The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-18
Stories of an Inland State.

L Les, Iface. NOW more tu0u ever.
And you can not?''
"No. I must not
The two were silent
'1t is prejudice" he blurted out at last
Rank, unreasoning prejudice that forbids
me-"
You think SOP
Eyes. Here is a woman love above all
the world. above riches. hope of success.
everything. She is pleasing to the eye
Her self-sacrifcing nobility delights my
soul. And yet I bubble over a faint of
blood. Grace I shall love her. Do you
hear? shall love her"
He stepped with determination to the
| closed door through which they had Just
| passed to 90 back to Misty Dawn.
Grace raised her hand and grew white.
Stop WILL" she said hoarsely. The girl
is a negress. The world would wreck you
for the step. Consider"
Prejudice. rank prejudice"
you mistake, Will You owe more to 9TH
ers than yourself. I do not detain you for
myself but for yourself"
Il know that Grace"
Don't open that door. Consider the tor
turing repentance of hasty match, if 1t
came to marriage, and if it does not you
will break her heart"
Il have broken it already
| ''And you would defy the world?"
| ''On bubble of blood, yes
"And mock its conventions?"
yes"
Other men as strong as you have vio-
| lated its rules and suffered. Remember,
| Will, the worlds conventions are the crys-
| talization OF centuries Of customs, founded
on the wisdom of succeeding generations
Violate them and you will pay a heavy
| penalty
SIS prejudice then so sacred?"
Call it prejudice If you like But vio-
late IT. Think Of the children who come
after you. Consider the sneers that will
meet them. Consider the load you place
upon their shoulders tied there. under which
they must stumble on through life.''
He dropped his head.
Raising Il again suddenly he cried: mo
Grace. 1 shall not listen to worldly wisdom
row. love her and I shall possess her
Let the world sheer if it likes"
'willr
But he had opened the door. The table
lay in its ruin just as they had left it. But
Misty Dawn was gone
Grace" he cried. Look the house over
quick and find her.
Grace FASTENED up stairs. She came back
presently. Misty Dawn was not to be
found. Will put his coat and hat on hasti-
ly.
IT must find her." he cried. GOOD bye"
But at the same moment Grace grasped
her hands and uttered a wild Shrek.
There. There" she cried pointing.
"What?" gasped VIII taking her hands
''Oh, Will! The house is haunted. Some
thing dreadful is going to happen. I saw
figure, a stopped figure with a horrible
distorted face there at the window. Oh
Will! You will not go and leave me herer'
1T is your nerves, Grace. ] must 60.
must find Misty Dawn
1T was not my nerves I saw it. There!"
Nonsense" exclaimed Will.
WILL" said Grace decis;vely. II will
hunt Misty Dawn with you. shall not
stay in this house. Put this wrap around
my shoulders"
She went out with Will, locking the front
door behind her.
WILL" she said 'T can not stay in that
house any longer. 1t Is haunted. DO you
know that Misty Dawn said father stole
Sacred Bundle or something like that,
sacred to the Indians. and I believe an evil
spell is upon the mouse.
THE conventional world does NOT recog-
nize evil spirits" replied Will as they walk
ed on.
At window of the Beffel home a dark
face appeared stealthily and was then
withdrawn The window was carefully
raised. The numbering figure of man
wrapped closely in blanket came up
= ,xb ,;rIA hao
slowly about. In and out of the rooms
the figure passed, pausing long before every |
cabinet. book case and closet, opening al. |
doors cautiously The ghostly visitor was
hunting, tirelessly. for something. He Gid |
ed from room to room and at last. unsatis- |
fed, climbed the stairs. Only one room was |
lighted. He studied the gas-1et long time. |
Then he took a match, struck 1t and pass |
ed into another room. He turned he |
thumb-screw and applied the match. He |
sprang back in surprise, and his grim face |
broke into broad smile at the fame.
He was in a bedroom and wen: through |
it carefully. inch by inch. He threw the |
covers and blankets from the bed, upturn-
ed the mattresses. rummaged in the closets. |
He returned to the light and studied 1t |
stupidity. If he were disappointed in his |
quest his face did not show IL. He passed 4
into another room and another, making the |
same careful search.
He opened a little door in the hall Ano.h-
er flight of stairs met him. He went softly /
up this and passed into the attic.
he stood there a riomen. init, his eyes
became accustomed to the darkness and /
then struck a match. The match broke He
struck another and another. At last one
anA nc Ea1 1nfr he &x
ture, found il and lighted the gas with the
same look OF pleasure and surprise on his
face as the fame leaped forth.
Then he looked around him. Suddenly he |
uttered great cry and rushed forward IN
the glmmering light.
From a western rafter OF the room the
dark and ancient Sacred Bundle hung |
working its evil spell on all Jake Beffers
children. Long had Running Bull sought IL,
knowing that it was dragging him down
OF the Beffel Indian children he alone re-
NAMED. Life was only vouchsafed to him
Il he returned il 20 the tribe.
And he had found it.
He srasped il in his arms with ferocious
Joy and turned.
A white figure stood before him the ng-
IRE OF beautiful woman, with naked arms
and neck. in a dress of the most wonder
'ul texture.
Running Bull recoiled before the vision.
yrasping the Sacred Bundle and shifting it
quickly 10 his side, next the west, as he
urned.
The beautiful woman raised her hands 10
him and said:
Running Bulir'
He glanced with his black eyes from side
o side quickly, apprehensively. seeking
,scape-
Running Bull" she cried. DO you re-