The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-13
Stories Of an Inland State.

i STORES OF an Inland State.
Young wynants left the Beffel home that
night with his brain on fire. Obiiv!ous o!
the misery he had caused Grace, mindful
only of the beautiful creature whose COM
ing had famed afire the Pickering fame OF
an old love that had burned his heart long
ago. he walked On, stimulated TO point
| where sleep far from seeming necessary
resource of man. appeared impossible.
He took unfamiliar streets and turned
corners whinsically. thinking OF Misty
Dawn. and her noble face, her dreamy eyes.
her queeniy form. How generous the Fate
| which guided her to him. How duh he was
not to recognize her at once. Was he
dreaming that he did not know at once
| the sound Of her gentle cooling voice. He
| would recognize 1t among a million now.
| What noble creature she was-and In
| dian.
| He stopped and closed his eyes.
| Indian. He was nineteen no longer. Re
bell.on to a conventional world no longer
rioted in his breast Indian. The boys
dream Of a universal equality had given
away to the hard, unyielding realization of
| mandatory inequalities. Misty Dawn In
dian. Misty Dawn a savage He tossed his
l
! the first. He could not smoke
| What noble woman she was. And he
loved her. Yes, yes, he loved her-her, a
savage, an Indian.
| He must stifie this love. On what
grounds? That 1t was bestial He knew it
vas not. If his mother were still alive, he
would go to her. He must not let himself
| love this Indian girl. His old friend, the
! Indian Agent, was right She was a saw
| age. The Indian blood was in her veins
| the Indian nature in the marrow of her
| homes. The world would scott. He did not
care for the scof if it were unjust, but
| Ike knew it would be just. He could not deny
that his affection was deep and pure, but
| ne must cast il out.
In the darkness of the night he saw her
before him, tall, queenly, her melting eyes
upon him, her red lips curled to kiss, her
black hair waving on her high. white fore
head, the sculptured curves of her nssome
figure undulating with fascinating life.
How he loved her.
The wise young man closed his eyes to
shut out the transporting vision of his love.
He called on caution to aid him. With the
newspapers filled with divorce suits Of men
and women of the same race. Of equal po-
sttion, of once sincere affection, with this
as warning, should he go on bl:ndly? With
lis knowledge of the hot love that cools
under the steady blast of domestic monot-
ony, of the burning passion that is snuffed
with a weeks familiarity, should he go on :?
With the realization that his memory was
playing sinister part, that the past i'm
preston on a young heart tyrannized in
solently over the protests of an old and
cautious mind should he go on?
Yes. He had placed the barriers to his
love there. He could scatter them again.
Scatter them he id with a frivolous
laugh. Give up Misty Dawn? Give her up
for the prejudice of blood or race or creed?
Give her up to avoid sheer? Give her
up for caution? Never.
Nobility knows no race. Should love?
The conventions Of a world were to be de-
fed and made anew. He would defy them.
But If she were not Indian, oh wise young
man, would you still go on?
The thought pressed insolently upon him.
If she were negro? Answer that.
He did not. He lit cigar and pulled
gaily over his resolution that he would
love Misty Dawn, come what might.
But if she were negro?
'She is not" he answered lightly, and
walked on.
He had left the two young women to-
gethe. When he was gone, Grace Beffei
turned and fell sobbing into Misty Dawn's
arms. :.
Misty Dawn, her bearing naughty, the
joy of her reunion filling her eyes with a
triumphant light, placed her hand upon the
cheek of the young woman in her arms.
Grace raised her face and looked upon
the other.
You are very beautiful" she said touch
ing her hair. so very, very beautiful, and
1 know I am plain. But I did love him
so much, so much. Oh. Misty Dawn. do
not believe / can ever live without him.
You will be SO happy, so very happy with
him and 1 Will be so miserable"
She dropped her head on Misty Dawn's
breast and sobbed.
II love him very much" she said, land
he loves me- Yes. he loves me-
They sat down on a divan together and
Grace took Misty Dawn's hands.
You will always love him, Misty
DAWN" she said, chokingly, "and be good |
to him and take care of him and never, |
never iIl-treat him or deceive him"
1T is very wrong to dsceive?"
1T is very, very wrong
CT will not. then, deceive you. am not |
your sister"
The woman turned her eyes quickly to |
the other. What did she mean? D;sap- |
pointed love sees recovery in everything Il |
can not unravel instantly. Hope is light |
est where disappointment is greatest.
Then you are not Indian, Misty DAWN"
81 am not Indian"
You have not lived on the reservation" |
IT have lived on the reservation. There |
was some mistake. 1, as baby, was SUBJ
stituted for the original Misty Dawn, an |
Indian. But / was not Indian"
Graee's heart sank She had not dared |
10 hope that Wills caution would prompt |
him not TO marry an Indian, but now when 4
she found that Misty Dawn was not an In |
dian. how great that hope appeared. If she |
had only entertained il. and how barren lay |
the prospects Of her winning him now
81 was stolen,'' Misty Dawn went on. by |
the Indians And my parents
She paused and locked the woman before |
her in the face. VIII loved her. He would |
love her always.
MY parents" she said. slowly. were ne
groes."
Slowly the realization OF what she had
said crept into Grace's mind. She took her
hands away and looked blankly at the wo-
nan before her So could have cried out
for astonfshnent and for Joy.
Instead she smiled and said hoarsely:
How romantic"
He will not carer" asked Misty Dawn,
but proud.
NO, he VIII not care
II am very glad responded Misty
Dawn.
Should Grace bear the tidings TO VIII
herself? No. He would think her jealous
Let this innocent creature carry her own
sen-enrs srd seal her own doom