The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-07-14

will but himself
The messenger who had taken 1t to |
town to see IL IL had been properly |
drown up and attested, told his story, |
but though the road was searched the |
will was not found, and the Thief, be- |
ing next in line, took the house and !
property.
The dying embers clicked at the
heart of the fire. The Thief stirred
and sat up with great sigh. His
memories were over. They had not
been pleasant. He had not enjoyed
his gathered fruit. 1t does not do for
Thief to have a conscience. A dread
of discovery had always haunted him,
and popular odium would have COM
pletely crushed his spirit.
His glance idly followed his shadow
upon the floor. Part of the hearth
rug was in deep shadow and part
| brought out into bold relief by bands
| Of yellow light. AS his eyes fastened
| there and held, he saw the light move.
Little by little it crept over the floor,
and he watched its slow advance,
fascinated.
One by one the square patterns in
the rug were reached and passed.
Steadily the bare polished floor and
| the metal foot-board came into view,
then the climbing pattern on the dark
wall paper.
| His eyes moved with the ray of
light, slowly tracing the pattern. ':hey
halted unfamiliarly on the frame Of
| picture and then passed on. His left
hand, which grasped the back Of a
| chair, gripped 1t hard
| The moon had passed out from be-
hind the clouds. There before him,
Oh the wall, hung the head of Christ.
His dull heart beat faster as he gazed
at the heavy brown locks, the fair
white brow, and the traces of a ten.
der mouth, almost hidden by the curl
ing beard. The eyes were closed. He
felt that he had never seen the pic
ture before.
For the first time in his mistaken
life he was compelled to think, with
q perfect conception Of his faults and
crimes. He was dragged out Of him
self, his soul was turned inside out.
The stress was more than mortal
could bear. Staggering from his
chair, he stood with outstretched
arms, half In, half out Of the moon.
light.
"Oh God" he gasped. what have
done?"
The eyes still burned into his soul
awfully, insistently.
AS he stood there racked in mind
and soul, it seemed to him that his
deeds, committed In the last year,
passed before him in review. But one
among them lowered up before him,
causing the rest to sink irto such in
significance that they seemed as
naught. This was his theft. by which
the last wishes Of a woman row dead
were thwarted, and five children were
despoiled of their lawful rights.
He saw how the Beast Of Greed had
broken down the barriers Of virtue,
how 1t had secured him with chains,
link by link, until now he was bound
hand and foot; he saw with his souls
eye the image of the Beast gloating
over him, yes, even fattening on his
hearts blood. Should he break the
chain? Then, with diabolical swift
| IcSS anu SeSHiiHS hio"ihS sN'ii VI
heir own, other thoughts filed his
mind. He thought Of the ease he
could enjoy, the open house he could
keep. the elegant furnishings, the fine
linners, the sense Of ease and ele-
gance he would have, and Of beau
tifu woman who, perhaps, would
some day sit at his side, before this
very fire with him.
AS these thoughts filled his brain
his heart was tortured and wrenched
by the sight of those eyes, which