The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-08


who would serve all domestic purnoses
10 TINS woman the bedroom that was
never opened was a mystery. She once
mentioned the room to her mistress
asking why it WAS kept locked. but re-
ceived no satisfaction After that she
speeulated great deal about the room.
telling the field hands that she "'spect
ed Missy Aborn had ha'nt locked M
In dat room" The settlers, or, rather.
their wives, who knew of the closing
OF this room pitied the poor woman.
whose husband had doubtless been tor
tured and burned at the stake hy the
savages 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 expeditions
always supplied her with meat for the
coming winter and spring But 1t was
q 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 an education. Finally she resoly
ed one autumn that If no tidings came
from her husband during the winter
she would sell her plantation and her
negroes, keeping her horses. and,
| mounting her children and herself on
them. would go TO some point on the
river bank opposite Ohio. cross the riv-
/ er and make a home In one Of the vii
lagos Of that state.
/ The winter passed without the return
OF her husband or any news of him
Friendly Indians came and went 10 aud
from the settlement. and the widow
never failed to inquire If any of them
had knowledge of a white man she dc
scrihed to them. But none of them
could give her any news of him. In
the spring she hcgan her preparations
for removal
One night when sue had put her chill
dren to bed she concluded to ride over
to the house OF ucigllhor to whom she
hoped to sell her plantation. 1t was a
stormy night. but she was anxious f.
get an offer for the property and was
! not deferred by the weather. During
/ the evening Il band OF friendly Indians
came into the settlement and were sool
wandering about In search of wha
they could steal. One of them appear
ed ut the kitchen. where Martha, Mrs
Aborns maid cf all work. was at work
and. turning, she saw him standing II
the doorway. She was wiping plate
which she straightway dropped on tn
!. floor and Il broke In pieces. The say
age I'm a cultural tone peculiar TO tn
Indian said
/ Me want bed Me good Indian. NJ
:. no hurt anybody"
Martha GOT up enough courage to tc
! the redskin that every room but on
was occupied hy the children and tha
:, was locked The Indian horritied he
:, by walking into the kitchen takin
up tallow dip and proceeding TO e
anime the house Seeing the chlldre
sound asleep In their beds. he held Il
:, candle over each one of them In turl
giving grunt OF satisfaction at u
sight of their rosy faces. Martha fo
: lowed him at distance, her compile
!. ion wearing the slckly light yellow
: frightened negro. She saw him
:, into her mistress bedroom, and wh'
- he came ont he had key in his han
!, Going to the empty chamber, he u
locked the door and said TO the woma
:, "Me sleep here You no tell.
:. He accompanied his words with
savage look that tied her tongue col
pletely. She wished to tell OF the
- dian who had gone into the only
no cant room, but did not dare tie won
surely know that she had told a
:, would tomahawk her. When her IN
=, tress returned It was evident that
ID negro had experienced a great sea
=. hut though Mrs Aborn tried to lndu
10 her TO tell what had frightened
:. her efforts resulted in failure. As Sc
as Mrs Aborn had gone TO her ro'
=, Martha went out and reported the
- dian's presence in the house. But
,ra was either not believed or those
-. told. considering that the group
,or red men who had come to the VIM
,yt were friendly. did not think the II
Ia ter worthy of their attention, espec
:, ly as the Aborn house was closed
ha the night.
as Slumber finally reigned over the
,il. Element Martha slept in one OF
,ed negro cabins and early In the morn
ION returned TO the mothers abode, dre
hat ing 70 find both her and her child
rha murdered. Entering the Kitchen,
bat went from there into the other
tions OF the house, and, finding es'
her thing quiet the older children asl
,ad In their beds and her mistress 81
ion bering with the smaller ones, she m
for M her mind that the savage was
how murderous than she had supposed
IA