The Winslow mail., 1900-01-25

turn, sudden pain struck like knife.
stab through her eyeballs, and g
dreadful darkness fell swiftly between
her and the sun, And it was told that
night in the village that Eliza Antoine
had been suddenly stricken blind,
God alone knows when the poor saw
age creature first began to find thai
| there were CLEANS OF sunshine even ii
lot as dark as hers. But it came te
pass in time that Eliza Antoine found
herself occupying d position of i'm
portahce in the community. The In
dians as rule are not given 70 be-
slowing tenderness ar Compassion or
the afflicted, but they thought they
saw the hand of the Great Spirit in
the swift and awful punishment which
had descended upon Eliza for seeking
false gods and worshiping at alien
affairs. She was clearly set apart fer
especial distinction, If only for the
enormity of her sins, SO they treated
her with great respect, as one marked
for a frightful doom,
Then her voice and love of singina
brought her into prominence in the
camp meetings and other ebullitions
of the strange, aew religion she had
/ espeused at her husbands bidding and
! gained her many a silver coin from
music-loving strangers who visited the
village. Her knowledge of English,
learned from her faithless spouse, also
served her well, and she was much
sought after as interpreter among the
various tribes in the neighborhood.
She had been brought over to the
resort to act as mouthpiece for the
bargaining in basket ware her people
hoped to accomplish with the sus-
ceptible and wealthy cottagers gath
cred there, and as it had been a pros
porous expedition Eliza had peen the
object of especial consideration at
their hands.
1t was face fairly shining with hap
| piness that she turned toward Har-
rington and Marie when her quick ear
caught the sound of their approach.
ELIZA, L have brought young lady
to hear you sing" Harrington said
gently. Somehow it seemed to him
just then that she was to be pitied
because she could not see Marie.
Eyes, l know" said Eliza. She was
bending forward, listening intently to
the soft, silken rustic of the girls
draperies and drinking in with evident
delight the faint, elusive perfume that
seemed to float about and envelop her
as though she inhabited some rare at
mosphere denied to ordinary mortals.
Give us some of your native songs .
went on Harrington. 1--WE want to
hear something really Indian tonight" !"
mo, no." said Eliza, eagerly. 81 don't
know any Indian songs now, but" she
added with touch of pride, 81 can
sing many English ones"
Marie made an impatient movement.
1t was just as she had thought it
would be, and she loathed it all any,
way. She was in no mood for pity to-
night, and the squalid tent with its
dirty, sleeping children, Eliza herself.
with her dark, tragic, deep-lined face,
revolted her. She wanted to get away.
But Harrington detained her.
Just sing us the song you like the
BEST" he said, slipping silver dollar
into EliZa's hand, and after moments
hesitation she began to sing "Annie
Laurie" Her voice, though rough and
untutored, was not without certain
sweetness, and the sufferings of the
Eliza Antoine of long ago had put into
it thrill of feeling that went straight
to the heart.
Clear and true the cadences of the
dear old song fioated on the air, floated
past the two lovers standing hand in
hand, past the stolid Indians huddled
like animals on their log-far, far out
into the moonlight night.