The Portland daily press., 1895-08-05

HNJ SAS anu A1StiHSS DeCdiue nlOfo lIe4uoS
the last SO rigorous that she begged MN
TO nave care lest his health suffer.
we are commanded" he replied SOL
emnly, to 'crucify the old man and ut
terly abolish the whole body of sin.
He went about his work like man in
dream. The melancholy that had always
characterized him had become moodiness,
a taciturnity that his wife learned was
best left unquestioned. His favorite sub
Sects Of conversation had formerly related
to his work. Now he never alluded to 1t.
His texts had been chosen from the New
Testament that upon which he had most
frequently dwelt being, "For their sakes
sanctify myself, that they also may be
sanctided through the truth" Now his
sermons were drawn from the Old Testa-
ment and particularly from those accounts
that dwelt upon vengeance and bloodshed
When ne read the lesson telling of the KILL
| ing OF Slsera, there was q repressed force
in his utterance, an intensity of dramatic
action in the gestures of his slender hand
and flexible wrist, that brought the scene
with awful vividness Sefore his listeners
"She smote the nail into his temples,
for he was fast asleep and weary. So he
died." His personality was merged into
that of Jael and exaltation was exultation
over the treacherous and savage deed.
His manner in speaking of his own peo-
pie had formerly been tinged with sadness.
Was it wild fancy of his wife's that it
now held a subtle pride? A distinction,
too, had evidently grown up between
"these people''-of his fock-and those
among whom his childhood had been
passed.
His walks over the plain became more
frequent. Helen had supposed their object
was the settlement till an allusion to his
work there undeceived her. 81 have not
been there. I walked 90, 80 miles over the
plain" he said, with an excitement that
all her efforts at restraint could not allow
to pass unneticed.
"ListenI' and the words that followed
were strange to Helen. sit is the tongue
of my fathers, went on her husband
with solemn pride. upon the vast empty
plain there was sound from heaven as of
a mighty rushing wind, and even as the
tongues were given to the disciples at the
day of Pentecost was the language of the
| warriors given back to me. With such
words did my father speak when he told of
his great deeds in the council. My father
was a great brave. He did not live among
the women and children. He was not a
squaw man. He was Black Kettle!''
Bewildered at this strange outburst
Helen called beseechingly to her husband
He made no reply. 1t was morning
when he arose from the prize dieu.
For the next few days, except for an al
most unbroken silence, he seemed more
like his former self. Late one afternoon
word was brought to Helen that woman
had been confined in the settlement and
| 4 L. aE 1.
The circumstances appealed to her with
peculiar force. Filling basket with food
| and hastily selecting such articles as SEEM
4 ed most needful, she set out on her lonely
walk.
The door of the hut was ajar. The one
room was empty. In her charitable visit
ing in Boston a similar experience had
often confronted her, and now, as then, an
involuntary vexation arose at having been
made the dupe of her sympathies. She
made her way to the next hut; but, to her
surprise, it, too, was empty. The village
was deserted.
The last hut stood on the brow of an in
cline. In the hollow beyond was a strange
sight.
Shrinking back into the shadow of the
hut, petrified with horror, she stood watch
women alternating, holding one another
by the hand revolving slowly around a
large tree. A dirgelike chant filled the air
as round and round the dancers went in
the same direction, with eyes closed and
heads bent toward the ground There
were young men in the circle. Had they
returned, then, from their hunting ex-
| peditionp
Chained to the spot by the mystic spell
of the sghost Dance" her own body sway
ed to and fro in unison with the dancers
One figure seemed to exercise partic-
| ular fascination over her. 1t was that of
young brave, naked to the hips and with
streaks OF red and yellow paint across his
breast Darkness had long ago fallen, and
fires were cleaning in the hollow. By
and by one after another of the dancers
fell forward on his face, but the circle was
instantly reformed. The young brave who
had held her gaze was prostrate at last, in
| the kind of swoon to whichethe others had
| succumbed
Suddenly he leaped to his feet.
II have seen the great father, " he cried,
land he will not talk to me because have
married white woman
1t was the voice of her husband!
Half frozen, blinded and staggering, she
reached her own door at last. She must
have wandered many times from the path,
for the cold gray morning light was break
ing. She dropped, from force of habit,
into the chair by the workable. She
must darn those stockings of Augustus. It
was the morning for early service. There
was little illuminated book of deyotions
in which it was her daily habit to read.
Was she going mad? The words were re-
volving in circle over the page A cap
ital A, in scarlet and gold, bore fantas-
tic resemblance to the paint bedizened fig
ure of the dance
There was sound without The door
was pushed open, and a naked savage
strode into the room. She saw his pur-
pose.
"Augustl For the sake of our unborn
babe!''
What followed may not be told.-Edith
Robinson in Argonaut.