Rockingham post-dispatch., 1922-08-10
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Mary's Indian
Blood
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Bv MYRA c. LANE

z By MYRA c. LANE s
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Copyright. Is2s Western Newspaper Union.
"0h don't you remember sweet Alice,
Ben Bolt"
Mary Power heard the hotel band!
strike up the old-fashioned tune, and a
wave Of bitter-sweet remembrances:
came over her as she sat beside John
Latimer under the palms.
y was not far from here that, listen.
ing TO the same tune, played by the
orchestra Of the same hotel; she and
Kiwismee had plIghted their troth.
Seminole fashion.
Mary was the adopted daughter Of
Senator Power. She was a full
blooded Seminole, ana his wife at
tracted by the beauty Of the child. had
adopted her from the mission station
when she was ten years old. Mrs.
Power had always wanted child. and
that desire had always been denied
her.
At ten Mary, In the fashion Of the
tribe, had pledged herself to her cou.
sin, the young Indian boy who some
times came into the town with baskets
OF manioc.
Il am thine forever" they had said,
In the Indian formula, and the tune
which the hotel band struck up ut that
moment had always been associated
with that promise IN Mary's mind.
"But you 90 away among the white
people and you win forget me-" said
Kiwismee.
"A Seminole never forgets," answer
ed the girl. Some day / shall come
back to thee
But youth VOWS and life chooses.
Fourteen years had eradicated the old
propensities and instincts. At twenty
four Senator Power, now widower,
had taken the girl to Palm Beach for
the winter, where her beautiful olive
skin and dark beauty had attracted
everyone Especially 1t had attracted
John Lntimer, the young public prose-
cutor of the county.
He meant to win her, Mary knew
that and she knew that Senator Power
looked with approval upon a man who
had risen from the bottom and gave,
promise Of some day occupying one of
the highest positions In the land. And
Mary?
AS she sat at John Latlrner's side
she sent forth an earnest prayer that
he would not speak-yet. For the spell
of the tropic night was upon her, and
In memory she was back again at the
mission, facing Kiwismee In the little
mission courtyard.
"Maryl"
The note in John Latimer's voice
wGs of passionate entreaty. He, too,
was under that spell, and Mary, turn
Ing, saw the yearning in his eyes.
She loved him; hut she seemed to
lie split into a dual personality that
night. One part loved John Latifner-
that was the prosaic, everyday part
Of her. And the other went out with
all her might TO the memory Of Ki-.
wismee
K, Yet it was not Kiwismee, but what
he representative old, wild life IN
the tepee that she could dimly remem-
her, the Everglades, rich with the.
scent and beauty of their tropical
blossomlng, the crash Of the wild deer
through the saw grass.
"Wait !. she Whispered.
She slipped from his Side and ran
down to the terrace. From where she.
stood she could see the distant coun-
try outlined against the brooding night.
a few steps, mile at most, and she,
would be lost In the impenetrable jun
gle.
Oh. to float In canoe forever down
!, those softly gliding rivers She
stretched ont her arms to the night.
'.KiwisMee! / am an Indian. ! am
Of your people Comel" she said.
And all the past since she had left
her fathers tent became a dream to.
her.
No, it was that which was dream
that life of old. Her life with her
adopted father was her waking life.
She wanted to dream now.
She thought of John with a touch
Of tenderness
Dear, staid, matter-of-fact John La
timer. He would never understand
Who could understand woman's
warnings?
"Come to me, Kwismee!" she whis-
pered again.
But only the palms uurmured In
the wind, and with sudden flood Of
tears she realized that she had put
aside her childish things forever
| where was Kiwismee9 An echo Of the
past, that past which she would never
see again.
And slowly she went back to John
lLatimer, She nestled at his side.
aMary, you--you know what !
wanted to sayT he asked.
Il think do, John" she answered
softly. "Will you be very gentle with
me7 VIII you remember that even an
Indian girl dreams sometimesf'
"Dreams, dear7 Don't we all dream7'
asked John. "rm dreaming Of you,
and home together. and love eternal
all 0ur 1lvasn s