SCI
out across the prairie.
Short as she made her story, Trottie, tired
out with so many griefs and joys, was fast
asleep on his mothers breast; but when the
Indian paused, and turned again in her
swift, silent fashion to leave the room, Ma
bel rose and came toward her with him in
her arms
God bless you, you good woman!" shs
said. softly. Then with all her voice shaken
with tender Joy, and the manner of one who
would fain snare it, if she could, with thi.
other desoiat, mother, TO whom no one
would ever u,ing ler child again on Chi
nde heaven: "Ses how happy he loohA
You may kiss him; he will not wake"
They kept her few hours; they made
her rest and eat little But when Tom
fleriot, in the first joy of his return, would
have bestowed upon her all sorts AMI kinds
of rewards. she would take nothing
Me want nothing white mother can give,
she answered. gravely, as she had answered.
Mabel on the day she had first seen her.
And then, waving her hand toward the
prairie: Me go back TO him out there
Him very good man to me-"
And so she left them Mackubin in
Harper's Weekly.