Winamac High School - Totem Yearbook (Winamac, IN)

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THE TOTEM 23 not unusual for him to be called away in inspect sonic land. Lily asked for some definite idea of the exact nature of the trip, bul Charlie seemed 1111- communical ive. Charlie, .Mrs. Wesley said on the evening of her husband ' s depart- ure, ' 1 wish you wouldn ' t go; I fee] as if I would ne er si e you again. Please write to me as soon as you roach your destination so I will feel better about you. Charlie hesitated a moment by her side. He felt as it ' he must confess his guilt to the little trusting creat- ure; then he laughed scornfully at his own weakness, and kissing Lily light- ly on the forehead, ran quickly down tli steps. His wife stood silent and motionless where he left her, watch- ing her husband ' s figure grow dimmer •and finally disappear in the pale moonlight. Then she was siezed with a violent fit of trembling and she grasped the porch railing to support herself, but her strength deserteel her and with a faint cry she sank to the ground. A short time later a servant came to the deior in search of her mistress, and there on the porch Mrs. Wesley lay as cold and colorless as a dead person. The doctors weirkeel far into the night with her At last she came to, but she seemed wholly indifferent as to whether she lived or died, and lav motionless with closed eyes and a death-like ' pallor on her face, heeding nothing that took place in the room. But Lily was not the only heart- sick person. Over west by the big forest in the little cabin home ' of Lit tie Hawk, a young man was tossing sleep- lessly about on his bed. 1 le found ii impossible to put his mind at rest, but always before him was the- image of two women. One was small and delicate, bul when be thoughl of her another image arose- before him, rosy and healthy, with a coquettish ex- pression in her black eyes. At last the man fell into a troubled sleep, lie dreamed that he was in the cabin of Lit t le 1 [awk, but t he house seemed to In deserted; it was very dark and the only light was a patch of m iligh! on the floor. Something in the room seemed to magnetize his ewes ami he was conscious of another presence. He looked over his shoulder and saw Felieua. Her eye ' s ulitte ' ivel and her body seeMiied to taper away in the form of a snake. Charlie ' tried te move, but he seemed rooted to the spot. The wind outside moaned ami sighed, and now and anon it whis- pered : Lily. Presently several doctors came into view bearing a white coffin. When they drew near Charlie saw his wife in the coffin and she was reaching out her hand to her husband. He grasped the delicate little hand and Felicia slunk back into a Corner and the glitter went out of her ewes. Hut the doctors bore the coffin on and Charlie was alone with his tormentor, who hisse ' d like a snake and darted at him. Then he awoke with a start and found himself standing in the center of the room. The wind was whipping a. branch of a 1 1« ' against the roof and Charlie blamed it for disturbing his sle-i p. The next morning be purchased a

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22 THE TOTEM ing the door wide and hospitably bid- ding her guest enter. The wind be- came strangely quiet, as if it wished to hear what this man would say to his hostess. 1 am Silver Bell; this Little Hawk ' s home, and her (indicating the baby) Singing Bird. 1 am Mudwayanshka and I come from the rising sun and I go to meet my squaw. I shkoodah over where the sun sinks in the sea. As he finished speaking the wind burst into a wild and derisive shriek, as if to ridicule him. Little Hawk he go to white man ' s village to trade; me not know why he no here yet. A troubled look came into Silver Bell ' s face as she glanced out of the window into the inky dark- ness. She had scarcely finished speaking when for the second time that night she was summoned to the door to let in some belated traveler. This surely is Little Hawk this time, said Silver Bell, as she un- locked the door. Her supposition was correct, for when she opened the door a tall Indian, dressed in buckskin and hearing a bag on his shoulder, entered. The hostess introduced the newcomer to the guest and Little Hawk gazed intently at the stranger, for the face looked strangely familiar to him. If him dressed in white man ' s clothes, him look like man 1 trade with in In , the Indian said to himself. A gleam of recognition came into Mudwayanshka . ' s eyes, and he turned his face from the light. The wind laughed mockingly. About a year before the opening of this story Charlie Wesley had brought his pretty delicate wife to the little town, R , hoping that the dry wes- tern air would revive her health. But Lily (for that was what Charlie always called his little golden- haired wife), found that there were other evils in the world than delicate health. There were black eyes and round, rosy cheeks and coquettish manners. These attributes all be- longed to Felicia Jefferson. She had come to R a short time before the Wesleys did and being somewhat of a stranger in the town, she often spent the evening with Charlie and Lily., Charlie felt fettered as he com- pared his invalid wife with Felicia, rosy and lively. He became so dis- contented with his lot that he began to pity himself and blame Lily. The feeling so increased that he almost grew to hate his wife and sought con- solation in Felicia ' s smiles. From a gentle and careful husband he be- came irritable and careless. This pained Lily ' s sensitive nature and the work of the western climate was almost undone, and she grew worse again. With the decline of his wife ' s health Charlie became more unbear- able. Then one day Felicia returned to the city where she had formerly lived and Charlie seemed to forget her, and for one blissful week Lily was happy. But, alas; her happiness was only short-lived. One morning Charlie re- ceived a letter and he told his wife that he was suddenly ( ' ailed away on business. He was an agent tor a big real estate establishment, and il was

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2 4 THE TOTEM pony from Little Hawk and rode to , the nearest railroad station. When he arrived at the town he sold the pony and then went into a cloth- ing store, and when he emerged from the store he was dre.sed in white man ' s clothing. He went to the depot to await the west bound ex- press. It Avas early yet and he went into the waitingroom. He tried to sit quietly but his limbs were goaded by his conscience and lie walked back and forth with quick, nervous steps. Just as Charlie heard the shrill whistle of the coming train, a middle- aged man and woman came into the watingioom. It is Col. Wilson; the very man 1 sold that land to last winter. I hope he doesn ' t recognize me, Charlie muttered under his breath. Meanwhile Wilson Avas saying to his wife: There is Charlie Wesley. I wonder what he can be doing here. 1 saw in the R paper last night that his wife was very sick. The train came then and the Wil- sons got on it, and a young lady got cff. The newcomer was Felicia Jef- ferson. Charlie greeted her in an in- different manner, attended to her lug- gage, then took her to a hotel, where he left her and then went back into town and walked aimlessly about the streets. When does the next east-bound train leave here, Charlie asked of an arehin in the street. In fifteen minutes, was the an- swer, and Charlie started in the di- rection of the station. It was yet morning, and the train would reach R some time in the middle of the night. That night Mrs. Wesley wakened in the middle of the night and called hmdly for Charlie. The nurse came quickly to the bedside, thinking that her patient was delirious. Don ' t be alarmed. I just awoke suddenly from a dream, Lily said, as she let her eyes rove restlessly about the room. Suddenly her eyes stopped their wandering and she ap- peared to be listening. Wasn ' t someone knocking? she asked. No, said the nurse, it was only the wind, or you dreamed it. Take this powder; it will make you sleep more soundly. But someone was knocking at the front door. She went through the hall and started to open the door, but as soon as it was unlocked it was thrust aside by someone outside, and a masculine figure dashed through the hall straight into the sick woman ' s bed chamber. The nurse stood pet ri- fted with horror, for who but a mad- man, or someone equally terrible, would burst into a sick woman ' s room at midnight in such a manner. There was a faint cry of Charlie and another of Lily ; then the nurse saw the man fall on his knees by Mrs. Wesley ' s bedside and bury his lace on Lily ' s breast and weep tempestuously. Lily ' s white hands stole out from under the coverlet and gently caressed Charlie ' s brown eurls. and a happy, peaceful smile settled on her face The nurse turned awav with tears