The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-02-19
My Secret.

| arose and looked out Evidently
something had happened. for ! saw
people moving about, nearly all OF
them with horror depicted in their ex-
pressions.
My colored man. Sam. was coming,
carrying my heavy shoes. lie had
taken them from my door. opening
on to the porch, for the purpose Of
blackening them.
What's up, Sam" | asked as he put
down the shoes.
why, haben't yo' heered. Marse
Tom? Yo' uncle done been murdered
in de night"
"My uncle! HeavensI'
I lost no time In putting on my
clothes. Nathan Cllngham, my uncle.
had made a will. | knew, leaving his
plantation and what other property he
possessed to me. As soon as | was
dressed | went to his house and found
the neighbors in charge. At my ap-
all fell back, giving place to
me. My uncle had been killed with
an AK, and several hundred dollars
which he had with him were missing.
There was no clew to the mystery.
My first act was To summon a doctor
10 learn how long my uncle had been
dead. He gave 1t as his opinion that
the period was not less than two hours
nor more than three. | saw at once
the Importance Of quick pursuit. | or
ganIzed a party at once and sent them
In every direction. |. with several
men and boys, took the road running
past the plantation and. sending a part
OF my force southwark, led the balance
horthward.
Gyrling to o place In the road coin
cident with the northwest corne Of
the plantation, ! saw fresh tracks that
had evidently been made by some II
who had left the plantation at that
point. | stopped to examine them.
Long I looked at them, bending my
face down over them rather to ON
ceal the terror that was in me than to
get a close view. Then | arose and,
staggering to the side Of the road. lean
ed against the fence.
whats the matter with youT' ask
ed Steve Burton, one Of the party.
You're white as a ghost"
I'm sick. must go home. You fell
lows go on"
"All right" said Burton. Better
take one of the boys with you"
II don't want any one. I'll be all
right presently"
They insisted, but ! wouldn't have
any one with me. They helped me
over the fence, and | made n bee line
for home. When | saw them turn
around the base OF a hill, where they
couldn't see me, ] ran, never stopping
till ! reached the house and had gained
my room. Then | sank Into a chair
with a Thank Godr'
And what was 1t that so suddenly
threw me into such a condition?
| had on the shoes that Sam had
BACKED. From the heel Of the right
shoe the lowest layer Of leather was
gone, leaving six protruding nails.
The forward part Of the sole Of the
left shoe | had cut with an ak while
chopping wood. The moment / had
caught sight of the tracks In the road
l knew they had been made by my
shoes. There were the indentations OF
the six nails, and the cut In the toe
had left Its mark. II this discovery
were made by those tracking the muir
derer, 1t would be proved that | had
killed my uncle doubtless to gain pos
session Of the property he had wllled
me. | took of the shoes. hid them and
put on another pair. Then began to
think.
First, the murderer had seen my
shoes on the porch, and ii had
red to him that, since he must leave
his tracks, 1t would be safer to leave
the tracks OF my shoes than of his
own; second, he had either come back
after using them and was probably
now on the plantation or he had a
partner; third, he was not Sam. 1t
was more sensible to believe that Sam
had taken the boots to black after the
lieve that he had committed the muir
der himself, for he had been owned by
our family In the days Of slavery and
was very much attached both to my
uncle and to me.
The question with me was what
should | do. To make known that my
shoes had been used by the murderer
would be equivalent to putting my
neck in a halter. And the shoes
should | destroy them? II | did and
II was discovered that | had done so.
I would be In danger. If the shoes re-
manned intact, were found and com.
pared with the tracks, I would swing
for murder.
| took the shoes from their hiding
and placed them with my other pairs.
A committee hunted all over the plan
tation for the shoes that had made the
tracks and sent diagrams OF them ev.
erywhere. I waited, in terror every
moment, fearing that my shoes would
be examined. In a week the excite.
mcnt died down. and | breathed easier.
Nevertheless for years | lived bur.
dened by my secret. In time ] sent
the shoes Off In a box Of clothing for Il
poor minister's family in a far distant
state. 1t was a comfort TO get rid Of
them, but I could not get rid Of the
fear that the person who had worn
them on that fatal night might some
day c u me
At last, four years after the murder.
the murderer, before being hanged for
another crime. confessed. telling how
he had thrown his followers off his
track nv WEARING nv shoca uc had