Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-06-18

4
the room TO her mistress. asking why
II was kept locked. but received no
satisfaction. After that she speculat-
cd great deal about the room. telling
the field hands that she "'spected
Missy Aborn had ha'nt locked up In
dat ROOM" The settlers, or. rather.
their wives. who knew Of the closing
OF this room pltied the poor woman.
whose husband had been doubtless tor
tured aud burned Mt the stake by the
sayages and would never return. They
assumed that she hoped her husband
would come back TO her and she wish
ed him to find his room ready for his
occupation.
Two years passed. during which
Mrs. Aborn worked her farm as well
as she could. and her neighbors on
their return from their hunting expe-
ditions always supplied her with meat
| for the coming winter and spring. But
1t was a forlorn country in which to
bring up children. and she was often
tempted TO remove to Indiana or Ohio
where she would have facilities for
giving them nm education. Finally she
resolved one autumn that II no tidlngs
came from her husband during the
winter she would sell her plantation
and her negroes. keeping her horses.
and. mounting her children and her
self on them. would 80 TO some point
on the river bank opposite Ohio. cross
the river aud make home In one of
the villages of that state.
The winter passed without the re-
turn of her husband or any news OF
him. Friendly Indians came and went
TO and from the settlement and the
widow never failed to inquire II any
of them had knowledge of white
man she described to them. But none
of them could give her any news of
him. In the spring she began her
preparations for removal.
One night when she had put her
children to bed she concluded to ride
over to the house of neighbor TO
whom she hoped to sell her plantation.
II was stormy night, but she was
anxious TO get an offer for the proper
ty and was not deferred by the wealth
er. During the evening Il band of
friendly Indians came into the settle.
ment and were soon wandering about
In search of what they could steal.
One of them appeared at the kitchen,
where Martha. Mrs. Aborn's maid of
oil work. was at work. and, turning.
she saw him standing In the doorway.
She was wiping plate. which she
straightway dropped on the, floor. and
1t broke in pieces The savage In gut
tural tone peculiar to the Indian said:
"Afe want bed. Me good Indian. Me
no hurt anybody"
Martha got up enough courage 10 tell
tho redskin that every room but one
was occupied by the children and that
was locked. The Indian Mortified her
by walking into the kitchen. taking up
tallow dip and proceeding TO exam.
Inc the house. Seeing the children
sound asleep In their beds. he held the
candle over each one of them In turn.
giving grunt of satisfaction at the
sight of their rosy faces. Martha fol.
ion wearing the sickly light yellow OF
a frightened negro. She saw him 20
into her mistress bedroom, and when
he came out he had key In his hand
Going to the empty chamber, he IN
locked the door and said TO the wo.
man:
"Me sleep here. You no tell"
He accompanied his words with
savage look that tied her tongue com.
pletely. She wished to tell of the In
dian who had gone into the only VA.
cant room, but did not dare. He would
surely know that she had told and
would tomahawk her. When her mis-
tress returned II was evident that the
negro had experienced great scare:
but though Mrs. Aborn tried to In.
duce her TO tell what had frightened
her. her efforts resulted In failure. As
soon as Mrs. Aborn had gone to her
room Martha went out and reported
the Indians presence in the house
But she was either not believed or
those she told. considering that the
group OF red men who had come to
the village were friendly. did not think
the matter worthy Of their attention.
especially as the Aborn house was
closed for the night.
Oblivion finally reIgned over the set
Element. Martha slept In one OF the
negro cabins and early In the morning
returned 10 her mothers abode. dread
Ing TO find both her and her children
murdered. Entering the kitchen. she
went from there into the other por-
tons OF the house. and. finding every
thing quiet. the older children asleep
IN their beds and her mistress sium-
bering with the smaller ones. she made
up her mind that the savage was less
murderous than she had supposed him
10 be and set about getting breakfast.
Presently she heard cry. Terri
fed lest the Indian. after all. was about
to tomahawk her mistress. she ran
out Of the kitchen into n passage
way. There she saw Mrs. Aborn IN
the arms OF the Indian. whose face
had lost its coppery hue during the
night. Mrs. Aborn's head was hang