Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-07-29

Ihhnkye, I'll try II, though I'm some
afeard of EN-; but to be social, sor, III
try IT,
A few adroit questions set him to
talking about himself, his master, and
the old days at Hethergiade.
Master Is strange man, and G
bit set, but speak my mind to 'um
often, an he tells me to leave. but
I've served too long as man and boy
to turn out at my age. I got as good
a right to stay as he, an tell him so.
I'm none afeard o. him, for all his
glowerin at me with his strange eyes.
Ever since the demon OF death car
ried away the souls OF the two young
masters he's been lord o. the place his
self, an that were thirty years ago.
Aye, a black and sad day, and here In
this very church II we're, and not a
man, woman nor child but me, sor,
and now and then a visitor, has put
foot into II since. The simple folk are
afraid Of the 'hants, but know that
there would be no ghosts but of my
dear young masters, an I'd be none
afeard o. them.
The old man, fiattered apparently by
an appreciative listener, puffed labor
iously at lie Cigar, and continued:
There we're two masters O. Hether-
glade, and o. the church, for II was
never owned by the village, but were
built over three hundred year aso tl
a Sayman o. them times, and held lv
their feirs ever since. Two kinder
nor better hearted lads never lived
than them, twins they were, an as
near alike as two peas Tall, with
fiaxen curls that always marked tho
saymans, until this one Their father,
who had ministered at this church for
two score Of years. were that proud OF
them II were sinful. One were
preacher and one we're a player, and
such music as come out O. that old Or
gan! II was like the heavenly choir.
"'well, the old minister died, leav-
in everything TO his two sons, an II
both o. them died without heirs, to
his brother in India, this same Jasper
sayman. An 1t were down in the will
that the one should preach and the
other play so long as they lived, in the
old church here.
"'Well, looked like the old man
knowed somethin' were up. for he
turned up at the readin' O. the will an
were sore angry at the conditions. for
he said he were fifty then, an liable
to be an old man, an poor. He's nigh
onto a hundred now. sor, though you
think H. But the two BARNS
made him bide with them, an told him
he should be their care so long as they
lived.
1T were two years after the old
lords death,I was sexton o. this church
always. that were before / were gar
dener. cook and footman, all rolled in
to one he added in parenthetical dis
gust.
An / went up one morning to tidy
up bit. The two lads spent much o.
their time here, one writin' OF his SER
mons, in the library o. the church, an
the other maxim music that took your
senses away, for the wonder of It.
When opened the door that morn
II seemed to me that the air was wrong.
It we're black with the shadow sin. 1
found In a minute, an filed With ths
very smell Of hell.
Just in front Of the altar. to the
right Of the organ, was the young
preacher, lyin' dead. WI knife in his
neart. his hand graspin' the hilt OF. as
II he had put II there hisself. The
other was sittin' at the organ, leanin'
forward, his head sunk down, an the
music crumpled up in his arms, which
were lyin' on the keys. He were dead,
too, dead, as he were a playin' the
Lost Chord they said. There were
an ugly knife wound In his neck, to
The heart.
Il did not know whether l was dead
Or alive, but screamed so that tho
uncle, an soon the whole village came.
" In the inquest it was allowed that
one had killed the other, then himself:
but there were always some who
doubted, though there was nothing to
prove contrary.
The uncle came in for the estate.
an has lived close aud sti1gy the years
since.
I'm an old man, sor, an I'll no,
have to wait long to find out the truth.
No. never 'spicioned nobody, but |
think they never done so black a deed.
neither one OF them.
Il had listened to the old mans story
30 intently that forgot the lateness Of
Of the hour and the storm that had
threatened, until a loud thunder clap,
right over our head, recalled me. We
looked up TO find that the dense clouds
bad gathered thick, and already big
drops were beating down on us. We
both stepped inside the church door
for shelter, as the storm burst in real
fury and lashed itself in an uproar
that deafened our ears.
Presently there was a luil, and we
were terrified to hear sound Of wall
ing music come from the organ in the
rear Of the church. We strained our
ears In the darkness. then from out
the shadow the music changed into the
strains OF the Lost Chord. as played
by a master hand. II was soft and
low at first, rising gradually until 1t
seemed as II II would burst the walls
with power. Then there came another
thunder burst, that appeared an after
thought OF the storm and rent the heay-
ems apart and sent the pale rays OF the
young moon through the window, and
At the same instant a supernatural
glow lit up the chsncel. altar and or
gan.
Sitting at the organ was the figure
OF young. man. tall. with fiaxen hair
that shone like a halo. At the table
We saw another figure. the counterpart