Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-02-25
When | realized tbls felt a maddon-

When | realized this felt maddon-
ing fury take possession Of me.
Little by httlc, unconsciously yet
surely by the force Of her own worth
and her many virtues, she had crowded
me out of the place had grown TO
think was my own.
My stepfather worshipcd her; Sinclair
loved her to idolatry; and even the SER
wants and the ncighboring people could
talk Of nothing but "sweet Lady Mill
cent" was thrust aside, sighted,
forgotten. Yet It was my own fault.
Nobody can help loving q sweet. smil-
ing, unsellish and amiable person in
preference to a black-browed frown-
ing, cold, selfish being. had not made
myself worthy Of love, and | hated her
because she had; and now she was to
bcstow a last priceless blessing upon
the race, blessing which | had been
denied the right of bestowing.
One evening just in the cleaning I
walked down the garden toward a rus
tic seat near large rose tree. In order
to reach the seat | had to descend sew
eral steps They were flat steps cut
from quarry stone. and brought and
laid there. As placed my foot on the
second stair It tottercd and tipped un-
der my weight There had been n Sc
we're storm recently. and the earth had
washed away, leaving no foundation
for the slab 10 rest upon. fell as the
step gave way beneath me and bruised
my knee.
IL must tell John about this to-
night, | thought. "and he must attend
to 1t tomorrow. It's a dangerous
place.
sat down on the rustic bench. |
had scarcely seated myself. when saw
Millicent approaching with her basket
ana scissors; she was coming to gather
roses to decorate the house.
As she ucared the steps | was on the
point of calling out TO her to be careful.
when the devil in my heart bade me be
silent.
LET her look out for herself" he
whispered. Its none of your busi-
ness. II you had not come down here
you would not be responsible for what
happened to her, and she can not cx-
pect you to follow her about to guard
her from danger"
While the evil spirit whispered, it all
happened.
She stepped upon the treacherous
stone, II tipped under her weight and
prccipitated her forward upon her face.
ran TO assist her to her feet. now thor
oughly frightened ana Mortified at my
own wickedness. but she did not seem
badly hurt, only slightly bruised.
THAT IS dangerous place. she
said. John must attend to it to-mor-
row."
Even then at that moment It made
me angry TO hear her speak in such a
tone of command concerning the prem
iscs and the servants.
That night the household was
alarmed by the sudden illness of Lady
Millicent At dawn, in spite Of the
best medical skill, she lay dead. with
her tiny dead infant upon her breast.
l was Mortified at the result of my
wicked silence. Yet the full punish
mont came later in the day.
During the afternoon the sharp re-
port of pistol sounded through the
pines. Ii came from the room where
Lady Milliccnt and babe lay robed for
burial Rushing thither we saw Sim
clair, lying over the caskct which con-
tanned the two silent forms. The piytol
which had taken his life was still sriok-
ing in his hand.
Colonel Monroe followed them all to
the grave before two years passed BY
his will | was left heirc>s OF all those
fine domains of both estates and of
the pines. My avaricc WAS gratihed. |
Ihere was no other woman left To
awaken my jealous feelings, or to mock
me with her happiness.
No living being suspects my guilt;
but the dead know it. and often i'm the
night they come close about me, ac-
cusing me Of my sin.
/ abhor life. yet / dread death. for
then ! must meet them face to face. |
with no vail between. .-EHa Wheeler |
IVNc2x. iH ~ J. star.