The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-02-05

grOeS, feellng lndt shc SouAN 49,
TO keep them. buying a strong Woiiian
who would serve all domestic purposes
To this woman the bedroom that was
never opened was a mystery. She once
mentioned the room 10 her mistress.
asking why Il was kept locked, but re-
ceiyed no satisfaction. After that she
speculated a great deal about the room'
telling the field hands that she spect-
ed Missy Aborn had ha'nt locked w
I'm 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 TOT
turad and burned at the stake by the
savaces and would never return lhey
assumed that she hoped her husbahu
would come back TO her and she WISH
ed him to find his room ready Tor MS
occupation.
Two years passed, during winch
Mrs. Aborn worked her farm as wen
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 II 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 an education. Finally she resolv-
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 to and
from the settlement and the widow
never failed 10 inquire If any of them
had knowledge of a white man she de-
scribed 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 chill
dren to bed she concluded to ride over
to the house Of neghbor to whom she
hoped to sell her plantation 1t was
stormy night. but she was anxious to
get an offer for the property and was
not deferred by the weather During
the evening a band of friendly Indians
came into The settlement and were soon
wandering about In search of what
they could steal One of them appear
ed at the kitchen, where Martha, Mrs
Aborn's maid Of all work. was at work.
and, turning she saw him standing I'm
the doorway She was wiping a plate.
which she straightway dropped on the
floor, and 1t broke in pieces The saw
age In a cultural tone peculiar to the
Indian said
Me want bed Me good Indian. Me
no hurt anybody"
Martha got up enough courage to tell
the 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 ex-
anime the house. Seeing the children
sound asleep In their beds. he held the
candle over each one of them in turn.
giving a grunt of satisfaction at the
sight of their rosy faces. Martha fol-
lowed him at distance, her complex
ion wearing the sickly light yellow of
frightened negro. She saw him 90
into her mistress bedroom. and when
ne came out he had key in his hand
Going to the empty chamber, he un.
locked the door and said to the woman.
Me sleep here. You no tell"
lie accompanied his words with n
savage look that tied her tongue com.
pletely. She wished to tell of the In.
dian who had gone into the only yo.
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 ev dent that tho
negro had experienced a great scare.
but, though Mrs Aborn tried to induce
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 In.
dams 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
We're friendly, did not think the mat
ter worthy OF their attention, ESPECIAL.
ly as the Aborn house was closed for
the night.
Slumber finally reigned over the set
uement. Martha slept in one of the
negro cabins and early in the morning
returned to the mothers abode. dread.
ing to find both her and her childron
murdered. Entering the kitchen. sbe
went from there into the other nor.
tons OF the house, and, finding every.
thing quiet, the older children asleen
III their beds and her mistress SLIM