A NOVEL University of California Berkeley 6, T AO^U UNFETTERED. A NOVEL. SUTTON E. GRIGGS, Author of * 4 IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO," "OVERSHADOWED/' 44 DORLAN'S PLAN," Etc. NASHVILLE, TENN.: THE ORION PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1902. COPYRIGHT SOTTON E. GRIGGSo 19O2, DEDICATION. While a last beloved sister MARY, Was, with patience and fortitude, awaiting the slow but certain tread of the Grim Reaper, she spared strength enough to read, from beginning to end, "Overshadowed," that came to greet her ere she sped to the home of the departed. Were she mindful of happenings on the earth to-day the author of this volume would be sure of at least one sympathetic reader. To her memory "Unfettered" is affectionately dedicated. THE AUTHOR. "The chains that bound the body * * were as tender Chords of mercy compared with the shackles that gyved his mind * * ."Kelky Miller. AUTHOR'S PREFACE. On a sad occasion in days gone by, the people of the United States were called upon to deal with the Negro's woes, and in the haze of battle there arose to thrill the hearts of men a Fort Sumter, a Bull Run, a Gettysburg, and, at last, an Appomat- tox. Since those pregnant days, in spite of a seeming retrogression in some quarters, there has been a steady, unbroken march of the Negro in an upward direction. One day our great nation that once dealt with the Negro's woes will be summoned to deal with his strength, to kindly accept or finally reject all that he can do. As the day of final adjustment is inevitable, it is wise for all of us who love our country to make a study of the internal workings of a race now shaking itself loose from the death sleep of the ages. It is the aim of " UNFETTERED" to lead the reader into the inner life of the Negro race and lay bare the aspirations that are fructifying there. (5) 6 PREFACE. Those who come to these pages in quest of pen pictures of either angels or demons, are not likely to find what they seek, for our story has to do with human beings, simply. That is, we should say, with the exception of but you will make your own exceptions when the tale is fully told. THE AUTHOR, CONTENTS. CHAPTER. PAGE. I. AN ANGLO-SAXON'S DEATH 11 II. "ANEW KING . . . WHICH KNEW NOT JOSEPH" 15 III. A FALLEN MAN SHOOTS 22 IV. THE CLANS GATHER 29 V. BREEDS TROUBLE FOR AFTER YEARS 37 VI. AN ACT OF WHICH NOBODY IS PROUD 46 VII. A MAN AGAINST A REGIMENT 54 VIII. THE HINT NOT TAKEN 62 IX. DORIAN WARTHEl.lv 70 X. CUPID SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL 73 XI. A STORMY INTERVIEW 78 XII. MORLENE AND DORIAN 83 XIII. A WHOLE CITY STIRRED 92 XIV. BLOODWORTH AT WORK 101 XV. HARRY BECOMES A TOOL 106 XVI. A WOMAN AROUSED Ill XVII. CLANDESTINELY, YET IN HONOR 121 XVIII. WHO WINS?... 126 XIX. THE SCENE SHIFTS 134 XX. THE BYSTANDERS CHEER 142 XXI. TO BEGIN LIFE ANEW, AS IT WERE 149 XXII. EXCUSABLE RUDENESS 153 XXIII. A STREET PARADE 160 XXIV. GOING FORTH TO UNFETTER 169 XXV. TONY MARSHALL 179 XXVI. A MORNING RIDE 185 XXVII. THEY FEAR EACH OTHER 189 XXVIII. "O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING?". ', 194 XXIX. IN THE BALANCES 201 XXX. THE TELEGRAM 207 (7) 8 CONTENTS. DORIAN'S PLAN. PAGE. FOREWORD 219 WHERE THE TROUBLE ARISES 223 OUR PROBLEM 225 THE INSPIRATION OF THE OPPOSITION 226 STILL IN THE BALANCES 228 HE WHO HAS HITHERTO FOLLOWED CALLED UPON TO LEAD 231 REVISITING THE ORIENT 233 CLASPING HANDS " 234 RENOVATION 237 WHERE TO BEGIN 239 "THERE is NO PLACE LIKE HOME' ' 240 RELIGION A FACTOR 244 TO WEAR WELL OUR CROWN 245 IN THE UPPER REALMS 247 "OF MAKING MANY BOOKS THERE IS NO END" 249 WE EAT TO LIVE 251 LITTLE AFRICAS 253 "YE HAVE THE POOR WITH YOU ALWAYS" 254 THE WINDS HAVE VEERED 255 "THE FIELD is THE WORLD" 256 WHERE THE GALE BLOWS FIERCEST 257 WITH THE HEN GOES HER BROOD 265 THE PROBLEM OF THE OTHER MAN 266 OUR LAST FOE 269 MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD 271 THE END DRAWETH NIGH . . 274 CHAPTER I. AN ANGLO-SAXON'S DEATH. Gently the midsummer breezes rustled the green leaves of the giant oaks and towering poplars that stood guard over the Dal ton house, which, as though spurning their protection, rose majestically above them and commanded a splendid view of the Tennessee fields and woodlands, stretching far out on either side of the leisurely flowing Cumberland. The subdued whisperings of the winds, their elf- like tread as they cautiously crept from tree top to tree top, tended to create the suspicion that they were aware of the tragedy which their mother, Nature, was so soon to enact within the walls of the house around which we now see them hover- ing. In a sumptuously furnished room of this mag- nificent structure, Maurice Dalton, the present owner thereof, lies dying ; battling heroically yet losingly in that last, inevitable conflict which he had been summoned to wage with the forces of de- cay. The head of this dying Anglo-Saxon rests, in these its last moments, on the bosom of Aunt Catherine, an aged Negro woman, who was his (9) IO UNFETTERED. first and loving nurse in infancy, and has been his one unswerving friend and worshipper in all of his after life. On former occasions, when disease had drawn him to the edge of the grave, so skillfully did Aunt Catherine second the recuperative work of nature that he was led back to life and health. Now that her healing art has failed her, she sits heartbroken, and, like Rachel weeping for her children, refuses to be comforted. No mother ever loved an offspring with greater intensity than Aunt Catherine loved " Maury," as she called him. Near to Aunt Catherine stands Lemuel Dalton, a nephew and the sole surviving relative of Maurice Dalton. Tall, slender and well featured, he was an interesting figure at any time. His firm, gray eyes give evidence of great grief over the approach- ing death of his uncle, although the death of this uncle is his only known means of an early escape from poverty. At the foot of the bed on which Maurice Dalton lies, stands Morlene, a beautiful girl just budding into womanhood. She is a Negro, although her very pleasing complexion is so light as to give plain evidence of a strong infusion of Anglo-Saxon blood. A wealth of lovely black hair crowning a head of perfect shape and queenly poise ; a face, the sub- tle charm of which baffles description ; two lus- UNFETTERED. II trous black eyes, wondrously expressive, presided over by eyebrows that were ideally beautiful ; a neck which, with infinite regard for the require- ments of perfect art, descended and expanded so as to form part of a faultless bust ; as to form, mag- nificently well proportioned ; when viewed as a whole, the very essence of loveliness. Such was the picture of Morlene, who, once seen, left an image 'that never again passed from the mind of the beholder. Morlene's bosom is just now the abode of many surging emotions. She views in a dying and speechless state the person who alone on earth knows the secret of her parentage. Maurice Dai- ton had promised to impart this information to Morlene at some time, but has delayed doing so until now it appears to be too late. Add to the fact that Maurice Dalton is carrying to the silence of the grave the information so earnestly, passion- ately desired by Morlene, the further fact that he had been her support, protection, and sole depend- ence from earliest infancy. So keen had been his interest in Morlene that only his known piety saved him from the suspicion that he was her father. In addition to the sense of personal loss that Morlene is to sustain, she must contend with her grief over the approaching death of a man whose sweetness of soul and fatherly care had won from 12 UNFETTERED. her almost a daughter's love. With hands clasped like unto one supplicating, she strains her beauti- ful eyes, as if, in her solicitude, to watch the soul along the whole distance of its flight into the great unknown. Standing here and there in the room are dis- tinguished white neighbors, intimate friends, ready to testify that the noblest Roman of them all is passing away. In an adjoining room, still other white neighbors are recounting in undertones the many noble deeds performed by Maurice Dalton. Huddled together under the trees in the yard to the back of the house are the Negroes of this and other planta- tions, who, with woeful looks, peer anxiously in the direction of the " big house," eager for news as to how the battle was going. The vitality of Mau- rice Dalton was surprisingly great, and he grappled with this " last of foes" far longer than had been deemed possible. Probably it was his unfulfilled promise to Morlene that caused his spirit to linger here so long after it had received the final sum- mons. Morning wore away into the afternoon. The air grew humid and signs of coming rain multi- plied ; yet the Negroes stood their ground, deter- mined to be as near as possible to their beloved landlord in the supreme moment. UNFETTERED. 13 Dark clouds which, ascending from the horizon, had been curtaining the skies, now passed beneath the sun, intercepted his kindly rays and journeyed onward until not a patch of blue was anywhere to be seen. Excitedly the lightning displayed his fierce glance in the disturbed heavens, first here and then there, and the occasional mutterings of the thunders were heard. The Negroes at last mustered sufficient courage to make the attempt to have Maurice Dalton to die, if die he must, in what they regarded as the ideal manner. Any Negro that could die "happy," die in the midst of a frenzy of joyous emotions, was deemed by the mass of Negroes as assured of an entrance into heaven. In order to produce this condition of ecstasy, they would gather about the bedside of the dying and sing such songs as were calculated to deeply stir the emotions of the pass- ing one. They now concluded to use their sing- ing upon Maurice Dalton. Leaving the shelter of the trees they all drew near to the house and stood under a window of the room in which lay the dy- ing man. In plaintive tones, low, timorous and wavering at first, then louder and bolder, in sweetest melody, they sang: " Swing low, sweet chariot, Cum fur ter carry me home ; Swing low, sweet chariot, Cum fur to carry me home." 14 UNFETTERED. Ofttimes as a boy Maurice Dalton had stood on the outer edge of Negro open air camp meetings and had heard, with deep emotion, this chant ; and as the music now comes floating into his room his paroxysms cease, a smile plays upon his face which, though wasted, is handsome still. Suddenly he sat bolt upright in his bed. u Hush ! " said he, feebly waving his hand, as he turned his ear in an attitude of listening. " Did they say the chariot had come?" he enquired of the weeping Aunt Catherine. Casting a faint look of recognition on those who stood near him, he fell back upon the bosom of Aunt Catherine a corpse. The wild cry of anguish that escaped the lips of Aunt Catherine told its own story to the Negroes in the yard. The singing ceased and they turned to go. Tears were falling from their eyes, and Nature, as if in sympathy, began to weep also. In after days the minds of the Negroes oft reverted to the darkness and gloominess and utter dreari- ness of the day when Maurice Dalton died. CHAPTER II. U A NEW KING. . .WHICH KNEW NOT JOSEPH." " Morlene, you and Catherine will come into the library as soon as your breakfast duties are over." Such was a command addressed to Morlene by Lemuel Dalton while he was sitting at the break- fast table in the Dalton house, a few days subse- quent to the happenings recorded in the preceding chapter. Morlene passed out of the dining room into the kitchen to tell Aunt Catherine what Lemuel Dal- ton had said. But Aunt Catherine had heard for herself and was so much agitated by what she thought were sinister purposes revealed by his tone of voice, that she began to tremble violently. A plate which she was washing fell to the floor and broke, whereupon she whispered to Morlene in tremulous tones : 11 Dar, now ! I shuah knows dar is trubble brewin' 'round 'bout heah. Las' night I drempt 'bout snakes an' didn't git to kill 'um. All dis mornin' my right eye hez been jumpin' fit to kill, an* now I dun broke dis plate. Wen hez Aunt Catherine broke er plate afo* dis? Shuah's yer bawn, chile, dar is trubble brewin' in dis l neck ub (15) l6 UNFETTERED. de woods.' " In a still lower whisper she said : " I wondah whut debbilmint our young marster's got in his he'd tersen' fur us?'* Morlene, who was also apprehensive, shook her head slowly, signifying that the master was an enigma to her as well. After the lapse of a few minutes, Aunt Cather- ine and Morlene repaired to the library, where they found Lemuel Dalton tilted back in his desk chair, his hands clasped behind his head. Turn- ing the gaze of his gray eyes full upon Aunt Catherine and Morlene, who were sitting together, he began : u Both of you are aware of the fact that I am now the proprietor of this place. I have one more task which I wish to perform as plain Lemuel Dal- ton. I will be rid of that task to-clay, I think. To-morrow I intend assuming charge here. I shall have no Negroes whatever about me, and the two of you will please prepare to leave when I take charge to-morrow." Aunt Catherine groaned audibly at the announce- ment and her dilated eyes showed that she viewed the suggestion with a species of horror. Morlene was self-contained, being careful not to exhibit any emotion, if she felt any. Lemuel Dalton, desirous of preventing an outburst of grief from Aunt Cath- erine, hastened to say : UNFETTERED. 17 " You will go from the place well provided for. J find, according to my uncle's memorandum, that there are six hundred and forty-eight dollars to your credit, money which was due you, but not called for by you. I notice that you have been accustomed to give largely to objects of charity, else this sum to your credit would be the larger. You will find the amount in this package." So saying, he lightly tossed the package into her lap. " Morlene, I find a note in my uncle's memoran- dum which states that you are entitled to be cared for by the Dalton estate so long as you live. I know not what is the ground of your claim, nor do I care to know. I shall see to it that you do not suffer. Understand, however, that you will al- ways apply to my lawyers for aid and not to me. With this one thousand dollars which I now , hand to you, our personal dealings come to a close." He tossed the package of money, which was in currency, toward Morlene, but she took pains to see that it fell upon the floor and not upon her lap. This was done so adroitly that Lemuel Dalton did not know but that the failure of the package to reach its destination was due to his poor marks- manship. Aunt Catherine asked in broken tones : " Marse Lemuel, will yer 'mit me ter say er word ? " I 8 UNFETTERED. A frown of impatience appeared upon Lemuel Dalton's brow, but he nodded assent. Aunt Catherine stood up and began : " Marse Lemuel, I wuz bawned on dis place. I wuz brung up hear ez a chile, and all de fun an' frolics I ebber hed wuz right heah. Marse an' mis- sus 'lowed me an' my ole man ter marry heah. It was in front ub dis very house whar us, my ole man an' me, jumpt ober de brum stick es a marrige ceri- mony. Since I hez been an 'oman ebry baby bawn in dis hous' hez cum in ter dese arms fust. Yer own daddy Erasmus wuz one ob um, an' a lackly littul fellah he wuz, too. Dese hans you see heeh hez shrouded de Dalton dead since I ken ricer- mimber. Durin' war times, w'en udder darkies wuz brakin' dey necks ter go ter de Yankees, I staid right by missus an' I'se been in dis house ebber since. " Nachally, Marse Lemuel, I lubs dis spot. I jes' doan' know nuthin' else. I hed hoped to die heah an' be bur'i'd at de feet ub missus, for she promis' me wid her dyin'- bref ter let me wait fur de trump ub Gabrul by her side. Now, Marse Lemuel, doan' dribe me erway. I'll wuck an' not charge nary cent. I wants to stay whar I ken plant flowers on de grave ub Maury an' d2 rest. Gib me er cot an' let me sleep in de ole barn lof whar I played ez er gal ; but doan' dribe me erway." Here Aunt Catherine burst forth into sobbing. UNFETTERED. 19 Lemuel Dalton's frown deepened. He arose and walked to the window, his back to Aunt Catherine, who now dropped upon her knees to pray for God to reinforce her plea. Lemuel turned, and discovering Aunt Catherine in an attitude of prayer, said: u That is all un- necessary, Catherine. My mind is made up. I do not mean to be unkind, but I simply shall not have Negroes about me." Aunt Catherine finished her prayer and arose. Taking the money which Lemuel Dal ton had given her, she said in gentle tones : " Whut I did fur our folkses wuz fur lub. You shan't spile my lub by payin' me fur whut I hez dun." So saying, she walked over to Lemuel Dalton in an humbje atti- tude and dropped the package of money at his feet. She then turned and went slowly and disconsolate- ly out of the room, her head drooping as she shuf- fled along. Morlene, who had manifested great self-control during the whole of the affecting scene, now arose and boldly faced Lemuel Dalton. " Sir," said she, her eyes filled with tears, " it takes no prophet to foretell that terrible sorrows await you ! He who ignores human emotions, will find many in this world more than a match for him at his own game ! As for the money which you gave me, I shall not touch one penny of it. Really, I do not care to have my life linked by 20 UNFETTERED. means of the smallest thread to a man who shall come forth from the c mills of the gods ' ground as you will be. You have not my anger, sir, but my most profound pity." So saying, she, too, left the room. Lemuel Dalton was seized with a nameless, inde- finable terror, that caused his blood to grow chill ; and in that instant the consciousness came to him with the certainty of a revelation that Morlene had spoken the truth. But this feeling only remained for a few seconds. It was but a forerunner, years ahead of its time. He cast it off, seeking to assure himself that belief in a premonition was but an idle superstition. When he had fully recovered his composure he said : "Now, I like that plucky spirit manifested by the girl. Give me, every time, the haughty suffer- er, too proud to crouch beneath the lash even when its' sting is keenest. I want none of your whining suppliants. A plague on these Negroes who meet injury with woe-begone expressions. That sort of thing tends to make the Anglo-Saxon chicken-hearted in dealing with them. The more a Negro whines and supplicates the worse I hate him. But I tell you I like the spirit of that girl." Such was Lemuel Dalton's soliloquy. " But other tasks await me," he said. Taking a pistol from his hip pocket, he thoroughly examined it to see that it was in prime condition in every UNFETTERED. 21 respect. Satisfied on this score, he put it back into the pocket from which he had taken it. Going out to the stable, he mounted his horse and rode away, taking the road that had been made to pass through and connect the several parts of the vast Dalton estate. On every side of him were tokens of what the forces of nature were doing for him. The earth holding in her bosom the roots of acres of Indian corn, was yielding up her substance that the grain might ripen unto harvest. The stalks were bravely bearing the swelling ears. The beautiful drooping blades drank in the contributions that the sun and the air had to bestow. Thus all nature was at one working for the wel- fare of the future master of the Dalton place. But he had no eye for nature's loving panorama. A master passion had his soul within its grasp. CHAPTER III. A FALLEN MAN SHOOTS. About one dozen years prior to the time of the beginning of our story, Lemuel Dalton, then a lad, was fishing on the banks of a body of water known as " Murray's Pond. n The scene surrounding it was one of extreme loveliness, and Lemuel, though a child, was yet poet enough to be silent while nature was speaking to him so eloquently and yet so soothingly. There was the shining sun above bathing the scene with its summer warmth. There were the trees standing around, lazily luxu- riant, surfeited. Wild flowers of varied hues were present in great profusion, as much as to say, "See, this is not so bad a world after all, else we could not be here." The trees that stood near to the pond cast their shadows upon its clear waters and saw with satisfaction themselves mirrored therein. A few cows had come to the pond and stood in one section thereof, the embodiment of contentment, leisurely tinkling their bells. Lem- uel was absorbed in the contemplation of this scene. A Negro boy, about Lemuel's age, but much larger, was fishing on the other side of the pond. (22) J UNFETTERED. 23 The scenery had no charms for this boy, who> tiring of the monotony of unsuccessful angling, de- cided to leave his side of the pond and engage in a conversation with Lemuel. When he drew near, Lemuel paid no attention to him, not so much as casting a glance in his di- rection. Nothing daunted by this seeming indifference, the Negro boy attempted to start up a conversa- tion. "Good place to fish, ain't it ?" he said. Not a muscle in Lemuel's face moved. Drawing a little closer, the Negro boy touched Lemuel on the shoulder, and with a smile said, "Good place to fish, ain't it?" Lemuel moved away, neither speaking to nor looking at the boy. The Negro boy now got angry, and, throwing his fishing pole across his shoulder, started away, saying with a sort of lilt that resembled singing : " I like sugar, I like hash, I'd rather be a nigger Than poor white trash." This was the taunting reply used by Negro chil- dren to avenge insults, real or imaginary, coming from white children. It was tantamount to a dec- laration of war, and was everywhere regarded as a casus belli, and Lemuel Dalton accepted it as such. 24 UNFETTERED. He sprang to his feet and was soon engaged in a fisticuff with the Negrc boy, who, however, proved to be his superior and signally defeated him. Lemuel Dalton, the man, is on his way to see this Negro, now also a man. It is his purpose to settle this old score before assuming charge of his estate on the morrow. We shall now acquaint you more fully with his prospective antagonist. There lived on the Dalton estate a Negro of mid- dle age and medium height, who bore the name of Stephen Dalton. In his youth he was a slave of the Dalton's and remained on the place after the coming of freedom. Sober, industrious, thrifty, thoroughly honest, peaceably inclined, he enjoyed to a remarkable degree the esteem of the white and colored people of all classes. Maurice Dalton was only nominally the head of the Dalton estate, the practical operations of his farming affairs being entrusted to the care of this Negro, Stephen Dalton. Stephen Dalton's household consisted of him- self, a son and a daughter, his wife being dead. It was this son, who years ago, had had the fight with L/emuel Dalton. Harry Dalton, for such was the son's name, was now a very handsome, vig- orous looking young man. He was conscious of his acceptable personal appearance and was some- what vain. This vanity was not lessened, of course, by his knowledge of the fact that he was UNFETTERED. 25 the best farm hand in all that section of country. He was, however, very companionable, and his uniformly cheerful disposition made him a sort of favorite with all, in spite of his touch of vanity He had attended the public school located in his vicinity, and while not very proficient, had suc- ceeded in mastering about all that the teacher could impart. On this particular day Harry has abandoned his field duties, and, watched by his very devoted sis- ter, Beulah, is engaged in practice in order that he may be in prime condition for the sports incident to the coming of an excursion from the neighbor- ing city to a nearby grove. Harry was the cham- pion runner, jumper, boxer and baseball player, and was quite eager to maintain his proud distinction. Beulah, who stood in the doorway of the three- room farm house in which they lived, said to Harry, "Look behind you! Yonder comes old Lemuel Dalton ! " Harry glanced over his shoulder, but did not de- sist from his practice. Lemuel Dalton rode up to where Harry was, dismounted, hitched his horse, and came directly in front of Harry. Since their fight at Murray's Pond the two had not spoken to each other, and both now understood that a fight was to ensue. In a biting tone Lem- uel Dalton began : 26 tJNFETTEREt). " I suppose you know that I am owner of this place. I have come to lay down my law to you. You are the leading sport on the place. Regard- less of the condition of crops you quit to go to pic- nics, shows, dances, camp meetings, funerals, and on every excursion that comes along. Your ex- ample is demoralizing to the whole farm. I as- sume charge of this place to-morrow, and I want you to understand that you cannot go to the pic- nic scheduled for that day." Harry was fairly enraged that a white man should speak to him as though he were a slave. Before he could suppress his anger enough to trust himself to speak, Beulah cried out from the door : u Don't that beat you ? Some poot white trash that gets places by the death of their uncles don't know that Grant whipped Lee and Jeff Davis was hung to a sour apple tree." Quivering with rage, Lemuel Dalton said to Harry : " You apologize for what that girl has said." *' She has spoken my sentiments," said Harry. The two now began to prepare for battle. Lem- uel Dalton advanced toward Harry and began the conflict with a stinging blow on Harry's left cheek. The battle was then on in earnest. Harry had the advantage in point of native strength. Lemuel's reach was longer than that of Harry, and he was by far the more skillful. He had for years been taking boxing lessons secretly, that he might be prepared for this very occasion. Lemuel Dalton had the further advantage of coolness. Harry, al- lowing his emotions of anger to influence him too largely, struck out wildly and thus dissipated much of his strength. Lemuel's wariness in evad- ing Harry's onslaughts and skill in delivering blows added to Harry's irritation. As the battle progressed it began to dawn on Harry that somehow he had met with more than his match. The thought of being defeated by Lemuel and in the presence of Beulah was too galling, and Harry determined to prevent such an outcome at all hazards. In a fit of exasperation, and in return for a well aimed blow from Lemuel, Harry delivered a powerful kick in his abdomen. Lemuel staggered backward and fell to the ground, Harry rushing toward him. "Is that your game?" shouted Lemuel. Half raising himself by means of his left elbow, with his right hand he drew his pistol in time to shoot Harry just as the latter was about to throw himself upon him. Harry now fell to the ground seri- ously wounded. Beulah came rushing to Harry's side screaming loudly. "That comes of insulting poor white trash,'* said Lemuel Dalton, as he mounted his horse. As he turned to go he cast a look of triumph and con- tempt at the wounded Negro and his screaming sister. Beulah's cries brought help from the field near by, and strong hands bore Harry into the house. CHAPTER IV. THE CLANS GATHER. News of the fight between Lemuel Dalton and Harry Dalton soon spread throughout .the sur- rounding regions. The diffusion of news was so rapid because in the country each person regarded himself as a courier in duty bound to convey word to his, immediate neighbors. The white farmers abandoned their tasks, armed themselves and hur- ried to the Dalton house. At nightfall the Negro farm hands from far and near hastened to Stephen Dalton's home, secreting in their clothes such weapons as pistols, hatchets, razors, bowie knives, clubs, etc. Thus, what was originally a personal encounter between two individuals contained the germs of a race war. When a sufficient number of the whites had gath- ered at the Dalton house to justify it, an informal meeting was held in the large front room. 'Squire Mullen, a short, fat man, with a face of full length but somewhat narrower than it might have been, as- sumed the leadership of the meeting. His upper lip was shaved clean, while his chin supported a 30 UNFETTERED. beard about three inches long. He spoke in a quick, jerky fashion, addressing Lemuel Dal ton in the name of the assemblage as follows : " We have heard of the difficulty between yon and one of the darkeys on your place. We have come to learn from you the particulars about it, to find out just what action must be taken by us. We are not seeking to interfere with your affairs, but darkeys must be made to feel always that whatever any one of them does to one white man is consid- ered as done to all white men; we shall be pleased, therefore, to receive any information that you may see fit to give." In response to this address Lemuel Dalton gave to the assemblage a full and truthful account of the happening. When he was through, 'Squire Mullen sprang to his feet saying, " Permit me, sir, to voice the sentiments of my fellows. We did not come here to sit in judgment on your action. We came here under the inspiration of the Anglo- Saxon motto, which is summed up in these words, 4 My country, may she be always right. But, right or wrong, my country.' We came here, sir, to take up your cause; but your account shows that you have struck us a blow in the face square in the face." " You will, of course, explain your remarks," in- terposed Lemuel Dalton, in a tone which signified his non-acceptance of 'Squire Mullen's view of matters. UNFETTERED. 31 " Certainly, certainly, sir. In the midst of cir- cumstances such as exist in the South, the greatest force that makes for peace is the cultivation in the white man of a sense of superiority and in the dar- key a sense of inferiority. Engender in the darkey a sense of his inferiority and it will paralyze his aggressiveness and do more to keep him down than a standing army. What we practice in the South is racial hypnotism. We erect signs every- where, notifying the darkey of his inferiority. To be effective this work must be co-operated in by practically the whole body of white men. That's why we object to any white man's attempt to dis- abuse the Negro's mind of this sense of inferior- ity. You, sir, have acted in a manner to cause us to lose the aid of this sense of inferiority in deal- ing with our darkeys. You have made our task of controlling them the harder. You have thus done us harm and the darkeys harm." " You have not yet shown how my actions trans- gress your mode of procedure," said Lemuel Dai- ton. " Why, sir, you fought the darkey on terms of equality. You fought him man to man. You should have sat on your horse and scolded him. If he had spoken insultingly, you should have used your horsewhip on him. If he had proven danger- ous, it was your duty to have shot him without further ado. A fisticuff between a white man and. 32 UNFETTERED. a darkey savors too much of equality, a feeling that must be kept out of the Negro at all hazards." u Permit me to add a word," requested a feeble- voiced young man, rising in a most timid manner, rubbing his hands together nervously. 'Squire Mullen gave him a reassuring look and he proceeded. " I simply wish to reinforce what 'Squire Mullen has said by a historical incident.- On a certain oc- casion when the Scythians were returning from a war in which they had been engaged, they received news that the servants whom they had left behind had mutinied and taken possession of the city and the households of their former masters. The Scythians were preparing to attack the slaves with a full accoutrement of arms when one of their number protested. He told his fellows that the best way to conquer the slaves was to discard arms and go with whips simply. He held that arms would suggest equality, while whips would be a reminder to the slaves as to what they were. The experiment succeeded and the Scythians effected a re-enslavement without any bloodshed. So, I agree with 'Squire Mullen that it is a great help to supe- riors to keep alive in inferiors a well developed sense of their inferiority. It certainly helps to keep them in subjection. The Scythian whips, which had as an aid the feeling of inferiority, were more successful than arms would have been, carry- ing along with them the idea of equality. UNFETTERED. 33 "A profound thinker of our day sets forth this idea in these words : uc There are the respective mental traits pro- duced by daily exercise of power and by daily sub- mission to power. The ideas, and sentiments, and modes of behavior, perpetually repeated, generate on the one side an inherited fitness for command, and on the other side an inherited fitness for obedi- ence ; with the result that, in course of time, there arises on both sides the belief that the established relations of classes are the natural ones.' " The young man dropped into his seat and looked around rather bashfully and wistfully, hoping that he would be regarded as having made an accepta- ble contribution to the dominant thought of the occasion. All eyes were now directed to Lemuel Dalton, awaiting his reply. " Gentlemen," said he, ;< if you will but go a lit- tle deeper into the subject you will see that my action was in accordance with and not contrary to the philosophy which you enunciate." There was a slight bustle of astonishment at this claim, but Lemuel proceeded without regard thereto. "When I was a lad, that Negro insulted and then beat me. No doubt he carried with him for years the thought that he was physically my superior. I was determined to wrest from him this concep- 34 UNFETTERED. tion. Had I proceeded against him on terms which he regarded as unfair, he would not have inwardly restored to me the palm which he wrested from me years ago. But, proceeding against him on terms of equality as I did, he is forced to acknowledge in his innermost consciousness that I am physically his superior. I, for one, think that we white men make a mistake in not seeking by physical culture to maintain even our physical superiority. I am in favor of the doctrine of Anglo-Saxon superiority in all realms, even the physical." 'Squire Mullen, with a smile upon his face, came forward and grasped Lemuel Dalton by the hand. " We understand you better now, sir. We are proud of you, sir. Lads, hear what he says. In developing brain don't forget brawn. The darkey now has brawn. His strong physique and repro- ductive powers, show that he is in the world to stay to the end of time. If, in the years to come, he adds mental to physical endowment, we may be in the lurch unless we take care of the physical side- of our development. Give me your hand again, sir," said 'Squire Mullen, once more shaking hands with Lemuel Dalton. This matter having been disposed of, considera- tion was now given to Harry and Beulah. It was the concensus of opinion that the education which Harry and Beulah had received was mainly respon- sible for what the whites termed "arrogant as- sumption of equality." UNFETTERED. 35 The advisability and inadvisability of educating the Negro was gone into and the conclusion reached that the only safe education for the Negro was the education that taught him better how to work. It was decided that Harry had been punished equita- bly for his offense against Lemuel Dalton as an in- dividual. They held that something must be done however, to avenge the insult to the white race perpetrated when one of their number was assailed. As a result of their deliberations, lasting well up into the night, it was decided to drive Harry and Beulah out of the settlement, both as a pun- ishment for their offense and as a warning to other Negroes against "impudence towards their supe- riors. " In the meanwhile the Negroes had been coming and going at Stephen Dalton's. They came in part from curiosity, in part to see if they were in danger, and in part out of sympathy. They all listened critically to Beulah's recital of the trouble. The practically unanimous verdict was that Beu- lah and Harry could and should have avoided the conflict. Arriving at this conclusion they all left, not being disposed to help in a case where all. of the blame was not on the white man. In the dead of the night 'the whites rode up to the house and tacked thereon a notice, warning Harry and Beulah Dalton to remove from the settlement for- 36 UNFETTERED. ever before the dawn of day on the first of January of the incoming year. When the Negroes heard of this decree they were incensed. " Ernnf is ernuf," said one. "An' a nigger ain't er dog. 'Twuz ernuf ter shoot de nigger. We didun't do miffm' 'bout dat, kase de niggers wuz some'ut ter blame. But dey ez carrin' de thing too fur. Brnuf is ernuf ! " This sentiment was universal among the Ne- groes, and they decided, one and all, to retaliate by leaving the settlement along with Harry and Beu- lah. About thirty miles distant was the city of R , the great commercial center of all the surrounding sections. This city now became the Mecca of these Negroes. But other troubles were to ensue ere they accomplished their design to enter R . CHAPTER V. BREEDS TROUBLE FOR AFTER YEARS. When Lemuel Dalton rode into his yard fresh from his encounter with Harry Dalton, Aunt Cath- erine and Morlene were in a wagon ready to be driven to the city, where it was there purpose to dwell. Lemuel Dalton noticed the look of inquiry which his battered appearance evoked from Morlene's ex- pressive eyes, and, as if to prevent her from think- ing that he had been worsted and that her prophe- cy was already coming true, said in a haughty tone: " I do not know how much interest a knowledge of the fact may be to you, yet, I inform you that I have just shot down that impudent Negro, Harry Dalton. Morlene was of a deeply sympathetic mould, and, upon receiving this information, tears came into her eyes. Alighting from the wagon, she said : "Go! Go! Aunt Catherine, from this accursed place. I will come to the city soon. It may be that Harry is not killed. If I can save his life I can ward off that much of the terrible debt that this man is pil- ing up against himself." Gathering her skirts (37) 38 UNFETTERED. about her, weeping as she ran, she arrived at Ste- phen Dalton's house and assumed charge of the nursing of Harry. Harry's wound was an exceedingly dangerous one, but the doctor's skill, supplemented by Mor- lene's zealous care, eventually brought him to a stage of convalescence. But Morlene's tenderness of heart had brought her into a situation where un- foreseen complications arose to sorely disturb her peace of mind. So, soon as Harry became conscious of Morlene's presence in his home as his nurse, he began to look upon his being shot as an especially kind act on the part of providence. From early childhood he had been an ardent admirer of Morlene, but her Stay at the Dalton house under the guardianship of Maurice Dalton, had caused him to feel that there was an impassable gulf between them. He had never been able to summon sufficient courage to go up to the " big house" with the intention of paying his respects to Morlene. He now entertained not one spark of ill will toward L,emuel Dalton for shooting him, since it was the means of drawing Morlene to his side. The scrupulous care and great tenderness exercised by her in the nursing of Harry, were construed by him to be indications of a strong attachment, and his hopes of a favorable outcome of his suit grew greater from day to day, until he at last regarded his acceptance as an as- sured fact. tJNFETTERED. Q One day, after he was able to sit up, he bec&- , oned for Morlene to come to his side, intending to } make a declaration of love. Morlene came an^ looked into Harry's face tenderly, awaiting his ripr quest, which she presumed would be upon some matter in line with her duties as a nurse. When Harry looked up into her face, so tenderly beauti- ful, his heart failed him. " Too beautiful for a fellow like me," he thought. " I have changed my mind, Miss Dalton," said Harry, abandoning his purpose for the time being. Morlene looked at Harry out of those wondrous eyes of hers, playfully feigning reproach, shaking her forefinger at him the while, in no wise dream- ing of the emotions at work in Harry's bosom. The day at last came when Harry found himself possessing sufficient courage to make a declaration of love. It was indeed a rude awakening for Mor- lene when she realized in what manner she had been the object of Harry's thoughts, a contingency upon which she had in no wise calculated. When her emotion of surprise had sufficiently abated to permit it, she told Harry in a very pleasant manner that he was sick and should wait until he was well' before giving attention to so grave a question as marriage. Harry had discerned how his proposal had sur- prised Morlene, and he now knew that she had not given him one thought as a possible husband. He 40 UNFETTERED. saw cleany that Morlene's many acts of kindness to him were based purely on sympathy, not love. This so discouraged Harry that it was not many days be- fore he began to grow worse. His decline was so persistent, refusing to yield to any treatment, that the doctor was sorely puzzled as to the cause of the relapse and the treatment necessary to effect a change, Harry's illness now reached such a stage that all began to despair of his life. Beulah kept constant watch at his bedside, noting his every expression. She noticed how Harry's eyes followed wherever Morlene moved about in the room ; how that he was restless when she was out of sight and contented when she was near. And in all this devotion ex- hibited by Harry she intuitively felt the presence of hopelessness. She framed the theory in her mind that the mysterious cause of Harry's decline was none other than an unrequited love for Mor- lene. The doctor came, felt Harry's pulse, shook his head, and left the room. Beulah also went out and revealed to him her thoughts. " By Jove !" said he, " Why did I not think of that myself? The girl is as beautiful as a sylph. She can save him, I am sure. That boy's relapse can be explained on no other hypothesis. See what you can do with the girl. It is the only hope left." So saying, the doctor went his way. "UNFETTERED. 41 Beulah now re-entered the house and asked Mor- lene to take a walk with her. Arm in arm the two girls went down the little pathway leading from the house. Coming opposite to a grove of trees they turned toward it, entered, and sat down upon a fallen log. "Morlene, are you in love with any one?" asked Beulah. " No, my dear. Why do you ask ?" replied Mor- lene. u I have a request to make of you, which I can the more freely do since you say that you are not in love." Morlene's face took on a puzzled expression. " What possible relation does my not being in love bear to any request that you might make?" inquired Morlene. " The doctor has told me that the only hope of saving Harry's life lies in your consenting to marry him. He is dying of love for you," said Beulah. Morlene stood up affrighted. Beulah continued : " Harry looks at you so sad- like. A word from you, Morlene, will save him." Morlene sat down and raised a hand to her fore- head. " Beulah," said she, " I fear that there is something in what you say. I now recall that his decline in health began about the time when I re- fused to consider a proposal of marriage which he made. But Beulah, I do not love Harry. I think well of him, but I do not love him." 42 UNFETTERED. "You could learn to love him," said Beulah. " No, I am quite sure, Beulah, that I could never love a man on Harry's order. Something within tells me that somewhere in the world there is an ideal man that awaits my coming. He shall awaken all the slumbering fires of my soul and my life shall entwine itself about his. Beulah, I believe all this with my whole heart." Morlene spoke in tones quavering with emotion, her beautiful face showing signs of tragic earnest- ness and her eyes assuming a far-off expression as if the soul was seeking to divine the future. " Morlene, you and I are poor country girls and can talk plainly to each other. Yon have been reading books up at the Dalton house which set forth the deeds of mighty men. Out of all that you have gleaned from books you have constructed your ideal man whom you feel awaits you in the world. Morlene, we country girls have only a lim- ited education and know but little of the require- ments of the higher walks of life. The man whom your imagination has selected will be so much your superior in point of culture that he will not notice you." This was a well directed shaft and Morlene's body twitched as if it had been entered by some deadly missile; for it had been the one dread of her life that the man whom she could love would con- sider her mind too poorly trained to become his companion. Morlene buried her face in her hands. 43 Beulah followed up the advantage which she saw that she had gained, saying : " Morlene, your own judgment must teach you that your ideal is impossible of attainment. Put over against this impracticable ideal my honest, in- dustrious, wounded brother, who is being destroyed by his love for you. Do not, Morlene, allow poor Harry to die because of a vague hope." A pet squirrel which had been tamed by Har- ry, and which was very fond of him, was jumping from limb to limb in a neighboring tree. Spying Morlene and Beulah, it began to descend, making looks of inquiry at various stages of its journey. Upon reaching the ground, it began to hop in the direction of the two girls, halting now and then to turn its little head first one way and then another, always keeping one or the other of his brown eyes looking in their direction. When only a few feet from them, it reared upon its hind feet and looked intently at them. They were evidently too sad in appearance, for it immediately scampered away to resume its sport. " Even the squirrel has come to plead for Harry, Morlene," said Beulah. Morlene's answer was a deep sigh. " Beulah," said Morlene, taking her hands from her face, "you hardly know what you ask. This love which God has planted in a woman's bosom is the source of the highest joy that she knows 44 UNFETTERED. during her stay on earth. You are asking me to surrender the most precious gift of my Creator, my one chance of supreme happiness." Beulah now burst into crying, calling into play woman's most formidable weapons her tears. "All right, Morlene. Poor Harry will be dead to-morrow, and I shall soon die of grief. You know how my dear father loves us. Our deaths will break his heart. When we are dead, Mor- lene, remember that the surrender of an idle hope on your part would have saved us all." Beulah, weeping bitterly, now arose to go. Mor- lene 's sympathetic nature could not longer resist the strain. "Beulah, Beulah, it is hard to do as you ask. How hard, the future alone can tell. I consent to sacrifice myself. I don't understand this world, anyway ! Why am I placed in such a trying situ- ation ? I will marry Harry !" It was now Morlene's time to cry. She wept bit- terly, her gentle spirit chiding the cruel fate that had woven such a web about her feet. Parentless, homeless, friendless, now doomed to a loveless mar- riage, she considered her lot an inexpressibly hard one. The two girls wept together, Beulah now weep- ing over the necessity of imposing such a marriage on Morlene. Having as Harry's sister persuaded Morlene into agreeing to the marriage, she now as UNFETTERED. 45 a woman wept in sympathy with Morlene over a prospective wedlock without love. When the two had regained self-control, they returned to the house. Morlene went to Harry's bedside and knelt there. She took his enfeebled arm and laid it across her shoulder, smiling at him sweetly the while. " Harry," said she, " I have come to tell you that I am going to be your wife, a true wife one that will do all that is in her power for your comfort and welfare." So saying she leaned forward and sealed her doom with a kiss. Beulah, eager to insure Harry's recovery, and fearing that Morlene, after a period of reflection, might deny the binding force of a vow extorted from her in the dread presence of death, hastened matters. The next day Harry and Morlene were duly pronounced man and wife. When a woman's hand is chained and her heart is free ! CHAPTER VI. AN ACT OF WHICH NOBODY IS PROUD. The decision reached by the assemblage of Ne- groes in the first burst of excitement over the post- ing of the notice demanding that Harry and Beu- lah leave the settlement, was adhered to, and on Christmas Eve several wagon loads of young Ne- gro men and women started on their journey to the city. The crops had been marketed and each one had come into possession of the profits on his year's labor. In no case was the amount very large, but it caused all to be in good cheer. The occupants of the wagons were as numerous as the wagons could well hold, and they rode stand- ing up, holding to each other to keep from falling whenever the uneven character of the road caused the wagons to jolt. A jug of whiskey had been placed in each wagon and from it bottles were filled and passed around, men, women and children alike taking each a "dram." Loud laughing, playful bantering, sallies of coarse wit, ribald sing- ing, characterized this journey to the city. The more sober and religious element of the Negroes, who were disgusted with this sort of conduct, stayed behind to avoid contact with those inclined toward (46) UNFETTERED. 47 rowdyism. They wished also to improve the occa- sion by holding one more service of worship in their country church house. On Christmas morning the church was filled with those who had come to worship God there, perhaps for the last time. The minister was ex- pected to preach a sermon appropriate to the occa- sion. Recognizing this expectation, he sought to fulfill it, and chose for his text, Hebrews xi:i6: " But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly : wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God : for he hath prepared for them a city." The preacher began his discourse in that deeply pathetic tone accompanied with prolonged mournful cadences, once so largely in vogue among a certain class of Negro preachers. This tone, so full of the note of sorrow, found responsive chords in the bo- soms of his hearers and a bond of fellowship for the occasion was at once established between him and them. His every utterance was saluted with an answering groan or sympathetic manifesta- tion of some kind, evoked as much by the tone of voice as by the sentiment expressed. The re- sponses of the people heightened the emotions of the preacher. Thus the preacher and the people acting and reacting upon each other, produced a highly emotional state of affairs. The burden of the preacher's discourse was an Account of the wanderings of Abraham and the 48 UNFETTERED. subsequent sorrowful career of his descendants in the land of Egypt. With a constantly swelling tide of emotions the hearers followed the dolorous account, which was made the more touching by instituting comparisons, the purport of which was to show that the Negroes were having similar expe- riences. In drawing to a close, he emphasized the thought that the God that prepared a goodly land for the Jews would take care of the Negroes. He urged them to leave the question of their earthly welfare in the hands of God and center their thoughts on Heaven. He entered into a dramatic description of the Christian's getting ready to wade across the Jordan of death. Then came a vivid word painting of the scenes beyond the green fields of Eden ; the pearly gates standing ajar ; the gold paved streets ; the jasper walls ; the tree of life ; the long white robes ; the silver slippers ; the starry crown ; the palms of victory ; the harps of gold. The Chris- tian was to go into the city, he set forth, and sit upon a throne singing God's praise, looking out of the window of heaven while the sun was covered with sackcloth and ashes and the moon was drip- ping away in blood. His very last remarks were made sitting down, in representation of the final rest of the Christian in the midst of the stirring scenes depicted. The tumultuous scene which accompanied and followed this highly dramatic peroration beggars UNFETTERED. 49 description. Women screamed and shouted and fainted, while men wept like babes and clambered from seat to seat wild with emotion. Such was the character of the religious preparation that the Negroes had for the grave responsibilities of life in the city. While these things were transpiring at the church, a frightful tragedy was being enacted elsewhere. A short outline of the circumstances leading up thereto is now necessary. When the white farmers became aware of the fact that there was to be a wholesale exodus of Ne- groes from the settlement, they were much enraged. They recognized the fact that the Negro made a very good laborer, in spite of his foibles, and they were loth to let him go. Their course toward him was not, as they understood it, dictated by preju- dice nor tainted with injustice. They were thor- oughly imbued with the doctrine that they were inherently superior to the Negro and instituted re- pressive measures to keep alive recognition of this claim. This was the Alpha and Omega of their purposes, and they were angered, that .their course, to them righteous, should be accepted in any other spirit, and should operate to disturb the social fabric. They argued with the Negroes, endeavoring to show them that they were not op- posed to Negroes per se, but to " sassy " Negroes that tried to put on airs and represent themselves to be as good as white people. All efforts to stem toe tide of emigration failed, however, 5<> UNFETTERED. Lemuel Dalton alone was undisturbed by the outcome. Years before, as the prospective land- lord of the Dalton place, he had made a careful study as to how he could operate the plantation without the aid of Negroes. He had come to the conclusion that the presence of the Negro on the farm lands of the South, was the chief cause of its backwardness. He looked upon the Negro as being of too conservative a mold, averse, like all primitive people, to innovations. He had given earnest study to improved meth- ods of farming and had determined upon many changes that would dispense with much labor. He had in mind to substitute barbed wire for rail fences and thus be rM of Negro rail-split- ters. Improved plows, planting, threshing and harvesting machines in fact, the whole category of labor-saving devices for farming were to be brought into use. By thus elevating farm life from a condition of extreme drudgery he felt hope- ful of securing white farm hands to take the place of Negroes. So the contemplated exodus did not in the least affect Lemuel Dalton's peace of mind. Not so with other young white men of the set- tlement, yet living on their fathers' places. In view of a prospective scarcity of "hands" they had been notified that they would have to abandon their lives of ease and help to man the farms. The thought of performing the drudgery incident to UNFETTERED. 51 farm life was very distasteful to them, and they be- came very bitter in their feelings toward the Ne^ groes. On this Christmas morning, a number of these young white men went to the one whisky shop in the vicinity to drink off their troubles. As they be- came intoxicated, their fury rose until it was evi- dent that trouble of some sort was certain to ensue. One of the drunken lot said, " Boys, what say you ? Down with the cause of all our troubles ! What shall we do with Beulah Dalton ?" " Kill her ! Kill her ! Kill her ! " rang out from the throats of the half-drunken crowd. With much yelling and hooting, they started toward Stephen Dalton's home. Beulah had al- ways been disliked by the young white men, as she persistently refused to speak to any of them that did not call her "Miss Beulah." This long nourished feeling of animosity was no doubt a fac-. tor, though unconsciously so, in the present move^ ment against her. Beulah had remained at home, while the others went to the church. She was completing her preparations for the journey to the city, to take place on the morrow. She heard the wild shouts drawing nearer and nearer, and looked out of her window to discover the meaning thereof. The crowd caught sight of her, and with a yell of sav- age delight, came toward the house at full speed. 52 UNFETTERED. Beulah had the presence of mind to barricade the doors. The windows were . furnished with thick oak doors that closed from the inside and effected a protection for the apertures supplemen- tary to that of the window panes. These doors Beulah closed. When the crowd arrived at the house they found Beulah securely ensconced. As their doings were not premeditated, they had come from their homes without implements with which to batter down the doors. Finding their purpose of capturing Beu- lah thwarted, they were under the necessity of providing another mode of procedure. " Burn her up !" said one, " You are a coward. The gal ain't no rat. Give her a chance, fool," replied another. " Who calls me a fool ?" shouted the first speak- er. "I will kill the scoundrel," he added. A wrangle here broke out and a free for all fight was threatened, some favoring one of the dispu- tants and some the other. While they were en- gaged in this drunken squabble, one of their num- ber had gotten into the kitchen and had saturated the floor with kerosene oil. He then set fire to the building. Beulah heard the roaring flames and decided to make a bold dash for life. She was a country girl, vigorous of frame and fleet of foot and hoped tQ UNFETTERED. S3 outrun the crowd in their drunken condition. Quietly unpinning the barred door, she leaped out and began to run. She chose the side of the house opposite to the one where she heard the noise, and supposed that at least a short interval would in- tervene before the crowd discovered that she had escaped. But the young man who had set the house on fire had gone to that side of the house in anticipation of an attempt to escape. .When he saw Beulah run forth from the building, he uttered a yell and with great effort of will steadied himself sufficiently to hurl at the fleeing girl a stick of stove wood which he had gotten in the kitchen. The stick struck her on the back of her head. Beulah fell forward and in a few minutes breathed her last. When the Negroes returned from church, they found the ashes of the house and, a short distance away, Beulah lying on her face in a puddle of blood. perpetrators of the crime had fled. CHAPTER VII. A MAN AGAINST A REGIMENT. Stephen Dalton, whose conservatism was pro- verbial ; who had been from time immemorial the assuager of race animosities ; who had so success- fully mediated between the whites and the Negroes at every previous crisis, was at last thoroughly aroused to action. The ills of which the Negroes had complained, and concerning which he had al- ways counseled moderation, were now brought home to his own door. As a result of the race feel- ing his son had been wounded, his house burned, the friendly relations of a lifetime destroyed, and his daughter, the pride of his heart, murdered while at home unprotected. With his gun on his shoul- der he tramped from house to house for miles around exhorting the Negroes to repair to a desig- nated spot where they would march in unison to attack the whites. The Negroes felt that the time for action had assuredly come if u cool headed" Stephen, as he was called, was aroused to the point of action. Their long pent-up feelings of resentment now became rampant and they gathered in force at the point selected by Stephen. They came armed with such weapons as they could buy, borrow or steal. (54) 55 The white people of the settlement became thoroughly alarmed ; for, though the Negro was regarded as a normally peaceful being, they felt that there was a latent sanguinary nature and a sort of reckless dare-devil bravery that burst forth upon occasion and was dangerous. They tele- phoned to all nearby stores, requesting that firearms and munitions of war be denied to all would-be Negro purchasers. Word was sent to neighboring settlements to guard the crossroads and prevent other Negroes from different sections coming to the assistance of those already in arms. The telegraph and telephone stations were put under strict censorship, and all newspaper reporters were warned to send out no accounts of the trouble that would create the least vestige of a doubt as to the entire justice of all the proceedings of the whites. Messages were sent to the governor that a race riot was imminent, and an urgent plea was made for several companies of State troops. These were forthwith dispatched. The whites who had armed themselves, now joined the ranks of the State troops to assist in quelling the uprising of the Negroes. There was no desire among the whites for bloodshed, and, being fully prepared for war, now cast about for a means of bringing about peace. The usual mediator, Stephen Dalton, being the leader of the Negroes, they had to search for an*- 56 UNFETTERED. other. They decided to impress into their service for that task the Negro public school teacher. The Negro school teacher has perhaps been the greatest conservator of peace in the South, labor- ing for the Negroes by the appointment of the whites, being thus placed in a position where it was to his interest to keep on good terms with both races. Thus the whites on this occasion sent the school teacher to confer with the Negroes. Arriving at the Negro assemblage the teacher approached Stephen Dalton. "Good evening, sir," said he to Stephen. "Good evenin'," was Stephen's gruff response. By this time a number of Stephen's lieutenants had clustered around the two, eagerly looking from the teacher to Stephen and from Stephen to the teacher, bent on catching whatever might pass be- tween them. They made no attempt to conceal their feeling of curiosity, which was as manifest as in the case of children. " May I be allowed to address this gathering ?" asked the teacher of Stephen. "Whar is you frum?" queried Stephen, grumly. " I have just come from the white people's ren- dezvous," he replied. "Thought so. Bettah go back dar, I 'specks," said Stephen, turning his back and walking away. The teacher now turned to the others who had crowded about him. " Men," said he, " I tJNFETTERED. 57 something to say that concerns you all. Uncle Stephen is inteiested in this whole affair in too personal a in inner for yon men to commit your interests blindly to him. In times like these you need a man who is in such a frame of mind that he can weigh everything. Now, yon all know that Uncle Stephen has had enough to unbalance any- body, and, I tell you, men, unbalanced minds are not safe guides in such times as these." The men gathered about the teacher now looked in the direction of Stephen. He, seeing that the" teacher was engaging the attention of the crowd, decided to return and order him away. "I is cummander in chief, heah, sur, and you mus' leave dis groun' at once, sur," said Stephen to the teacher. The teacher now lifted his voice and said in tones that many could hear. " In former times when other people's oxen were gored, Uncle Stephen was not driven away when he came to see you. Uncle Stephen is a good man, but I don't think he is that much better than the rest of you. If your matters could be talked of, it seems to be that his might be talked of, too." This blow was well aimed. There seems to be a feeling in the Negro race to keep all upon a level and to resent anything that savors of superiority of one Negro over another. No man who attempts to lead them can have any measure of success unless 58 UNFETTERED. he is thoroughly democratic in his behavior, tastes and manner of approach. The teacher knew of this feeling, and his remark was an adroit bid for its support. The Negroes now felt a little sullen toward Stephen Dalton, their commander, because he de- sired to prevent free speech on this occasion when he had availed himself of it so often in times of threatened trouble. " Uncle Stephen is in a mighty heap of trouble, an' ain't 'zactly at hisself. Go er head, teacher, we'll hear you," said one. A murmur of approval went through the crowd, which had now swelled to large proportions. Seeing that he had gained audience the teacher began. In his speech he set forth that the killing of Beulah was not indicative of the feelings of the best white people toward the Negroes, nor of the real feelings of the worse elements of whites. He said that liquor was at the root of the murder, and that in a measure the colored people were responsible, because it was their vote that kept liquor from being voted out of the county at a lo- cal option election held a short while previous. To this the Negroes nodded assent, for they knew it to be true. The teacher asked why, as sensible people, they were going to have all the folks of the community, good and bad, white and colored, killed for an act that liquor was mainly responsible for, they being responsible for the liquor. UNFETTERED. 59 Then the teacher recited the facts as to the superior training, numbers, equipment, transporta- tion facilities, means of inter-communication of the whites. He dwelt upon the fact that the Negroes were practically cut off from all other Negroes, and the battle would really be between that little hand- ful of Negroes aud the whole body of white people of the South. The teacher spoke earnestly, and impressed the throng that he was doing them a service in calling their attention to their hopeless plight. When the teacher was through his hearers were won over to his way of thinking. Stephen Dalton had foreseen what would be the outcome, knowing from experience how susceptible the Negroes were to argument at such times. Be- fore the teacher had concluded he dropped his gun and ammunition and walked away quite rapidly. Arriving at the place where the white soldiers were stationed, he pulled off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, clenched his fists, stepped forward and spoke as follows, his eyes gleaming with rage : "Gentlemens, the man whut you done sent up yonder will turn them people, an' I reckin it's best. Dare aint no use'n er whole lots er folks dyin' fur me one. Now I wants to make a fair propursition ter you." Stephen's voice grew loud and strident. " My house is burned, my boy is shot, my gal is killed, an' me all broke up at dis age. Gentlemens, 60 UNFETTERED. justis' comes in som'ers. Uv course nairy one man uv you could stan er show befo' me, fair fist an' skull fight. Pick out any two men an' sen um to me an' I'll lick um. Gentlemens, on dat plan I'll take the whole regurment uv you. Now, gentle- mens, I ax yer in de name uv justis, consider my propursition. Ef you think that ain't fair, I'll take any three uv yer fair fist and skull." Stephen now awaited an answer. The whites, who at heart sympathized with Stephen in his grief, regarded him as unbalanced by trouble. No one replied, and there was no thought of harming him. " Ah! Gentlemens, you kill er pore gal when her daddy wuz erway, but you won't fight him, I see. Gentlemens, dare uster be bettah blood dan dat. I was in de war wid my marster, an' he showd good blood to de Yankees. Is it all gone, dat three uv you won't fight ur * nigger,' ez you call him?" By this time the teacher had arrived, accompa- nied by two friends of Stephen. They came to re- port that the Negroes had disbanded and would give no more trouble. Stephen's two friends now approached him and stationing themselves on either side, begged him to leave. The old man's head drooped upon his bosom. He had at last collapsed, having been so long under a severe mental strain. His two friends supported him between them and bore him from the spot, UNFETTERED. 6l Stephen repeating over and over in a broken voice : " Boys, dey don't fight fair. Dey don't fight fair, boys. Beulah! Beulah! your daddy can't do nuthin'. He would if he could. Boys, dey won't fight fair." The Negrots en masse now gathered up their few belongings and removed to the city of R with all of its aggregation of vice, of temptation, of hard- ships, of alluring promises, of elusive hopes. As they enter this typical American city, we fain would follow them, but cannot just now. May the fates deal kindly with them. CHAPTER VIII. THE HINT NOT TAKEN. The eyes of the civilized world were now direct- ed to the settlement wherein Beulah was mur- dered, in order to witness there the workings of the sentiment of justice. The poet's pen, the artist's brush, the sculptor's chisel, have long since despaired of adequately setting forth the natural charms of the Southland, the home of birds and flowers, grand with mount- ains, beautiful with valleys, restful in the girdling arms of her majestic streams, presided over by skies that are the bluest of the blue. Knowing the proud place given the Southland by the fiat of Nature, the world of mankind riveted its gaze upon her eagerly and pressed to know the fate of those who murdered Beulah. The great heart of the South throbbed with a sense of shame over the perpetration of the crime and now sought to shake itself loose from the benumbing influences of an ever-pervading race feeling that was so pow- erful as to render inoperative so many higher senti- ments. The pulpit and the press spoke in terrible tones to the hearts and consciences of the whites in denunciation of the crime and in demand the guilty parties be brought to trial, UNFETTERED. 63 In addition to their natural horror of the crime, the best white people of the South had another incentive for desiring that they should act worthily in the matter. The white people had arrogated to themselves the right of exclusive control of public affairs, This act had been quietly submit- ted to by the Negroes, and the people of the North at that time appeared to be disposed to ac- cept in great measure the Southern white man's view of his own problem. With all that they de- manded practically conceded, they felt the more under obligations to make human life within their borders safe and sacred. The Governor of the State offered large rewards for the apprehension and conviction of the perpe- trators of the crime. In spite, however, of all the indignation of tbe South, no arrests were made. The members of the mob were in some way related to practically every influential family in the county in which the crime had been committed. In many cases the prosecutors would have found themselves proceeding against their closest kin. The coroner's jury, duly impanelled and sworn, viewed the remains of Beulah and brought in the stereotyped verdict that " the deceased came to her 1 death at the hands of a party or parties to the jury unknown." This verdict brought the incident to a close, so far as society, acting through legally constituted agencies, was concerned. But the in- 64 UNFETTERED. cident was not in reality closed ; for when a given agency fails to adequately meet the demands of humanity, the people find a way of making their power felt. Public sentiment began to mete out, in its own peculiar way, the justice which the courts had felt unable to administer. The young men who had committed the crime, found themselves ostracized on every hand. Those who were engaged to be married, received notes cancelling their engagements. When the people so elect they can make a citi- zen's garb burn into the soul of a man with an in- tensity equal to that of prison stripes. If the per- petrators of the crime were not convicts, the differ- ence would not have been discovered by a compar- ison of their feelings with those of real con- victs. It came to the ears of 'Squire Mullen that his son Alfred had been the one to apply the torch and to strike the blow that brought on Beulah's death. The 'Squire was the soul of honor, as he understoo4 it, and while he believed it to be the design of Ged that the white man should keep the Negro in a subordinate place, he yet deemed it an unspeakable horror to needlessly afflict a helpless people. 'Squire Mullen went to the room of his son on the night of the day on which he had heard of the, part that the young man had played in the matter. The hour was late ; his son was asleep in bed* Th? UNFETTERED. 65 father said to himself as he looked at his sleeping offspring : " I do not yet know that my boy is that guilty. Let me stroke those Saxon curls and kiss his cheek once more before I find out whether or not he is guilty." His caressings awoke Alfred, and the tenderness died out of the 'Squire's face, a look of stern justice mounted the throne. He said : "Alfred, news reaches me that you ap- plied the torch to Uncle Stephen's house while his daughter was in there, and that you struck the blow that killed her. I have come to know of you, my son, as to whether you did or did not da these things.'' : Alfred sat up in bed, a look of deep remorse upon his young and handsome face. " Father," he said, " I would give the world to be able to truthfully say that the statements are false ; but I cannot. The statements are true( too true ! " 'Squire Mullen's eyes closed, his features became pinched, a harrowing groan escaped his lips. In his heart, honor and justice were throttling the love of his son. The moment was as excruciating as the soul of man ever knew. The struggle was great, for the opposing forces were great; but the conflict was of but a moment's duration. 'Squire Mullen turned and dragged himself out pf the room. His step was no longer elastic. That 66 UNFETTERED. instant had brought on the old age which his energetic will had persisted in delaying. In a few minutes he returned, bringing with him the family pistol. He placed it on the lamp-stand that stood at the head of Alfred's bed. Without saying a word he left the room. He went to bed, but, alas, could not sleep. He lay throughout the night ex- pecting a sound that failed to come. When the fowls in the barnyard began to signal the approach of day, he arose and went to Alfred's room again. He said, "Alfred ! Alfred ! Alfred ! " Alfred awoke. "Can you sleep on such a night?" said the 'Squire, in tones of agony. " Is the family honor that low also? Can we thus bear open disgrace? Alfred ! Alfred ! There is a pistol at the head of your bed." So saying, the 'Squire returned to his room to again listen for the sound that would have been the most welcome of any that could be made. Alfred now understood that his father desired him to commit suicide. He grasped the pistol and held it in his hand. He longed at that moment for the courage to die, but it was missing. He had been brought up from infancy by a "black mammy,' and she had succeeded in imbuing his soul with he living fear of hell and her conceptions of a persona^ devil. As he sought to lift the pistol to his head, vivid pictures of lurid flames and grinning demons arose and paralyzed the hand that he desired to pull the trigger, Day broke and he was yet alive* UNFETTERED. 67 The 'Squire now came and took the pistol from the table where Alfred had replaced it, saying not a word to his son. That day he summoned all of his relations that were near by to gather at his home. In response to his request they came, their wives and daughters accompanying them. In the middle of the afternoon the men repaired to the front yard, leaving the women in the house. It was somewhat cold and a bonfire was started to keep them warm. A circle of chairs was formed around the fire and the men sat down, two chairs having been put within the circle to be occupied by 'Squire Mullen and Alfred. These two now took their seats side by side. A huge leather back book was in the 'Squire's hands. His face wore a stern aspect, but one could tell that grief born of love was gnawing at his vitals. Since the previous night his hair had whitened and his brave eye had lost its glitter. He arose to address the meeting. Opening the book which he had in hand, he said : " Kinsmen, I hold in my hand the record book of the Mullens. I shall on this occasion read to you a terse statement of the most notable achievements of the Mullens from the time of William of Nor- mandy until the present." They all listened attentively while he read, Al- fred's eyes being cast upon the ground. Having traced the family history to his own gen- $ration, the 'Squire read of the deeds of process of 68 UNFETTERED. himself and the others assembled who had ren- dered excellent service to the cause of the Southern Confederacy. When through with this he called the name of Alfred Mullen. The 'Squire paused, then said : " Kinsmen, it would appear that I must now record the deed of one who claims to be my offspring and a partaker of the blood of our illustrious family. If so be, then the record must read that Alfred Mullen, on a Christmas morn, murdered a Negro girl in the ab- sence of all male protection. The murder was un- provoked, and committed by Alfred Mullen while he had the protection of a gang of his fellows. " Kinsmen, I have summoned you here to know if this deed must go on record. If you decide that it shall not go on record, you know what that means." Turning to Alfred, he said : " It means that you must abandon the name of Mullen upon pain of being killed ; that you must never lay claim to kin- ship with us ; that you must go forth with the mark of Cain upon your brow." The 'Squire now took his seat. There was a short pause. Then one by one the relatives arose and, with becoming gravity, made speeches repu- diating Alfred, insisting that his sin against the traditional honor of the house of Mullen was un- pardonable. Pefore taking a final vote, Alfred was asked as tTNEETTERED. 69 to whether he had anything to say. He made no reply ; his head was still bowed. A vote was then taken and Alfred stood expelled from the Mullen family forever. The assembly now adjourned, and all the men, save Alfred, returned to the house, where sat the women in silence and in sorrow. Alfred, the out- cast, had gone. When the men entered the room Mrs. Mullen read in their countenances the fate of her boy, and she uttered a short, sharp scream of anguish that she could not repress. " Mourn not for Cain," said 'Squire Mullen, whose twitching face belied the sternness of his voice. Hi3 heart, too, was sadly, cruelly torn by what had befallen his boy, but as best he could he maintained an outward calm. That night a mob was formed at 'Squire Mul- len's house. In silence the men proceeded to the barroom where their sons had imbibed the inspira- tion for their nefarious crime. They dragged out all of the kegs and barrels containing liquor, and emp- tied the contents on the ground. They then set the building on fire, and it was soon an ash-heap. A committee waited upon the barkeeper, reim- bursed him for his losses and warned him to never more sell liquor in that settlement. CHAPTER IX. DORLAN WARTHELI,. A few years subsequent to the events recorded in the last chapter, in the city of R , where our country friends had gone to live, on a sultry sum- mer evening, near sunset, Morlene went forth into the front yard of her home for the pur- pose of watering her flowers. She had on an even- ing gown, while her head was hidden in a bonnet. With her back to the street, she stood leveling the water from the hose at the various flower groups. While she was thus engaged, a man above the average in height, possessing a form that conveyed the impression of nobility and strength, was in the act of passing by. When he came directly behind Morlene, having a keen relish for nature's su- preme efforts at the artistic, he was so struck with the outlines of her form that he involuntarily stopped. " Now that is what I call beauty," he exclaimed, without knowing that he spoke. Morlene vaguely felt that some one had stopped, the fact of the cessation of the footsteps dawning upon her consciousness. She turned full around and her eyes fell on the handsome face of the man gazing at her. His skin was smooth, his (70) 71 features regular, his eye intelligent and his head so formed as to indicate great brain power. As to color he was black, but even those prejudiced to color for- got that prejudice when they gazed upon this ebony- like Apollo. Wherever he appeared he was sure to attract attention as a rare specimen of physical manhood. His was evidently an open, frank na- ture, and his soul was in his face. As Morlene looked upon him .she felt her strength give way. The hose fell from her hands. Her very soul sent up a wail : " Alas, O God, there he is! Why did you let him come?" She turned and fled -to her house. Dorian Warthell, for such was the name of the man, was much discomfited that he had so terrified the lady, and resolved at some convenient time to apologize for the shock that his behavior had caused. He entered the yard, stopped the waste of water from the hose and proceeded ori his jour- ney, carrying in his mind the image of the most beautiful woman on whom he had ever laid eyes. Morlene on entering her room, locked the door, burst into tears, buried her face in her hands, sobbed violently. Judge her not too harshly, dear reader. Allow her this brief moment of weep- ing over the re-opened grave of her long buried ideal ; for, one glance at Dorian Warthell, say what you will against love at sight, had somehow suf- ficed to tell her penetrating spirit that he was the 72 UNFETTERED. -{;- V: r ; -:., one mail, who, had she been free, could have ex- acted that full strength of love, which, struggle as painfully as she might, would not yield allegiance to Harry whom she had married under a species of duress. Morlene dropped her hands from her face, forced a smile to appear, stamped a pretty foot upon the floor and said between gritted teeth : , "-A vaunt, ye idle dreams of youth ; I am a womgn now , a man's lawfully wedded wife ! Come not here to haunt me with visions of what might have been!" ; When Harry came home from his work that evening Morlene met him with a greeting of more than usual warmth, as much as to say, " Poor Har- ry, your place in my heart is the safer, now that my dreams of other days have been met in con- crete form and gloriously vanquished." She now consoled herself with the thought that she would one day love Harry as she had always desired to love a husband. Happy in this thought, she retired to rest, and, much to her chagrin and annoyance, dreamed of the handsome stranger whom she had seen. CHAPTER X. CUPID SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL. " This is a matter worthy of investigation," mused Dorian Warthell, some few moments after his chance meeting with Morlene. His head was inclined forward slightly, an unwonted sparkle was in his eye, and half a smile played upon his serious face. His mind was seeking to grasp the outlines of that beautiful face which he had just passed. " Never," said he, "has Dorian Warthell, the serious, allowed physical beauty to so charm him. But is it mere physical beauty that has so suddenly thrown itself across the pathway of my mi-nd so that it will not move on ? Has nothing met me more than that lovely form, the head of a queen, angel face, eyes that thrill? I may be mistaken, but methinks that nature has given that choice dressing to a choice spirit. At any rate I hope to meet her again." Dorian Warthell arrived at his boarding place within a few minutes and, when seated at the sup- per table, spoke as follows to Mrs Morgan, his (73) 74 UNFETTERED. landlady : "I notice that our street has some new denizens since the time of my sojourn here a few years ago." "Yes," replied Mrs. Morgan, "There are Mr. Crutchfield, Mr. Yearby and Mr. Dalton. These gentlemen have all come to this street since you were with us last." " Who lives in that beautiful cottage painted white, with that wonderful assortment of prettily arranged flowers in the front yard ?" " Mr. and Mrs. Dalton live there," replied Mrs. Morgan, looking intently at Dorian, seeking to fathom the secret purpose which she felt inspired his question ; for she knew that Dorian paid but little attention to the matter of houses and neighbois. " Have Mr. and Mrs. Dalton any children a daughter?" asked Dorian, giving strict attention to the food on his plate. u No ; they are childless," said Mrs. Morgan, her interest growing. " I saw a young woman up there as I passed this evening ; I suppose she is visiting them. " " I see the point a young woman," said Mrs. Morgan inwardly. Aloud she said, " Perhaps so. If you could de- scribe her I might be able to tell who she is." Dorian looked up quickly as much as to say, "Who in the world can describe that beautiful UNFETTERED. 75 woman." He kept that reflection to himself. He began to describe the lady, when Mrs. Morgan in- terrupted him to say. "Oh, that was Mrs. Dalton Mrs. Harry Dai- ton undoubtedly the most beautiful Negro girl in the country." Dorian finished his meal in silence. He in- wardly belabored himself for having allowed his mind to be so taken up with the image of a married woman. Repairing to his room, he was soon deeply engrossed in a book, as thoroughly oblivious of Morlene, he thought, as if he had never seen or heard of such a person. On the following day at ten o'clock Morlene called at the residence of Mrs. Morgan, it being her usual time for giving music lessons to that lady's young daughter. The girl had gone away on an errand for her mother and had not yet re- turned. Morlene entered the music room and de- cided to amuse herself by playing until the child should come. Dorian was in a room directly over the one in which Morlene was to play. Neither of them knew of the presence of the other in the house. Morlene first began to play a light air upon the piano. But as she struck the keys and brought forth harmonies, other and deeper emotions in her bosom craved for expression. Soon she was making the piano tell her heart's full story, to be 76 UNFETTERED. borne away, as she thought, upon the wings of the passing breeze. The sounds floated up to Dor- ian's open window and into his room. At first he slightly knitted his brow, fearing that he was to be bored by some mechanical performer ; but the frown relaxed and gave place to a look of supreme contentment as the harmonies deepened. He closed the book that he was reading, folded his arms and gazed out of his window into the dis- tance. He was simply enraptured and had a keen desire to know who it was that could make lifeless matter pay such eloquent tribute to the longings of the human soul. At length Morlene began to play and sing ; " John Brown's body lies moulding in the clay; John Brown's body lies moulding in the clay; John Brown's body lies moulding in the clay, As we go marching on. Glory ! Glory ! Hallelujah ! Glory ! Glory ! Hallelujah ! Glory ! Glory ! Hallelujah ! As we go marching on !" Morlene's voice was a rich soprano and her tones were so round, full and melodious that they made one feel that they did not belong to earth. Her voice seemed to shake loose from each word tremblingly in that part of the song setting forth the sad fate of John Brown. But as she reached the words, " Hallelujah," the notes swelled into a grand pean of triumph, her voice trilling UNFETTERED. 77 so wondrously, even upon such a high elevation. Then came the refrain in low, reverential tones, beauty muffling itself in the presence of higher sentiments. Dorian Warthell sprang to his feet, clasped his hands over his ears, saying half aloud : " Spare me! Oh, spare me! I cannot, I cannot hear those strains and perform the tasks before me. And yet I must ! I must ! I must !" Charles Sumner, who, upon the floor of the United States Senate, in tones that resounded throughout the world, urged our Republic to clear her skirts of the blood of the slave ; Horace Gree- ley. who, daily in the columns of his great news- paper, refused sleep to the American conscience until slavery was extirpated ; Henry Ward Beech- er, whose eloquence across the seas quieted the growlings of the British Lion all but ready to aid the South ; these three men, ere they fell asleep, saw fit to abandon the political party under whose banner they had hitherto fought. And now Dorian Warthell felt called upon to do likewise. On the eve of the severing of his ten- der relations, some angel voice has come to sere- nade his Soul and conjure up the hallowed pasjt. Ah ! ' tis painful when the path of duty must be) paved with one's heart strings. It is also some-y times strewn with one's blood, CHAPTER XL A STORMY INTERVIEW. On a night sliortly subsequent to the day on which the playing and singing of Morlene had so greatly affected Dorian, he had a visitor. ' 'How goes it, Dorl, old boy" said his visitor, slapping Dorian on the shoulder familiarly. "I am doing well, I hope, Congressman Blood- worth. Accept a seat in my humble quarters," Dorian replied. Congressman Bloodworth droppad into a chair, crossed his short legs and began stroking his red mustache. Congressman Bloodworth was a white man, with an abnormally large head and a frame some- what corpulent. His complexion was sallow and his skin very coarse. His eyes were large but ex- ceedingly tame in appearance. He lifted his hat from his head revealing an abundance of hair of a brilliantly red hue. Dorian took a seat at some little distance from Congressman Bloodworth anticipating that the in- terview was not to end pleasantly. "Well, Dorian, I have come for my answer," said Congressman Bloodworth in his gross voice, "Mr, Bloodworth, when we were last together I UNFETTERED. 79 gave you to understand very fully what to expect of me. Nothing has transpired since to cause me to change and I am sure that I shall adhere to the course which I have chosen, unto the end," said Dorian, in a pleasant but most positive manner. "Dorian, have you a memory?" queried Con- gressman Blood worth. Dorian nodded assent. "Then bear me witness, sir." So saying he took from his pocket a typewritten document, which he proceeded to read. He began, "From the year 1619 until January i, 1863, the Negro race was subjected to slavery in the United States. The superior numbers, greater intelligence and determined spirit of the enslavers prevented the enslaved from cherishing any hope of setting themselves free. The great task of re- demption which the Negroes saw no way of accom- plishing for themselves, the Republican party ac- complished for them at a cost of much treasure and of hundreds of thousands of precious lives. This party enacted such laws as made a recurrence of slavery absolutely impossible. It clothed the freedman with the rights of a citizen. It extended to him the strong arm of the Federal Government in the protection of those rights. The claim that these facts establish over the allegiance of every Negro, I leave to the judgment of any sane mind. 80 UNFETTERED. So much for the relationship which by implication should exist between you and the political party named. "I now advert to my own peculiar claims upon you. Your early years you spent in school and received great mental development. You found employment as a stable boy in the home of an eminent statesman. During your leisure hours you perused his library and became thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the statesman. Owing to your residence in the South, there was no outlet for your powers, as the South was not permitting men with black faces to aid in running the government. By accident we met, you and I. I discovered that you had great talent. I was lack- ing in native ability. I decided that, as you had the necessary brains and I the white face, we might form a combination. You planned, I exe- cuted; you acquired information, I exhibited it. By your secret aid I went to Congress. Through you I arose from the ranks to a commanding place in the public eye. For the past few years my speeches in and out of Congress have been re- garded as so full of merit that they have been used as highly acceptable campaign documents. These speeches were composed by you. In return for your furnishing me brain I have paid you every cent of money which I have received as compensa- tion for public service, Making use of my white UNFETTERED. 8l face you have been able to allow full play to your intellect, which delights in grappling with great questions. "Dorian Warthell, I come to you to-night with this carefully prepared statement, that I may se- cure your final answer. Will you or will you not ? continue working through me and for the Repub- lican party ? " Congressman Bloodworth folded the paper from which he had read and looked steadily at Dor- Ian. Dorian replied, "Congressman Bloodworth, I am thoroughly convinced that the Republican party is in error in the chief tenet of its present day creed. My devotion to truth is far greater .. than my devotion to party. And, Mr. Bloodworth, it was truth that set my people free. The Repub- lican party became the willing instrument of truth to effect that result. Now that the result has been achieved, I must not confound the power with its instrument. I worship at the shrine of truth, not at that of its temporary agents. My spirit is free to choose its own allegiance, for no human instru- mentality has freed my spirit; its freedom came from God." "Sir," spoke out Congressman Bloodworth, "You denv my and the Republican party's author- ity over you, in spite of what we have done for you ? " 82 UNFETTERED. "I assert that no event in the history of the world has yet happened that makes it my duty to follow error," said Dorian vehemently. "You shall die the death of a dog," shouted Con- gressman Bloodworth in rage. The two men had now risen and were glaring fiercely at each other. Congressman Bloodworth looked as though it would please him to tear Dor- Ian to shreds ; but Dorian's powerful, well con- structed frame was too potent an argument against such an attempt. Congressman Bloodworth turned away and left the room. Murder was in his heart and stamped its impress on every lineament of his face. -*/ ,fe%' CHAPTER XII. MORLENK AND DORIAN. The day following the night of the stormy in- terview was Morlene's day to give lessons at Dor- ian's boarding place. The teaching over, Morlene proceeded to amuse herself by playing on the piano. She was in a buoyant mood and was disposing of first one and then another wild, dashing air. Desirous of a diversion, Dorian came down from his room and glided stealthily into the parlor to listen unobserved to Morlene. Great was his as- tonishment on discovering that the beautiful lady whom he had passed was none other than the ac- complished pianist and divine singer. For a few moments he lived a divided existence, his eye. sur- veying the beautiful form of Morlene, while his ear was appropriating the rich harmonies which her splendid touch was evoking from the keyboard. With a merry laugh at her own frolicsomeness, Morlene struck the piano keys a farewell blow and arose to go. Wheeling around she saw Dorian. The light died out of her face. A feeling of terror crept over her as the thought occurred that fate, relentless fate, seemed determined to throw that fascinating stranger in her pathway. (83) 84 UNFETTERED. " Do not be angry with me for my intrusion," said Dorian. u My soul is the seat of a long con- tinued storm these days, and your music was so refreshing," he continued. Dorian's air of deference and his pleasing, well modulated voice caused Morlene to at once recover her composure. The note of sadness in Dorian's voice caught Morlene's ear and her sympathetic nature at once craved to know his troubles that she might, if possible, dissipate them. She saw that Dorian was depending upon her to begin a conversation as an assurance that he had given no offense. Mor- lene sat down in the seat nearest her. " You speak of a storm," she said. " When you speak thus you arouse my interest, for to my mind a storm i^ the most sublime occurrence in nature. To see the winds aroused ; to hear their mad rush- ing; to behold them as with the multiplied strength of giants they grasp and overturn the strongest works of man's hands to see this, inspires one with awe and reverence for the great force that pervades this universe, and impels us, whether we so will or not, to conform to its ripening purposes. " If there is a storm in your bosom, matters ex- terior to yourself have produced it. As an ad- mirer of storms I beg you to lay bare to me such portions of the journeyings of the winds as a stranger may be permitted to view," UNFETTERED. 85 " Do you believe in strangers ?" asked Dorian, "I hold that no human beings are, at bottom, strangers to each other. With Bmerson I hold that ( there is one mind common to all individual men. Every man is an inlet to the same and to all the same. Who hath access to this universal mind is a party to all that is or can be done, for this is the only and sovereign agent.' " Those souls are quickest to recognize this fact which are best equipped to reveal themselves and to comprehend the revelations of other souls. We know some souls at a glance as thoroughly as one soul ever knows another." To these observations Morlene made no reply. Too well did she know that the human being be- fore her, was somehow, no stranger to her. " Starting out with the assumption that you shall find nothing strange in me when you fully understand me, I am ready to show you the path- way of the storm," continued Dorian. u Thank you," said Morlene, smiling, and par- tially revealing a set of teeth as beautiful as fair lady ever desired. " A presidential election is fast approaching. I have heretofore labored with the Republican party. In this campaign I part company with them," said Dorian. u My dear sir," said Morlene, rising, the picture of excitement, " Are you a Democrat ?" Dorian smiled at the intensity of the feeling dis- played in the tone of voice used for the question. "Oh, no," said he, reassuringly. "In the South, Democracy's chief tenets are white man's supremacy and exclusiveness in governmental affairs. Not having a white skin, self-preservation would prevent me from entering the folds of that party." Morlene heaved a sigh of relief. She said, " I am glad to know that the seeming hopelessness of our plight in the JBouth has not caused you to seek to influence us to surrender to this dictum of Southern Democracy. Proceed, if you please." " I am thoroughly displeased with the policy of the Republican party toward the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands, and in spite of the endear- ing relations of the past, I am moved to part com- pany with the party on this issue," remarked Dor- Ian. "Oh, I am an enthusiastic expansionist, Mr. ^^___ " Warthell is my name," supplied Dorian. " Mr. Warthell," said Morlene, the glow of elo- quence on her face, "I have a dream. I dream that wars and revolutions shall one day cease. The classification of mankind into groups called na- tions, affords a feeling of estrangement which de- stroys or modifies the thought of universal brother- hood, and gives rise to the needless bickerings which result in wars. I delight in any movement that sweeps away these pseudo-national boundaries. The more separate nations that are congealed under one head, the less is the area where conflicts are probable. When the tendency to consolidate final- ly merges all governments into one, wars shall cease. Our territorial expansion is but the march of destiny toward the ultimate goal of all things. I am delighted to see our nation thus move forward, because we have such an elastic form of govern- ment, so responsive to the needs and sentiments of. the people that bloody revolutions become unnec- essary wherever our flag floats. Just think how much our expansion makes for universal peace by erasing the thought of separateness existing be- tween peoples, and giving to the federated "powers such an ideal form of government. "1 " When our flag floats over the whole of the Western Hemisphere there will be nobody over here to fight us; we shall not fight among ourselves and we shall dare the European and Asiatic pow- ers to go to war." "You are indeed an expansionist," remarked Dorian. " Yes, yes," said Morlene, wrought up in the sub- ject that was stirring the American people. "Some are expansionists for the sake : of finding outlets for the ever-increasing excess of our produc- tion. They hold that we are producing far more 88 UNFETTERED. than what we can consume, and must have outside buyers to avoid a terrible congestion at home. Others are expansionists on the ground that outly- ing possessions are a strategetical necessity in the time of war. Our statesmen are expansionists, some of them, because our nation's becoming a world power gives a broader scope for their intel- lects. Some are expansionists because they desire to see weaker people have the benefits of a higher civilization. While I admit the possible weight of these various contentions, my interest in ex- pansion is broadly humanitarian. England was at one time a seething mass of warring tribes. The expansion of a central power over the entire islands brought order out of chaos. Let the pro- cess extend to the entire earth as fast as honorable opportunity presents itself, and may the stars and stripes lead in the new evangel of universal peade" Thus spoke Morlene. "Beautiful, beautiful dream. But it is my fear that enthusiasm over expansion may cause us to lose sight of fundamental tenets of our political faith. This leads me to state the point of differ- ence between myself and the Republican party," said Dorian. The subject was one, as may be seen, of absorbing interest to Morlene, and she leaned forward slightly, eager to catch each word that Dorian might utter. He began: "The Republican party has not informed UNFETTERED. 89 the world as to what will be the ultimate status of the Filipino. In the final adjustment of things, whatever that may be, will the Filipino be able to say that he stands upon the same plane, politi- cally and otherwise, with all other free and equal human beings. I labored earnestly to have the Republican party to declare that no violence would be done to our national conception that every man is inherently the political equal of every other man. The party has promised that full physical, civil and religious liberty shall be guaranteed. On the question of political liberty there is silence. Because of this silence I leave it." u ln what manner, Mr. Warthell, do you hope to affect the result in the pending campaign ? " en- quired Morlene. "The Negroes, you know, are vitally affected by the issues in this campaign. With England im- posing its will upon India, with the Southern whites imposing their will on the Negroes, only one great branch of the white race exists which is not imposing its will upon a feebler race. I allude to the white people of the North. " Should our nation impose its will upon the Filipinos, by the force of arms and without the un- derlying purpose of ultimately granting to them full political liberty, the weaker peoples the world over will lose their only remaining advocate in the white race, namely the people of the North. 96 UNFETTERED. "I hope to be able to show the Negroes that they, of all citizens in this country, cannot afford to permit either silence as to, or the abandonment of, the doctrine of the inherent equality of all men. The Negroes of the pivotal states, when, united, can easily decide the election in whatever direction they choose. It is my purpose to attempt to weld together the Negroes in the hope of de- feating any man that will not unequivocally and openly declare in favor of the ultimate political equality of the Filipinos." "Are you not leaning on a broken reed, Mr. Warthell?" asked Morlene in earnest tones. "Have the Negroes acquired sufficient self-con- fidence to feel justified in pitting their judg- ment against that of the Republican party? Can the recent beneficiary be so soon transformed into a dictator? More important still, can you up- root those tender memories which flourish in the sentimental bosom of the Negro, associating, in- dissolubly his freedom with the Republican party?" she asked. Dorian sighed deeply. He recalled how madly he had to fight against the tender memories aroused by Morlene's singing when we saw him so deeply stirred. He remembered how that on that occasion her playing and singing had carried his mind back to those great days when the freedom of the Negroes was in the balances. He knew UNFETTERED. 9! what an effort it required on his part to persuade his heart to allow him to strike a blow at that hith- erto hallowed name Republican. Dorian not replying, Morlene resumed, "Mr. Warthell, in attempting to disillusion the Negroes with regard to the Republican party you shall march against one of the strongest attachments in all of human history. I have known deaths to result from assailing attachments far less deep- seated than that. May a special providence pre- serve you." Morlene now arose to go, her beautiful face giv- ing signs of the fear for Dorian's safety that had stolen into her heart. Subsequent happenings showed how well grounded were her fears. CHAPTER XIII. A WHOLE CITY STIRRED. The editor of one of the leading morning papers of R sat at his desk one afternoon, knitting his brows as he read a document spread out before him. Having finished reading it once, he began the sec- ond reading, wearing on his face the same intent expression. Having concluded the second reading, he laid the article down, rested his head on the back of his chair and closed his eyes as if in deep meditation. After a few moments' reflection he de- cided upon the third reading of the document. When he had finished this last perusal, he went to the telephone and summoned Dorian Warthell to an immediate conference with him. Dorian soon arrived and was ushered into the editors's private office. " Be seated," said the editor, in a most cordial manner. " Mr. Warthell," said he, "I have read your document the third time and I now desire to ask you two questions. The character of your answers to them will determine whether I shall propound to you a third." Looking earnestly into Dorian's face, he enquired, " Was it your desire and expectation that this article should be published ? " (92) UNFETTERED. 93 "Most assuredly," said Dorian, manifesting sur- prise that the editor should deem it necessary to ask such a question. " Again," said the editor, " are you well ac- quainted with the moods of your people?" "It is my impression that few men have studied them more earnestly than I have," said Dorian. " I see that I must ask my third question. Thinking that your article would be published, knowing your people, have you exercised foresight enough to have your life insured ? If you have not, fail not to do so to-night ; for a straw in a whirlwind will account itself blessed in compari- son with your lot after this article appears to-mor- row morning," said the editor. " I am content to abide by the consequences of my act," said Dorian, quietly. " Your blood be upon your own head," said the editor. This brought the interview to a close and Dorian took his departure. The next morning the following seemingly harmless article from the pen of Dorian Warthell appeared in the paper whose editor we saw ponder- ing it. It ran as follows : " In the great crisis of the sixties, the Republi- can party appeared before the sepulchre of the buried manhood of the Negro race, called it forth from the tomb and divested it of the habiliments of the grave. This portentous achievement shook 94 UNFETTERED. the earth. The pillars of the Republic tottered but were caught within the titantic grasp of the Repub- lican party, which thereupon made the foundations and superstructure more secure than ever before. As long as the ocean mirrors in her bosom the face of the king of day, just so long shall the hearts of the Negroes cherish the memories of the noble army of men who wrought so nobly for humanity. " To further the ends so righteously sought a party name was adopted and party machinery cre- ated by them. When their tasks were done and they had, for the most part, been gathered to their fathers, other leaders arose and began to operate under this same name and with this same machin- ery. The charge has often been made that we be- stow upon these instruments of our salvation the same devotion that we yielded to the creators and original wielders of the instruments. It is said that we blindly follow the party name regardless of those wielding it and the use to which it is put. The charge may be illustrated by the following comparison : " A noble man does a cripple a kindness. The man dies and a thrifty neighbor comes into posses- sion of the shoes, clothes ancl hat that he wore at the time of helping the cripple. The neighbor puts on the leavings of the dead man, appears be- fore the cripple ancl demands his allegiance because of the clothes worn. The cripple yields the devo- UNFETTERED. 95 tion asked for, giving evidence that he was ready to consider the dead man and the clothes as one and inseparable. We are charged with acting like unto this cripple, in the matter .of rendering devo- tion to the party name and machinery, the clothes left behind by the men who did the actual work of liberating us. " In the past we have had no suitable opportuni- ty to clear by an overt act our skirts of the charge which has been exceedingly damaging to our repu- tation for intelligence ; for the policies of the party have been mainly good. But unforeseen circum- stances have brought us face to face with the golden opportunity of proving that the picture is over- drawn, that we have not riveted political chains upon ourselves, to take the place of the actual chains torn from us at so fearful a cost. While adding to our own good name we can also do the cause of humanity untold good. " The Spanish-American war has brought us into contact with many million Filipinos. We must decide what are to be our relations with them. Shall we or shall we not deal with them on the principle that they are and shall ever be regarded as our equals, is the burning question with the Amer- ican people. The party with which we have hith- erto affiliated, claims to be so busily engaged with our present duties on the Islands that they must postpone consideration as to the final status of the 96 UNFETTERED. people thereof. The Negroes can favor only one solution of the problem, the recognition of the fact that all men are created equal. They should favor no postponement of a decision, having themselves suffered from a postponement that lasted from mid- night of July 4th, 1776, until January ist, 1863, the time that elapsed between the promulgation of the declaration that all men are created equal, and the application of that declaration to the American slave. " In view of the silence of the Republican party upon the question of the ultimate status of the Fili- pinos, it has been decided to organize a party that will spurn silence, that will insist that l Old Glory' shall continue to float over human beings that can look each other in the face and shout ' We are all equals ; no man among us is, in any sense, less free than another.' " All American citizens willing to consecrate their political efforts to the attainment of this end are invited to elect delegates to be present at Sinclair Hall on the fifteenth of the incoming month. The Negroes having been the chief sufferers from the non-recognition of the principles for which our new party will stand, are expected to take the lead in the new organization. " Yours for humanity, " DORLAN WARTHEU,." The manifest purpose of Dorian to withdraw the Negro vote from the Republicans with the view of UNFETTERED. 97 forming a new party created a profound sensation. It was d'scussed by white and colored people, was the theme of conversation in the street cars, hotel corridors, stores, barber shops, saloons, brothels, and on every street corner. There are in the South, men and women, white and colored, who are endeavoring to meet every issue that arises upon the highest possible plane. The sentiments of such people found expression in the following editorial which accompanied Dor- ian's pronunciamento. It ran as follows : U A Negro has been found to display political in- dependence and moral courage of a high order. He has placed himself in a position where the unthinking will liken him unto the serpent thait buried its fangs in the bosom that warmed it. None the less, his act is one of marked heroism. While not endorsing his third party scheme (our party is good enough) we endorse the spirit of initia- tive and independence that prompts it. We would that this spirit of rebellion against party slavery characterized all the voters of the Southland. " It is an open secret that the great body of the people of both races in the South are prone to re- gard elections as nothing more nor less than a per- ennial struggle for supremacy between the two races. This one issue has been allowed to dwarf all other considerations. Indeed, the South is deaf to all appeals, however urgent, to give considera- 98 UNFETTERED. tion to the grave questions arising from time to time affecting the welfare of us all and determining our destiny. Such a condition of isolation from the centers of thought activity is deplorable in the ex- treme. " Think of it : by birth a man comes into posses- sion of a full set of political opinions. He is born into a condition of intellectual serfdom ; the mind dares hot to wander by a hair's breadth from the narrow estate of thought on which it is born. He who elects to devote his attention to the questions of State must reduce his mentality to the level of the parrot and feel that his life's work will consist in learning to repeat glibly and without alteration whatever party managers may promulgate. What a crime against the human mind whose native air is freedom, to secure which bonfires have been lighted with the thrones of kings ! "What the South needs is a new emancipation. Her giant minds must be allowed to enter the arena of intellectual conflict unfettered, if they are to bring back to the South her departed glory. The Negroes can help to bring about this emanci- pation. When they cease to vote en masse ; when they cease going to the polls as a mark of gratitude to the invaders of the South who now sleep their last sleep and would discountenance, if they could, the perpetuation of race hatred over past issues ; \vhen the sentiment within the Negro race is suffr- UNFETTERED. 99 ciently liberal to allow each Negro his manhood right to record with his vote his own best judg- ment ; when, we say, these desirable conditions ob- tain among the Negroes, we whites will have an opportunity to escape the scourge with which the party magnates herd us together even as gratitude has herded the Negroes. " With joy we hail the advent of Dorian War- thell in his new role. May he succeed in inaugu- rating an era of independent thought among the Negroes. Let us all hope that we are now behold- ing a streak of dawn, instead of the trail of a fall- ing star, whose soon fading light will leave our skies but the darker. Let us hope that the hour is upon us when the sober torch of reason and not the withering flames of passion, may guide all of our voters, white and colored, to the polls. " There are many people in the South who never read, who never ponder grave questions, but assume the right to wreak vengeance on the heads of those who perchance wander from beaten paths in search of truth. In the above editorial the more enlighk ened element had spoken ; but the unthinking were also to be heard from. If Dorian is depending upon his exalted patriot- ism, his broad love of humanity, his eager, unself- ish striving after the good of all if, we say, he is depending upon these things to shield him from the 100 UNFETTERED. wrath of those whom his act affronted, let him re- member that virtue was no shield to Him whose blood, in the days of yore, ancinted the spear of a Roman soldier upon a hillside on the outskirts of Jerusalem. CHAPTER XIV. BLOODWORTH AT WORK. The Hon. Hezekiah T. Bloodworth had re ttkjned to his home from his interview with Dor Ian chagrined, dejected, sorely puzzled as to what to do next. It was being declared on all sides that the day of isolation was over with the United States, and that it was henceforth to be a world power. In stead of simply directing the affairs of the nation, her statesmen would now be called upon to assist in shaping the destinies of the peoples of the whole earth. Bloodworth had been cherishing the fond hope that he would be one of the first of American statesmen that would leap into world prominence. His bosom heaved as he thought of the day when his speeches would be read by the inhabitants of all lands and his name would be a household word unto the uttermost parts of the earth. He had un- limited faith in Dorian's ability and felt that Dor- Ian could rise equal to the emergency and furnish him the brain power for his widened responsibil- ities. At the very moment when he felt the need of Dorian the keenest in all his life, Dorian refuses to be his mentor. (101) Bloodworth wept. His tears were not Alexan- drian tears of regret that there were no more worlds to conquer, but Bloodworthian tears shed because he could neither borrow nor buy the brains necessary to conquer a world that had come within his reach. "Hezzy, dear, what on earth troubles you?" asked Mrs. Bloodworth of her perturbed husband. "My ancestors, confound them," roughly re- sponded Bloodworth. "He is going crazy," thought Mrs. Bloodworth. "How do your ancestors trouble you, Hezzy ? " further queried Mrs. Bloodworth. "They have handed down to me no brains," roared Bloodworth. "There, I thought it was brain trouble," thought Mrs. Bloodworth. "Oh, dear, you have brains," said his wife. "So has a rabbit. L,et me alone, now." This colloquy had taken place at the dinner table where Bloodworth was voraciously devouring food, in an effort, it would appear, to be strong ab- dominally if not intellectually. His grief over his plight had not yet affected his appetite. When nearly through the meal a telegram was handed him. It was from the Speakers' Bureau and read thus: "Hon. Hezekiah T. Bloodworth: "Your services are badly needed in the pivotal States. Campaign a flat failure without your lucid speeches. Delay no longer. Report at headquarters at once. The after- math." frNFETTERED. 103 Blood worth had been given the assurance of a Cabinet portfolio in case his party succeeded. The words, "The aftermath," in the telegram were intended to call attention to the fact that his pre- ferment was contingent upon his campaign labors. He arose from the table in such an abrupt manner that he upset it, much to the horror of Mrs. Blood- worth. u Do you wish to send a return message?" asked the messenger boy. "Tell the Speakers' Bureau and the pivotal States to go to the habitation of the accursed," ex- claimed Bloodworth, trudging about the floor, holding the open telegram in both hands as though it was a heavy load. r ,, - The messenger boy backed out of the room and hurried away, glad to get out of the presence of the enraged Bloodworth. "Confound it; I will not be ruined thus" said Bloodworth. Grasping his hat he hurried out of his house to the market. He soon returned and, thrusting a package down on a table in his kitchen, said, "Cook, feed me on fish at every meal. Get the very best fish. Here are some good ones. Begin at supper time. Fish is good for brain food, they say, and I need brains !" Bloodworth dieted himself on fish for a few days and then began the preparation of the speech 104 UNFETTERED. with which he was to open his campaign tour in the pivotal states. After great labor the speech was at last finished, and Congressman Bloodworth invited a few intimate friends to hear him deliver it to them in private. "Friends," said he to the select audience, u of late my mind (meaning Dorian Warthell) has been a little erratic. It will not serve me as it once did. I have called you here to ask you to tell me whether much of its vigor has departed. If there is too great a gap between my past efforts and my present one, I shall retire from public life. Remember, gentlemen, how much de- pends on your decision, and be frank with me." Congressman Bloodworth then began his speech. With great effort his hearers refrained from laughter as they listened to what they thought was the most bunglesome address that ever came from the lips of a public servant in a civilized land. "Mr. Bloodworth, for Heaven's sake, do not take the stump in this campaign. You will be the butt of ridicule of the entire nation." Such was the verdict rendered by one and acquiesced in by the others after listening to the speech. Bloodworth now completely collapsed. "Gentle- men," he said between his sobs, "take me to my room. I am ill. I knew that a breakdown was due to a man who has worked as hard for his UNFETTERED. 105 country as I have. Take me to my room, gentle- men." Bloodworth was borne to his room and put to bed. He then dictated a telegram to the Speak- ers' Bureau, informing them of his illness and con- sequent inability to participate in the campaign. The Hon. HezekiahT. Bloodworth was removed to the city of R . to a private sanitarium in or- der, he said, that he might receive the best medical attention. Each day he would lay abed feigning that he was sick. The doctors were unable to tell what was troubling their patient, but were quite content to have him remain with them, so hand* somely were they being paid. Bulletins as to the state of his health were sent over the country daily. Bloodworth succeeded in bribing his night nurses. With their collusion he was able to es- cape from the sanitarium each night, returning just before daybreak in the morning. These nights were spent by him in the lowest parts of the city, in gambling dens patronized by the Ne- groes. He had become aware of the great up- heaval among the Negroes against Dorian and he had decided that the time was auspicious for the murder. His midnight orgies enabled him to se- cure tools for his work. CHAPTRE XV. HARRY BECOMES A TOOI,. The excitement among the Negroes was so very great that Dorian decided that something ought to be done to allay it, to the end that the convention which he had called might find a more congenial atmosphere. He issued a call for a public mass meeting, hoping at that meeting to put himself in a better light before the people. Congressman Bloodworth heard of this proposed mass meeting and chose it as the occasion on which to put an end to Dorian's life. In his rounds by night he had heard how that Harry Dalton, a ward chair- man of the Republican party, was extremely bitter in his feelings toward Dorian. One night he called at Harry's residence. Morlene met him at the door and his countenance fell. He had not expected to find such intelligence as Morlene's face indicated in a home where dwelled a man as rancorous as Harry had been represented to be. Morlene invited him in. When he saw Harry his spirits rose. His first glance impressed him that Harry could be used as a tool. Morlene intuitively read sinister purposes in Bloodworth's face. He avoided her searching gaze as much as possible. (106) 07 " May I have a private interview with you ?" asked Bloodworth of Harry. " Certainly, certainly," said Harry, rising and leading the way to an adjoining room, closing the door behind them. They took seats v Bloodworth putting his chair near to Harry. " I have come to see you on an important mat- ter," said Bloodworth. " But before I begin I have one question to ask you," he continued. Pausing, and looking directly into Harry's eyes, he asked, "Are you a Republican ?" An angry flush passed over Harry's face. " Yu insult me, sir, to come into my house to ask me if I am a Republican. I was born a Republican and will die one." " Don't talk so loud," said Bloodworth, glancing uneasily toward the door, where he thought Mor- lene might be listening. " Well, you must not insult me, sir. My color ought to tell you what I am." " Yes, yes," said Bloodworth, in a sad tone. " There was a time when all colored men were true blue Republicans, but that day is past. A man right here in your ward has gone astray." " Don't you compare me with that infernal scoun- drel, Dorian Warthell. He claims to be an edu- cated man, and has deserted the Republican party. I could tear his liver out and show it to him, that I could." / 108 UNFETTERED. "I have come to talk to you about him." " If you have got any good to say of him, it's no use for you to begin. But if you can tell of any way to get rid of the scoundrel, I am with you." " L,et me tell you my history," said Blood worth. Blood worth now assumed a piteous tone and be- gan : " I am a Southern man. Before the war my father was rich, but would never own a slave, though he lived right in the South. ( * When the war broke out, we turned our back on the South and joined the Union Army. That is, my two brothers did. I stayed at home to care for my aged parents. " When the war was over, the Negroes needed leaders. I decided to lead them. This made all of the Southern white people mad at me, and they called me a scalawag. But I led them just the same, and held office so that the Negroes could say that a Republican was in office. I wanted to go higher. I found a colored boy who was poor but brainy. I gave him all the money I made from politics in re- turn for his help to me. He worked along with me until he had gotten thousands of dollars. Then he left me. He left me just when the Republican party needed him most." Here Bloodworth man- aged to slip an onion near his eyes and tears ap- peared. Harry was deeply moved at this show of emo- tion. He groaned audibly over the perfidy of the Negro who deserted so true a Republican. UNFETTERED. 109 "Yes, Harry," sobbed Bloodworth, "he deserted the party of Lincoln, the party that made his peo- ple free, the party that made it possible for you all to be what you are. He deserted me, his true and tried friend. He deserted his own race. Dorian Warthell is that man." Harry was now moved to tears tears of sympa- thy, tears of shame over the nefarious deed of a colored man, tears of rage. "I am a Christian," said Harry. " I am a dea- con of a church. But I swear by high heaven that no such scoundrel shall be allowed to live ! I shall kill him ! " " Nobly spoken! Nobly spoken!" said Blood- worth, grasping Harry's hand warmly. "I am proud that I that is, that my brothers shed their blood to give freedom to such noble men as you. I am not afraid for the future of your race while such men as you are living." Harry was grateful to the center of his heart for this tribute to his worth. " May I ever prove wor- thy of your kind words," said Harry. " I have no doubt of that. The man who takes Dorian Warthell out of the way will do enough good to make up for any shortcomings that he might have. I have a well arranged plan for his murder and was only looking for a man worthy of the role of principal actor. Lo, I have found him!" 110 UNFETTERED. Bloodworth now unfolded the details of his plot to Harry, and explained to him the part that the latter was to take in the killing. Morlene, who had listened at the keyhole, had heard in great agony the plottings against the life of Dorian Warthell. She had no qualms of con- science about listening, for, having seen crime stamped on Bloodworth's face, she had employed the usual method of entrapping criminals spy- ing. Bloodworth and Harry were fully determined upon Dorian's murder. Morlene determined to save his life, even if in so doing she lost her own. CHAPTER XVI. A WOMAN AROUSED. Morlene fully realized the gravity as well as the delicacy of the situation that confronted her. A murder was being planned, the intended victim being an innocent man and one for whom she en- tertained the greatest possible respect; while the man chosen to strike the fatal blow was none other than her own husband. Her first impulse was to confront Harry, but sober second thought caused her to abandon this purpose, for she re- membered that Harry was headstrong; that he never abandoned anything that he had firmly re- solved upon doing. She saw that confronting Harry would only have the effect of causing him to lay his plans the deeper and perhaps so far away that she could not by any means intercept them. Morlene began to consider the advisability of putting in motion a counter current of sentiment in favor of granting the individual citizen the right of independent action, hoping to create such a broad spirit of tolerance that the party or parties who were to use Harry as a tool would be afraid to carry out their programme of murder. While Harry and Morlene were sitting at the breakfast table one morning, she said to him, (ill) 112 UNFETTERED. "Harry, I have come across a very good campaign book and would like to act as agent for it during the next few days. Do you object ? " Without looking up Harry replied, "Of course, not," and continued in meditation of what he re- garded as Dorian's traitorous crime. Every now and then he would lay down his knife and fork and rest his hands on the table, his eyes down- cast, so thoroughly was he aroused over Dorian's presumption in claiming the right to find fault with the Republican party. When Harry had gone to his work, Morlene took her canvassing outfit and began her labors. She chose with much deliberation the parties to whom she went to sell the book. Her first task upon meet- ing the party was to set forth the claims of the book. She never failed in effecting a sale, for the parties accosted were willing to pay the price of the book for the privilege of being brought into contact with a woman of such remarkable beauty. They could hardly listen to her recital of the claims of the book for stealing glances at her well shaped, queen- ly poised head, her pleading, thrilling eyes, her beautiful face, her perfect form. They sought by prolonging the conversation to detain her in their presence as long as possible. When through talking of her book, Morlene in- variably brought up the "Warrhell movement" in qrder that she might discover the temper of UNFETTERED. 113 people and find out just how much hope there was of arousing public interest in the matter of secur- ing Dorian's immunity from attack because he had essayed to pursue an independent course. A very eminent lawyer, the real head of the Democratic party of the State, expressed himself thus to Morlene: "To be frank with you, Mrs. Dalton, the fact that the "Warthell movement" might in the end break the solidarity of the Negro vote and cause a fraction of that vote to eventually drift to us, has no charms for the Democratic party. For several reasons we do not desire, at present, a contingent of Negro voters. First of all, the coming of the Negro into our ranks will cause our party to dis- integrate, many men now being held in it because they there escape contact with the Negro. In the second place, the Anglo-Saxon habit of thought and the Negro habit of thought are so essentially different that we prefer their separation." "Please explain yourself," requested Morlene. "Certainly," said the lawyer, not at all weary of the pleasure of looking at and talking to the beauty. "Let me cite you to a Bible incident," he resumed. "When Peter, in preaching to the Jews, set forth that God had raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and had bestowed upon Him greater power and glory than Ete had before possessed, the assertion 114 UNFETTERED. proved to be a befitting climax to a sermon which resulted in the conversion of some three thousand persons. Paul, in closing a sermon to the Greeks at Athens, alluded to this same resurrection of the dead. Instead of proving to be the effective cli- max that it was when Peter was preaching to the Jews, it operated as the weakest point in the dis- course, for we are told that at that point, 'some mocked,' and the assemblage postponed the hear- ing. Paul in summing up the difference between the Jew and the Greek habit of thought, remarked that the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. You note that the very thing that appealed most strongly to the mind of the Jew the miraculous raising of the Jesus was the most repellant to the Greek, who, in his search for wis- dom, demanded to know the how of every asser- tion. "Returning to the Anglo-Saxon and the Negro I think I can name a number of differences in their mental attitudes: u i. The Negro's talent is largely acquisitive; that of the Anglo-Saxon, inquisitive. "2. The Negro is of a restful temperament; the Anglo-Saxon is characterized by a 'restless discon- tented, striving, burning energy.' As a result the Negro is painfully conservative, while the Anglo- Saxon is daringly progressive. "3. The Negro deals with the immediate ; the A n glo-Saxon has a keen eye for the remote. UNFETTERED. 115 "4. The Negro is prone to accept statements that lay claim to being postulates ; the Anglo-Saxon is skeptical, examining into the foundation of things. "5. The Negro is impulsive, and is led to act largely by an immediately exciting stimulus, caus- ing the net results of his labors to appear as a se- ries of fits and jerks ; the Anglo-Saxon is deliber- ate, cautious without stagnation, wary and persist- ent, and his history reveals an unbroken tendency in a given direction. "6. Hitherto the preponderating tendency of the Negro has been toward disintegration, showing the lack of a proper measure of fellow-feeling ; the tend- ency of the Anglo-Saxon is toward racial integration. "7. The Negro proceeds by analogies ; the Angta Saxon by logic. 1 '8. The Anglo-Saxon is fond of serious discus- sion and you reach him best through the sublime ; the Negro is inordinately fond of joking and you get closest to him through the ludicrous. I do not pretend to say that these are hard and fast lines, separating the Anglo-Saxon and Negro minds into distinct classes, but they indicate a general unlike- ness in many particulars. "Now, we Democrats know how to reach Angles Saxon minds and the process is congenial to out general habit of thought. When we address Ne-. groes, we really have to readjust our faculties of approach. Public speakers find that various sec- H6 UNFETTERED. tions of the same country present this difference, even when all of the people are of the same race. How much greater must be the chasm between two such widely diverging- races." Morlene exhibited no signs of abating interest, so the lawyer proceeded further with his remarks. u Two other reasons may be given why we pre- fer to be rid of the Negro," he continued. "The mass of Negroes are poor, some of them very poor, and we have men among us who would not scruple at perpetually bribing these poor by little acts of kindness. A poverty stricken, oppressed, helpless people are comparatively easy prey for the well to do element of an opposite race. In national poli- tics the Negro's devotion to the Republican party exempts him from the chicanery of de- signing whites who would debauch the suffrage. We do not desire the ignorant Negro vote in mu- nicipal affairs for the same reason that the na- tions of Europe oppose the dismenibernent of Turkey. The struggle for possession would be too fierce and demoralizing among the parties de- siring the furtherance of their interests. The other reason for not wanting the Negro vote is that the respective traditions of the two races are so essentially different. " You see they (the Negroes) revere Lincoln, Sum- ner, Whittier, Lovejoy, Harriet Beecher Stowe,Fred- Douglass, Grant, John 3rown, etc, ^\Ve have UNFETTERED. 117 no peculiar fondness for these characters. Jefferson Davis, R. B. L,ee, Stonewall Jackson, Pickett, Albert Sidney Johnson, etc., are the objects of our love and enthusiasm. You see, it is quite natural that people having such widely differing sentiments should in a measure live apart." Morlene saw clearly that there was no hope of arousing in this man enthusiasm over Dorian's work of altering the existing status in matters political. She now departed, the lines of sadness deepening on her face. The lawyer followed her to the door, bade her a polite adieu and turned away, somehow full of the thought that he had conversed with a superior creature. Morlene next went to the head of the Democratic "machine." He was the man chosen to do the work of " counting out" the opposition if the occa- sion seemed to require it. He readily purchased a book, and, when called upon, expressed his opinion as to the " Warthell movement." " To tell the truth, we do not want that fellow to succeed. We hold our people in line by threat- ening them with the bludgeon of mass voting and Negro domination. The white people let us ma- chine fellows have our own way and will scarce- ly fight us under any consideration for fear that in destroying the evil that we may represent, they might fall upon another that is worse, namely, " nigger rule," as they call it. Of course, then, we Il8 UNFETTERED. machine fellows don't want any such times as that fellow is trying to inaugurate." Morlene found the white Republican machine equally antagonistic to Dorian. They feared that the abandonment of the Republican party by the great mass of Negroes of the South would cause a great influx of Southern whites, which would mean that the day of the small man was over ; for many of the white men who were giants among the Ne- groes, simply because of their white faces and pro- fessed sympathy, would appear to be only pigmies when brought into contact with the abler sections of the whites. The Negro politicians of the smaller calibre that affiliated with the machine viewed Dorian's actions with contempt. Their interest in political cam- paigns ended with ward meetings, county/ district, State and national conventions. Whatever profit a campaign was to bring to them personally, they labored to secure while conventions were being held, for they knew that they would be no more an important factor until the time arrived for another series of conventions. Not seeing where Dorian was to profit personally by his course, they took him to be an enthusiastic crank of some sort. u How much is there in it," was the shibboleth of their creed, learned in the school of " peanut" pol- itics where they operated. Morlene found many intelligent white and col- ored men who held views directly opposite to those UNFETTERED. cited, but they almost invariably wound up by saying, "But Warthell, it turns out, is ahead of his day. Conditions in the South are such that good men of both races are better off out of politics." They were averse to taking any active part in the matter, fearing that, in view of the inflamed state of the public mind, other interests of theirs might be jeopardized. Finding that all hope of enlisting public senti- raent in Dorian's favor had to be abandoned, Mor- lene, with a heavy burden on her heart, now turned in the direction of police headquarters. The chief was out, but a subordinate presented himself and desired to know her business. " Sir," said she, " there is a plan on foot to as- sassinate Dorian Warthell, a highly respected Ne- gro of this city." An angry look came into the face of the police- man. Morlene felt encouraged by this, hoping that she was at last in a place where Dorian had a friend. She now gave the officer the plans of the conspirators as she had overheard them, taking pains to emphasize the fact that Harry, her hus- band, was but a weakling in the hands of the chief conspirator, and that she desired that he be wrested from his grasp. The officer took a memorandum of what Mor- lene had said. When Morlene had gotten some distance away she recollected something that she I2O UNFETTERED. deemed it advisable to tell. She retraced her steps to headquarters, and, as she drew near the office door, heard WarthelPs name called by the offi- cer with whom she had conferred. Her heart seemed to cease to beat as she heard this officer say ; " Yes, I hope they will kill the scoundrel. I believe in every man being- true to his race. I call a Negro who will work against the Republicans lower than the dogs. I call a Southern white man who will work against the Democrats as even lower still. Yes, I hope they will kill the scoundrel. Let every man stay with his own race, by gosh." Morlene turned away trembling in every fibre. When she had proceeded some distance she turned, and pointing her finger in the direction of the building from which she had just come, said, "Ah ! justice, justice, whither art thou fled? Red- handed murder now sits in thy temple and occupies thy throne! How long wilst thou withhold thy presence from this beautiful, but blighted South- land ?" Passers by did not know what to make of this beautiful woman standing with outstretched hand, a look of sorrow and lofty scorn upon her face. CHAPTER XVII. ( CLANDESTINELY, YET IN HONOR. Returning to her home, Morlene sent the follow- ing note to Dorian : " MR. DORLAN WARTHELL : "DEAR SIR I have come into possession of information that renders an interview with you im- perative. For reasons that are entirely satisfactory to my conscience, I desire that the interview b*e private. I assure you that nothing but the most desperate circumstances could influence me to take this step. Upon the peril of your life meet me at the end of the Broad Street car line promptly at eight o'clock. " THE ARDENT EXPANSIONIST." A few minutes before the appointed hour, Dorian was at the place designated. A thickly-veiled lady stepped off of the eight o'clock car and her shapeliness told Dorian that it was Morlene. The two walked onward together until they were at such a distance as not to encounter inquisitive passers-by. " Mr. Warthell," began Morlene, " my first task is to impart to you certain information. There ex- ists a conspiracy, the object of which is to effect your murder at the mass meeting which you are to hold." (121) 122 UNFETTERED. " Nothing that happens in the South any longer excites surprise in me," said Dorian, no trace of emotion in his voice. Not a muscle of his noble face twitched at the news. Morlene resumed : "I have further to say, that the state of the public mind toward you is such as is calculated to encourage rather than to destroy criminal intentions directed against you. Enlight- ened or unenlightened, the forces in favor of the existing order of things regard you as a disturbing factor in the body politic. Your position is pecu- liarly dangerous in that the weaker minds will grow to regard your murder as a civic duty." " No one can gainsay the elements of danger in the situation," said Dorian. " The police, I fear, will not furnish you the protection that you need," remarked Morlene. " Perhaps not," responded Dorian. Morlene now threw back her veil and turned her anxious eyes full on Dorian. " Mr. Warthell," she said, "the cool manner in which you receive the information which I give, indicates that you are n6t as regardful of your life as might be the case." Dorian replied : " My life has no charms for me, per se. I am wedded to certain purposes for which I have learned to live. I will gladly yield my life for their furtherance at any time that result can be achieved. If the ends for which I strive are found to be unattainable, life has no further interest for UNFETTERED. 133 a Mr. Wart hell, the world needs your services," said Morlene in earnest tones. " It may be that the world has a greater need for my death. I am enough of a fatalist to believe that whatever the world needs it gets. Note how opportune have been the great births and deaths of history," replied Dorian. " Mr. Warthell, I have not come here to theorize on the comparative value of life and death. I have come to save your life. Have you any rela- tives living?" " None," said Dorian. 1 * Oh, that there was a mother or a sister to make the plea that I must make !" said Morlene, sorrow- fully. " Wait," she said, as though a new idea had struck her. " Mr. Warthell, is there not some- where in the world a noble girl whose heart you have won and who has accepted you as the compan- ion by whose side she is to journey through life?" "My life has not been altogether without love," said Dorian, a trace of emotion appearing in his voice. " But it was a boyish love. The little girl fell asleep in her twelfth summer. Were she alive to-night there might be something to chain me to life. As it is my personal life is barren of induce- ments and I am free to offer myself upon the altar for the good of my country." Morlene dropped upon her knees ; tears had made their appearance in her eyes. With clasped hands and face upraised to his, she said : " Mr. Warthell, 124 UNFETTERED. I beg of you, spare your life. Spare me the horror of knowing that you were foully murdered. You have no mother, no sister, no lover. I am only a stranger to you. Argument fails me and I can only plead." Dorian turned away, unable to look into that sweet, sorrowful face and say it nay. " It is best that I die," said Dorian to himself. " If I lived I could not escape falling in love with this divine being." To Morlene he remarked, his head still averted, " Sweet is your voice and earnest your pleadings. Think it not ungallant in me to say that the stern voice of duty engrosses my ear and I obey its summons. If I die at my post of duty you will be one to revere my memory." Morlene arose and moved around so as to be face to face with Dorian who was seeking to avoid her gaze. "Answer one question for me, Mr. Warthell. Is there anything connected with your life that causes you to think that death would be a personal gain to you as well as a gain to your country ? I do not ask out of curiosity, you must know. It behooves me to know all the factors to be reckoned with in my attempt to save your life." " No personal considerations would induce me to seek to destroy my life. Let that information suf- fice," said Dorian. The very suppression manifest in Dorian's reply and tone of voice revealed to Morlene that the full UNFETTERED. 125 answer to her query w?s " Yes." She now ceased her pleading. She saw that the labor of saving Dorian's life was more largely upon her than she had at first supposed. She had even his indiffer- ence to life to combat. Undaunted by this fresh complication she girded her spirit for the con- flict. In silence the two went toward the place where Morlene was to board the car to return to her home. When they arrived at the place of parting, Mor- lene said, " Remember, I say, you shall not die." Dorian looked at her, smiled sadly, turned and walked away. CHAPTER XVIII. WHO WINS ? The night of the mass meeting came at last, and there was a tremendous outpouring of the Negroes, recruited mainly from the ranks of the toiling masses. Scattered here and there in the audience were a few of the educated Negroes, drawn to the meeting to see how Dorian was to fare in his at- tempt to breast the current of Negro loyalty to the Republican party. The women in the audi- ence outnumbered the men, a fact not to be won- dered at, when it is known that the Negro women of the South are, perhaps, the most ardent and un- yielding Republicans in the whole length and breadth of the land. Closely veiled, Morlene sat in the audience, the embodiment of anxiety. The moment for the supreme contest between herself on the one hand and Bloodworth and Harry on the other, for the life of Dorian, was drawing fright- fully near. At the appointed hour Dorian entered the build- ing from the rear door, walked across the platform and took his seat. Somehow the world expects the body of a man to give some indication of the soul within, wherefore all pictures of Satan repre- UNFETTERED. 127 sent him as being ugly. Those who came to the meeting hating Dorian felt a more kindly feeling creeping into their consciousness as they saw that heaven had thought kindly enough of him to grant unto him the form of a prince, an intellectual brow, a truly handsome face that wore a look of earnest, honest purpose. As Dorian scanned the audience his heart swelled with joy at its immense proportions. Wrong though they sometimes were, Dorian had the most profound faith in the good intentions of the Negro masses. He held that the intentions of no people on earth were better, and that the sole need of the Negroes was proper light. Dorian's analysis of the situation was as follows: The feeling encountered was largely a religious one. The Negroes believed unqualifiedly in the direct interposition of God in the affairs of men. They believed in the personality, activity and in- sidiousness of the Devil. They believed that God had specifically created the Republican . party to bring about their emancipation. On the other hand they regarded the Democratic party as the earthly abode of the devil, created specifically and solely for the purpose of harassing them. Thus, whoever opposed the Republican party was sin- ning against God; and whoever voted against that party was in league with the devil. Such were the views held by the less enlight- ened, Dorian felt. In order to meet the situation 128 UNFETTERED. he had prepared a speech that traced from a hu- man point of view the development of the two parties. Once disabuse their minds of the direct, specific heavenly origin of the Republican party, and the way would be open to show, that as men made it, men could improve upon its policies. So at the appointed hour he arose and began his speech. It riveted the attention of his hearers, and they listened with eager ears to Dorian's re- cital of the workings of the forces and counter forces that brought about their emancipation. Freedom had burst upon them so suddenly, was so glorious a boon, that their simple minds readily concluded that it dropped bodily, as it were, from the skies. They were now glad to gain a clear understanding of that phenomenal happening. Their feelings of resentment died away entirely, and they who came to jeer, frequently broke forth into applause. Dorian closed his speech with a thrilling perora- tion, urging the Negroes to gird themselves for the holy task of carrying to the uttermost parts of the earth the doctrine of the inherent, inalienable equality of all men. Morlene could scarcely repress tears of joy over the happy turn of events. But her joy was to be short lived. Bloodworth had employed a number of vicious- ly inclined Negroes to put out the lights, bar the doors and foment excitement. In the midst of the UNFETTERED. 129 disturbance Harry was to effect the murder of Dorian. Bigoted Harry had not been in the least affected, nor were his mercenary compatriots in any wise moved, by Dorian's utterances. When the speech was finished, at a given signal th<* ligfcts were extinguished and a tumult raised. Harry had closely noted the position of Doi^an on the platform, and as soon as the lights We're glut began to make his way toward him. As th^re was no one on the platform but Dorian, lit did $ot fear making a mistake as to the man he wa^to assault. Morlene had employed a young man of strength and courage to sit by and keep close watch&fbn Harry to thwart any attempts he might make. As Harry made his way with eager cat-like tre^d, he was followed by the young man appointed to watch him. When near Dorian, Harry drew JJiis pistol but felt it wrenched from his hand by s<$ne one of superior strength. Discovering that he was followed, Harry turned and sought to mingle with the crowd in the hope of eluding his pursuer. In this he was successful. Morlene, thickly veiled, had been sitting in a corner of the auditorium throughout the meet- ing. In a satchel she had brought along a small lighted lantern. She knew the building well, and even in the midst of the hubbub and ex- citement incident to the putting out of the lights, had made her way to the platform where- 130 UNFETTERED. on was Dorian. Now handling her lantern so that it guided her directly to Dorian, without informing others of her movements, she crept to his side. She found him seated, his head bent forward resting on his hand. Even now his first thought was of the future of the race, seeking to keep alive in his bosom to the moment of death, the, hope that it would rise in spite of the unthink- ing element that now, sought his life. Morlene whispered into his ear, " Mr. Warthell, do not die here. As a friend, a sincere friend, I jplead with you to .live for all our sakes." The presence of Morlene in such a dangerous situation thoroughly aroused Dorian. He sprang to his feet determined :to live until she was out of danger, at least. " Here is a lantern," said she, handing it to him. "Keep close to me," said Dorian to Morlene. To the throng he said: " Gentlemen, vacate the aisle to the extreme right. Whoever obstructs that piathway to the door, does so at the peril of his life. I have given fair warning and hold you ac- countable for whatever results from your failure to obey." His voice was so commanding and he spoke 'with such self-assurance, that the movement to clear the aisle designated began at once; but the words had scarcely escaped his lips when he was stabbed from the rear. Turning upon his assail- ant, he felled him to the floor with a powerful blow. Flashing the light across the face of the UNFETTERED. 131 fallen man, Dorian and Morlene both saw that it was Harry. "My duty is here," said Morlene, as she stooped and took Harry's head upon her lap. "Good-bye. I must go. I am wounded," said Dorian to Morlene, as he started for the door. Morlene assured herself that Harry was not seriously kurt, and administered restoratives which she had been thoughtful enough to bring along. She was the while experiencing anxious thoughts as to the dangerousness of Dorian's wound. At the earliest possible moment Morlene left Harry, (who was now reviving) and went to telephone for the ambulance. It came and, with the aid of lan- terns, following a trail of blood, they came upon Dorian, unconscious, the wondering stars peeping down upon his upturned face. ****** Morlene reached home on that eventful night some time before Harry. After his murderous as- sault on Dorian, having recovered from the stun- ning effects of the blow that had felled him, lie had gone from saloon to saloon, drinking and very hilarious over his night's work. At three o'clock in the morning he reached his home in a half- drunken state. Morlene had been anxiously awaiting his coming. As Harry stepped into the room, one glance at Morlene's face had the effect of somewhat sober- ing him. Her face, her eyes, her attitude and, 132 UNFETTERED. when she spoke, her voice, conveyed to the half- drunken Harry her feelings of utter scorn and in- dignation. He dropped into a chair. His eyes were bleared, his lips slightly ajar and his hands limp at his side, as he looked at the wrathful Mor- lene. "Harry Dalton," said she, "You are to all intents and purposes a villainous murderer. I know of your nefarious plottings and I witnessed your cow- ardly attempt to assassinate Mr. Warthell, a man, the latchet of whose shoes the possessor of a heart like yours is unworthy to unloose. But your in- tended victim shall not die, unless an evil genius presides over the affairs of men. I have only waited here to tell you how I loathe your crime and that I exhausted every known means to thwart you. Now I leave you !" Morlene started toward the door through which Harry had just come and which led into the hall- way. Harry, who had taken a seat not far from the door, arose as if to intercept her. "Stand back from that door, Harry," said Mor- lene pulling a pistol from her pocket and pointing it at him. Morlene had been careful to see that every chamber of the pistol was empty, so that no actual physical harm would result from the draw- ing of it. Harry knew that Morlene, when a country girl, had learned to shoot well, and her angry looks made him feel that her knowledge as to how to UNFETTERED. 133 shoot was supplemented with a determination to shoot if he disobeyed her. Lifting his hands as if imploring her not to shoot, Harry re- coiled and Morlene glided out of the room, locking the door behind her. For some time Harry stood in the floor bewil- dered by the sudden and most unexpected turn of events. At length he aroused himself and succeed- ed in breaking out of the room. It was too late, however, to find any trace of Morlene. She had made good her escape. CHAPTER XIX. THE SCENE SHIFTS. An aged Negro woman trudged along Newton Street in the city of Chicago. The ponderous strokes of Father Time had at last bent her form for- ward, pushing it toward the dust whence it came. She was aided in her shuffling gait by a crooked and knotted walking stick, which she made use of with her left hand. Her attire betokened extreme pov- erty and was evidently unequal to the task of shielding her from the chilly winds, which sought with zeal every unprotected spot, and whipped the tears from her eyes. In her right hand she carried a small tin box, her bony fingers clasping it as tightly as they could. A shawl was thrown over her head somewhat concealing her features. Strange to say, a close inspection of the woman's face impressed one that there was cheerfulness, even happiness, written thereon, despite her forlorn condition. As she crept along she scanned the buildings closely, evidently trying to locate some particular house. A young woman standing in the doorway of the Lincoln Hospital, attired in the garb of a sick nurse, saw the old woman drawing near. " The poor soul must be suffering greatly," said the nurse, (134) UNFETTERED. reaching for her pocketbook. She had determined upon emptying its contents into the aged woman's hand as the latter passed by. Instead of passing, however, the woman stopped a short distance from the nurse. Her frame shiv- ering from cold, her eyes surveyed the entire front of the building in the doorway of which stood the nurse. Seemingly satisfied with the result of iler inspection she drew nearer ' and said : '"iL/eddy, please, miss, is dis de LinktUm horsepittui?^' -^ a Yes, aunty, this is the .-Lincoln Hospital, 1 " the nurse replied. The woinan dropped her stick and 'the tin bcxx^nd clapped her hands, saying, u Thankee I ^habkee Jesus I" Thankee ! Heah at'lasM 'Dfc'ctoe'shlji dun foun* er harbur. Got er place *ter -'-cross $ bbr Jor- dun." Booking at the nurse, she said, ( *Cltfte/*k>es yer" k:now anyt'ing 'bout Jesus? romis' me dis, an' he's kep* his word." Ftfmbliri^l^her pocket, she drew'but a soiled and crufripled* Apiece of paper. This she handed to the nutse i , ; whd :> fol{nd that it entitled the woman 'hospital. " Come with me," said th ? e nurse in kindly tories. Gathering up heir stick and tin box, she did as she was bidden. The woman was duly regiJtiered and assigned to the ward in which this itiurse was an attendant. * ' "- One afternoon, the nts^ f $^t f "By thfe bedside of her new 136 UNFETTERED. almost stopped breathing to listen. Sitting up in her bed, she said to the nurse, " Leddy, ken you fin' a pair ub specks fitten' fur one ob my age ?" " I will try, aunty," replied the nurse. After a diligent search, the nurse succeeded in finding a pair, wondering as she searched what pos- sible use the woman could have for them. The woman adjusted the spectacles to her eyes and bent her gaze on the nurse. " Leddy, please sing dat chune ergin," she said. The nurse did as requested. Before she had pro- ceeded far with the singing, the woman burst forth, " Laws 'a mussy ! Ef it ain't Lenie !" "Aunt Catherine!" exclaimed the nurse, springing to her feet and throwing her arms around the wom- an's neck. -.Aunt Catherine's bedimmed eyesight and im- paired hearing had prevented her from discovering before this that her nurse was none other than Mor- 4ene. On the other hand, Aunt Catherine's changed appearance was what interfered with Morlene's recognition of her when they first met. When the woman said " L,enie," it was all that was need- ed, for it was an appellation used in addressing Morlene by Aunt Catherine only. After many exchanges of tender greetings, Mor- lene disentangled herself from Aunt Catherine's loving embrace, saying, " Dear Aunt Catherine, do tell me all about yourself since the day I left you to wait on on Harry. I searched R from UNFETTERED. 137 one end to the other, time and again, looking for you. And here you are in Chicago ! Tell me how you have fared?" "Chile," said Aunt Catherine, "seein' you, L,e- nie, hez driv' erway all my trubbuls. 'Pears ter me, I dun got young ergin an* am down Souf at de ole home." After an interval Aunt Catherine proceeded to tell her experiences, not, however, be- fore she had taken the tin box from under her pil- low. With that clasped fondly, she began : "Wen I retched de city arter leavin' de ole homestid, I 'gun ter hunt fur wuck. I got er place ter cook fur er white fambly. De leddy dat hi'ed me wuzunt rich. She wus jes a good liver. Her husban's biznessfell off an' she had ter hire jes' one 'oman ter cook, an' wash, an' i'ne, an' scrub de floors, an' keep house. I wuz de fus' ter try it, but I kudden' hole out, chile. I jes' kudden'. Er sprightly gal tuck my place. Den I hed er hard time, L/enie. Yer Aunt Catharine hed ter beg frnm door ter door. I slep' on bar' floors in shackly houses, dat wuz empty kase folks wouldn't rent 'um. I went to de dumps an' scratched in de trash piles fur charcoals and scraps ter burn ter keep me warm. I begged money ernuf ter cum ter Churcargo, an 1 heah I is. Dey tole me dat L,inktum wuz frum dis State an' I wuz in hopes ub doin' bettah up heah. But, Lenie, 'pears ter me dat de po darky aint got much ub er show enywhurs. I hez found it hard Norf an' Souf." T3 UNFETTERED. " Well, hencefoith, I shall take charge of you, and walk through life by your side, my dear Aunt Catherine,'' said Morlene, feelingly. The woman dropped the tin box, pulled her spectacles down a little and looked over them at Morlene. "Ain't the doctah tole yeryit?" asked Aunt Catherine, in evident surprise. "Told me what, my dear?" enquired Morlene. "'Why, chile, I aint heah fur long. De doctahs sez I kaint git well. De gospil train dun blowed. It is rollin' into de depot. Capting Jesus is de cunducter. I hez my ticket ready." Aunt Cath- erine with her broken voice now tried to siv g the following lines, swinging to and fro &H she & mg : " De Gospil train am comin', I heah it jes' at ban', I heah de car wheels movin', Er rumblin' through de law* Git on bo'd, little chillun, Git on bo'd, little chillun, Git on bo'd, little chillun, Dare's room fur many n-.c/." " Yes, Lenie, I'll soon be on boM/' resumed Aunt Catherine. " De Yankees was mighty anx- ious to set us poor darkeys free, but it ain't done me no good. Pack ub de mattah, L,enie, freedum mebbe good fur you young uns who wuzunt use tel de ole times. Fur your sakes I is glad its come. But I'se hed a hard time. Enyhow, it is mos' ober now. Marse Maury is ded, an' Missus is ded, an' a upstart is on de ole place, an' hez been drif tin' 'bout UNFETTERED. 139 ' pillar ter pos'. ' " Aunt Catherine's mind now ran back to the good old past and a joyful light came into her face. " Do yer see dis tin box ?" she asked, breaking her silence. Morlene nodded affirmatively, not trusting her- self to speak, so torn up were her feelings over the account of faithful Aunt Catherine's sufferings. " Lenie," said she, leaning toward Morlene, a most serious look upon her face, " as yer value yer own soul, do wid dis tin box lack I'm gwine ter tell yer." Aunt Catherine was now speaking in low and solemn tones. " Wen yer wuz er gal, L,e- nie, did yer ebber heah dat our fust juty on jedg- ment day would be to git up frum whar eber we wuz burrit and hunt fur de difFrunt pieces ub our finger nails dat we hed cut off all through life ?" "Yes, Aunt Catherine," responded Morlene. " Wai, dis box hez got all my finger nails dat I cut off since I wuz er gal. Bury dis box at de foot ub Maury and Missus, L,enie. Wen jedgment day comes I want ter git up wid dem. Ef my nails is burrit by dem, I'll have ter go dare whar dey is. See ? Yer know white folks ginilly ain't got heart- felt Uigun like cullud folks. But Marse and Mis. sus shuah got shuah 'nuf 'ligun. I wants ter git up wid 'um an' stan' by 'um in jedgment, ter speak up fur um, ef eny body wants ter go ergin' um jes' kase dey is white. See ? Bf dey doan b'long in hebun, den nobody doan." Here Aunt Catherine paused, the talk having nearly exhausted her. 140 UNFETTERED. "But, Aunt Catherine," interposed Morlene, " when you do pass away, which I hope will not be soon, let me bury your whole body where you tell me to put this tin box. Lemuel Dalton surely would not refuse to allow the fulfillment of the sol- emn promise made to you by Uncle Maurice and his wife." " Chile, I hed ter sell dis ole body ter de doctah ter git mony ter lib on while heah." " Oh, Aunt Catherine !" exclaimed Morlene, hold- ing up her hands in horror. " Ha, ha, ha !" laughed Aunt Catherine. " That aint so bad, Lenie," she said. " I sole my soul ter Jesus long ergo, an' w'en he takes it, dese doctahs kin do whut dey choose wid my pore ole body." Morlene now burst into tears. Lovingly Aunt Catherine stroked Morlene's hair with her hand, saying : " Bettah be laughin' fur joy, chile, fur er few more risin's an' setting ub de sun an' I'll be in glory." Unable to longer endure the contemplation of Aunt Catherine's sufferings and approaching end, Morlene arose and fled to her room. A few days after the conversation herein recorded Aunt Catherine passed peacefully away. The doc- tors that had purchased the body presented them- selves and laid claim thereto. Morlene told them the story of Aunt Catherine's life of faithful serv- ice and subsequent sufferings, and begged the boon of taking the body back to Tennessee for burial. UNFETTERED. 141 Her request was refused, however, the physicians deciding that they would not allow a matter of sen- timent to stand in the way of advancing the inter- ests of science. Taking the tin box, so solemnly committed to her charge, Morlene turned her face toward Tennessee, journeying thither to fulfill the last request of Aunt Catherine. For some time Morlene had been pondering a proper course to be pursued toward Harry for the future, and her approaching visit to R accentuated the matter. More and more she began to regard him as an unbalanced enthusiast, whose errors, in view of his outlook, were not altogether unnatural. Pity, deep pity, stole into her heart for poor Harry, and she decided, as her train was speeding onward, to return to him in the hope of widening his horizon and giving him a clearer view of what was required of an American citizen. If she would be of service to Harry, her train must move at a faster rate than that at which it is now traveling. CHAPTER XX. THE BYSTANDERS CHEER. From his quest of Morlene, on the morning of her escape, Harry returned to his home in a sullen mood. Morlene's lack of appreciation of his dis- interested patriotism which her course revealed to him, was a blow in itself, apart from his loss of her as a wife. The fact that he had lost his wife and had not slept any during the whole night did not, how- ever, cause him to remain away from his accustomed labor that day. Cooking his own breakfast, he ate his solitary meal and went forth to his daily task- Anxious to learn what view others took of the happening of the previous night, he purchased a copy of a morning paper and read its comments thereon. It was the same paper that had com- mented so favorably upon what it termed the " Warthell Movement." Harry turned immediately to the editorial columns and read far enough to see that his act was being condemned. Thereupon he tore the paper into shreds, threw it to the ground and trampled upon it. " Sure sign that I did right to attack that scoun- drel Warthell, if it has made this old Democratic paper mad. Ha, ha, ha ! Morlene thought I was doing wrong. I wasn't though, anybody can ,see. (142) UNFETTERED. 143 for what would this old Democratic paper be kick- ing about if what I did wasn't against it ?" Thus muttered Harry to himself as he went on to his work. " We'll hear a different tune when the North- ern Republican papers begin to discuss our attempt to get rid of these Negro traitors who are plotting to undo all that the North has done for us. I take my medicine from the North; let the South go where it please. See ? Any Negro that will stand up for the South against the North is an infernal, ungrateful , good for nothing rascal, and ought to be killed. Tell him I said so." These last words, addressed by Harry to himself, were accompanied with the shaking of a clenched fist at an imaginary foe. The more he pondered his course, the more he praised himself, and the more outrageous Mor- lene's desertion of him seemed. Eagerly he awaited the coming of the Northern papers that he might re- gard his vindication as complete. Harry went about his daily task in a half cheer- ful, half moody frame of mind, pondering what steps to take with reference to his wife, but arriving at no definite conclusion. After the lapse of a day or so the eagerly-looked- for Northern Republican paper came. Harry smiled with satisfaction, saying to himself : " Now we shall hear the thing talked about right." The article was headed, "A Crime Against Free- dom." Harry now thought that the article was. 144 UNFETTERED. going to gibbet Dorian Warthell for having com- mitted a crime against the freedom of the Negro by refusing to longer affiliate with the party that gave him freedom. He reread the caption, "A Crime Against Freedom." " Yes, yes; only it ought to be ( An Unpardonable Crime,' for that is what it was." Eager to feast on the invectives to be hurled at Dorian, he stood still on the street corner and be- gan to read: " The United States of America is a government ruled by the duly ascertained will of a majority of its citizens. Each qualified citizen has the right of casting one vote in support of whatever side of an issue that pleases him. Each citizen has the further right to use all legitimate means in his power to induce other citizens to cast their votes as he casts his. "The right of advocacy is, if possible, more sacred than the right to vote, for the votes of fellow citizens go well nigh the whole length in shaping a man's environments. Since the votes of others are the majority influence in determining a man's envi- ronments, it is manifestly unjust to deny him the opportunity of influencing these votes. He who strikes at freedom of speech strikes at the corner- stone of our republic, and, to our view, commits the greatest crime that a citizen can commit against a government. " It is well known that we are in full accord with the Republican party's policy with reference to the UNFETTERED. 145 Philippine Islands. While we are firmly ; of the opinion that the party is right, we nevertheless strenuously insist that those who hold contrary views be accorded the right to advocate those views. "Dorian Warthell, a Negro in the South, has seen fit to publicly disapprove of a portion of 'the party's policy, whereupon a Negro Republican zealot has sought to take his life. The Republican party repudiates such vile methods and' the -man who resorts to them. "Mr. Warthell has as much right to express his views, whatever they may be, as the President of the nation. The fact that he is a member of a race that obtained its freedom through the .instru- mentality of the Republican party does not alter the matter in the least. The Republican party has no politcal slaves and desires none.. It seeks to commend itself to the hearts and consciences of men, and spurns every semblance of coercion. i- "The miscreant who sought to kill Mr. War- thell, because that individual dared to-be a rnan, is unworthy of life. If the arms of justice are too short to reach him, it is hardly to be hoped that he will have the good sense to bring his own unprofit- able existence to a close." When Harry had finished he let the paper fall to the ground. He felt as though the very skies had fallen down upon him. To find the great Repub- lican party lifting its voice in condemnation of his 146 UNFETTERED. act was more than he could bear. Stooping down, he picked up the paper and re-read the closing par- agraph. " I can surprise them yet. They say ' It is hardly to be hoped that he will have the good sense to bring his own unprofitable existence to a close.' Aha 1 we shall see !" said Harry, a grim determina- tion settling over his gloomy soul. Deserted by Morlene, repudiated by the Repub- lican party, which he had always regarded as the vicegerent of God, Harry decided to have his life come to a close in some way. He began to give earnest thought to the finding of the proper method !%*' of departure. In the matter of closing his earthly career, he was hampered by his religious views. He was a firm believer in Heaven and in a literal Hell. In common with many other Negroes, he believed that the Bible contained a specific declara- tion to the effect that all sins could be forgiven a man except the sin of self-murder. To cause himself to die and yet escape Hell was the problem that now occupied Harry's mind. From day to day he deliberated on the matter. At one time he was attracted by the thought of laying down upon a railroad track in some isolated spot in the hope that he would fall asleep and fail to awake on the approach of a train. In case he did not awake, he thought that his death could properly be construed as an accident. Then he thought of becoming an attendant upon the sick ? choosing UNFETTERED. 147 such patients to serve as were afflicted with danger- ons contagious diseases. Months and months passed, summer and fall sped by and made way for winter, but Harry's pur- pose remained. The question of a way to die was at last solved for him in a most unexpected man- ner. One afternoon as he was returning from work, he saw far ahead of him, coming in his direc- tion, a pair of runaway horses hitched to a double seated carriage. As the carriage came near he saw that the driver's seat was empty and that a white lady and three children were seated in the carriage in imminent peril of their lives. " Thank God !" Harry murmured, "the way appears." As the horses came galloping down the street, Harry sta- tioned himself in such a position that he would be able to make an effort to intercept them. "Get out of the way, you fool!" frantically shouted one after another of the bystanders. " Those horses will kill you." To all of this Har- ry paid no heed. Harry's sublime heroism stilled the shoutings of the multitude. The people stood mute gazing at Harry, so unflinchingly awaiting the coming of the runaways. When the horses came sweeping by, Harry leapt to the head of the one nearest him and grappled the bridle. The mad- dened horses bore him from his feet and onward, but Harry clung to the bridle. Unable to longer carry so heavy a weight clinging to his mouth, the horse to which Harry was holding checked his speed 148 UNFETTERED. and brought his fellow to a stand. This result was not achieved, however, without fatal injuries to Harry. Turning the bridle loose Harry fell at the feet of the horses, others now rushing forward to take charge of them. As Harry lay upon the ground covered with dust and blood, a crowd of citizens gathered about him. The lady whose life had been saved, the wife of a leading banker j got out of the carriage, and, elbowing her way through the crowd, stooped down to wipe the blood stains from Harry's face. Harry who had been unconscious revived and smiled feebly in recognition of the kindness. The crowd that had witnessed his heroic deed now gave a mighty cheer, joyful that he was alive. Before the cheering subsided, the light of life died out of Harry's eyes and his soul had sped. CHAPTER XXI. TO BEGIN LIFE ANEW, AS IT WERE. When a few hours later Morlene arrived at her home in R , she found crepe on the door, and was told by a neighbor that was just leaving, that Harry had died that day. She stood as if rooted to the spot, her beautiful eyes recording the storm of pity that was rising in her bosom. Mechanical- ly she turned and placed one foot on the step to the porch, as if to leave. "Horror! Horror! Hor- ror everywhere ! " she cried out. "But why am I fleeing? It is abroad in the whole expanse of earth. If Harry was to die, tell me, tell me, why he could net have awaited to carry my forgive- ness with him." In that moment, looking back upon her whole career since the death of Maurice Dalton, she felt her faith in the benevolent char- acter of the arbiter of human destinies rudely shaken. Her body recoiled in response to a like impulse of her soul that shrank from the benumb- ing misanthropism that sought to lay its cold dead fingers on her heart. In one last supreme effort to retain her faith she burst forth into song. In tones angelic, from a heaving bosom, she poured forth the following words: "Abide with ine ! Fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me !" (149) UNEETTEREi). When Morlene began to sing her eyes glistened with tears; but these now disappeared as a look of submission stole therein. Again humbly obedient to the forces that were guiding her life, she en- tered her home, knelt and gazed long at the fea- tures of Harry, her spirit seeking to unravel that mystic smile that his face was wearing even in death. ****** Two days later the business men of R - swore, the housewives grew red in the face, but it was all of no avail. The Negro laboring men and cooks were determined upon going to Harry's funeral^ even if it cost them their jobs. So, business was par- tially paralyzed and the white women of fashionable circles had to enter their own kitchens while the Negroes thronged to the church wherein the fu- neral services were to be held. Though the funeral was to take place at two o'clock, the edifice was crowded at twelve, those anxious for seats rushing there thus early. Accord- ing to the custom of the church to which Harry be- longed, his body had lain therein all the night pre- vious and his brethren and sisters of the church had assembled and conducted a song and prayer service over his remains. When the hour for the funeral arrived, the pulpit was full of ministers of various denominations. Harry had, according to the custom prevailing, chosen the hymns to be sung at his funeral, the text UNFETTERED. from which the funeral sermon was to be preached, the ministers who were to officiate in fact, had ar- ranged for every detail of the occasion. Every- thing was done according to his wishes. The services were at last brought to a close and the funeral procession was formed. The hearse led the way being followed by the great concourse of the members of the church, walking en masse and chanting mournful dirges as they proceeded. Following the throng came the carriage contain- ing Morlene and Stephen Dalton, Harry's father. The old man's form is now bent, his short hair white and he is sad at heart that it is Harry's fun- eral and not his own. Following this carriage containing Morlene and Stephen Dalton was that of the banker, who with his wife and childrerj'had come to pay this tribute of respect to the mefriory of Harry. When the procession reached the cem- etery, twilight had come to render the interment peculiarly solemn. Harry was lowered to his last resting place and each one of his immediate friends picked up a clod and cast it into the open grave, the good-bye salu- tation for the dead. All staid until the grave was covered over, then turned to leave. The cemetery in which Harry had been laid to rest was upon an elevation. When the carriage containing Morlene had proceeded homeward for some distance and was at the point where the slowly declining elevation had reached a level 152 witb the lower lands, she caused the driver to stop for a few minutes while she and Stephen Dalton aligfhtedv The two stood and looked for awhile in silence toward the cemetery above them, the lighted lamps burning dimly among the trees up there. One solitary star peered out of the east- em Sky: Its lonely light, like words spoken in the hotif'bf grief, evidently sought to cheer, but only serVtM to make the feeling of sadness deepen. By and by in tones soft and low and earnest, Mo&ene broke the silence, saying : " Father, Har- ry'^ 1 body lies, up yonder, and, behold, the place is lighted; | May we not hope that his spirit, in spite of his weaknesses, has gone upward, and may we not- also hope that there the spirit, too, has light, m6te light than came to it in this darkened world?" Stephen Dalton made no reply. The only thing that -he now cared to answer was the final sum- mons.* He regarded himself as an alien on earth. The two ' ire-entered the carriage and drove to the city. ' The next day, Morlene repaired to the Dalton estate and buried at the designated spot the box that Aunt Catherine had entrusted to her care. Thus a close one epoch in Morlene's life. :; < CHAPTER XXII. EXCUSABLE RUDENESS. We left Dorian sorely wounded on the night of the mass meeting. Though he was immediately furnished with the best available medical attention, it did not prevent the setting in of a species of blood poisoning which rendered his condition pe- culiarly precarious. As soon as it was deemed ad- visable, he was carried North and placed under the care of an eminent specialist. Dorian began to slowly improve, but at such a rate thac he now saw that he was to be a mere onlooker to the presidential campaign in which he had hoped to be the determining factor. On the day of the election his interest was so great that he got out of bed and sat at his window, eagerly scan- ning the faces of the voters as they went, and came from the polls, hoping, it seemed, to tell from their countenances what verdicts they were rendering. He had made arrangements with a newsboy to bring him a copy of the first " Extra" to be issued giving information as to how the conflict had ter- minated. At a comparatively early hour of the night the newsboy knocked on Dorian's door. " Come in," called out Dorian. The boy poked his head in the (158) 154 UNFETTERED. door, cast a quick glance about, then entered. " Here's your paper, Mister. Good news for you" said he, smiling as he handed the paper to Dorian. " How do you know that it contains news pleas- ing to me?" inquired Dorian, looking at the boy earnestly. "'Cause you are a colored man," responded the boy, with an air of complete assurance. Having been paid, he now hurried out to proceed on his route. " Even the children feel that they know the poli- tics of every Negro by glancing at his skin. Too bad! I suppose the boy means to say the Republic- ans have won," mused Dorian. He now looked at his paper and soon was convinced that the Repub- licans had won an overwhelming victory. Dorian was stunned. " What !" he exclaimed, " Has a reaction against that idealism which has hitherto been its chief glory really set in in the Anglo-Saxon race? Has commercialism really throt- tled altruism ? Has the era of the recognition of the inherent rights of men come to a close? Has our government lent its sanction to the code of in- ternational morals that accords the strong the right to rule the weak, brushing- aside by the force of arms every claim of the weak ? Alas! Alas!" For many days Dorian was very, very despond- ent. The North had voted to re-enthrone the Republican party without exacting of it a spe- cific promise as to the regard to be had to the 155 claims of the Filipinos to inherent equality. This amazed him. But as the political excitement sub- sided and he could feel the pulse of the American people apart from the influence of partizan zeal, he was the better able to analyze their verdict. First, the failure to declare as to the ultimate status of the Filipinos was in a measure due to the politicians whose uniform policy is to postpone ac- tion on new problems until public sentiment has had time to crytallize. They were not quite certain as to what was the full import of the new national appetite and they were avoiding specific declarations until they could find out. Secondly, the people of the North were in no mood to be hurried as to their policy with regard to the Filipinos. They had before them the ex- ample of Negroes of the South even then calling upon the North to return and set them free again. With this example of imperfect work before them the people of the North refused to be wrought up into a great frenzy of excitement over giving titu- lar independence to the Filipinos. Thirdly, Dorian discovered that the election, in- stead of revealing a decline in altruism, on the contrary, gave evidence of the broadening and deepening of that spirit. He now saw in the ver- dict of the North the high resolve to begin at the very foundation and actually lift the Filipinos to such a plane that they would not only have freedom, but the power to properly exercise and preserve 156 the same. Instead of losing its position as the teacher of nations, our government was, he saw, to confirm its title to that proud position. So nobly, so thoroughly, was it to do its work of leading the Filipinos into all the blessings of higher civiliza- tion, that other nations in contact with weaker peo- ples might find here a guide for their statesmen to follow. Thus he found written in the hearts of the noble people of the North the plank which pro- vided adequately for the ultimate status of the Fil- ipinos, which plank he had earnestly longed to see appear in the platforms of all political parties as- piring for the control of the government. His faith in the people did not, however, influ- ence him to forget that " eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." He was still of the opinion that the nation needed a balance wheel, needed a free lance ready to bear down upon all who, drunk with the wine of prosperity or maddened by greed for gain, might seek to lure the American people from the faith of the fathers. Thus Dorian, intending to begin anew his move- ment which we saw so tragically interrupted, re- turned to R , only to suffer a second interrup- tion in a manner now to be detailed. One afternoon as Dorian sat in his room in the city of R , musing on the task before him, his elbows on the table and his noble, handsome face resting in his hands, rich music, as on a former c**- UNFETTERED. 157 casion more than a year ago, came floating up to him. The music revealed the touch and the voice of Morlene. He had not seen nor heard from her since that eventful night on which she labored so valiantly to save his life. Dorian arose and went down stairs with a view to renewing his acquaintance with Morlene. He knew nothing whatever of Harry's death, which had transpired in his absence. Dorian entered the room where Morlene was playing. She turned to receive the new comer whoever it might be. A joyful exclamation escaped her lips when she per- cieved that it was Dorian. " Mr. Warthell, I am so very glad to see you alive and well. How often have I subjected my actions to the closest scrutiny, disposed to accuse myself of not doing all that might have been done to prevent that dastardly assault upon you." Dorian was so entranced with Morlene's loveli- ness that he did not catch the full purport of what she was saying. Morlene was clad in mourn- ing and Dorian was drinking in the beauty of her loveliness in this new combination. When Morlene finished her sentence and it was incumbent upon Dorian to reply, he was momenta- rily embarrassed, not knowing what to say, having lost what Morlene was saying by absorption in con- templating her great beauty. It was tolerably tp Jntn that her remark was pue of solicitor^ 158 UNFETTERED. interest in himself, and after a very brief pause he said : "Excuse me for not desiring to give attention to myself, in view of the fact that I am but now made aware by your mourning that some dear one has passed away." " You have not heard, then," said Morlene, a look of sadness creeping over her face. She sat down on the piano stool whence she had arisen. " I have lost my husband. He was killed in the act of stopping some runaway horses more than a year ago." Immediately there burst upon Dorian's con- sciousness the thought that Morlene was free and that he might aspire for her hand. So great a hope thrust upon him so suddenly bewildered him by its very glory. Ordinarily imperturbable, even in the face of unexpected situations, he was now visibly agitated. He knew that he ought to frame words of condolence, but the new hope, springing from the secret chambers of his heart where he had long kept it in absolute bondage, clamored so loudly for a hearing that he could not deploy enough of his wits to speak in keeping with the amenities of the situation. " Excuse me for a few moments, Mrs. Dalton," asked Dorian, leaving the room. He went up the stairs leading to his room, taking two steps at a bound, Entering, he locked his door. Thrust- UNFETTERED. 159 ing his hands into his pockets, he gazed ab- stractedly at the floor for a moment, then up at the ceiling. The word which as a boy he had used to denote great astonishment now came unbidden to his lips. " Gee-whillikens !" he exclaimed. " And that divine woman is free ! Thought, I wish you would sink into my consciousness at once," said Dorian, apostrophizing. A few moments succeeded in imparting to him an outward look of calm. He then returned and expressed his feelings of condo- lence in words that suggested themselves to him as being appropriate. He soon excused himself from Morlene's presence with a view to rearranging his whole system of thinking so as to be in keeping with the new conditions with which he was thus unexpectedly confronted. " I have a little problem of desired expansion on my own hands, and I fear the government will have to wag along without me the best way it can for a while," said Dorian to himself. The ultimate status of Morlene Dalton was now of more importance to him than the ultimate status of the Filipinos. CHAPTER XXIII. A STREET PARADE. A band of Negro musicians playing a popular air, was passing through the street on which Dorian resided. He was in the act of going out of the gate as the procession got opposite to him, and paused to allow it to pass. There was a great con- course of Negro boys and girls, men and women, following the band of musicians. Their clothes were unclean, ragged and ill-fitting. Their faces and hands were soiled and seemed not to have been washed for many a day. The motley throng seemed to be utterly oblivious o its gruesome ap- pearance, and all were walking along in boldness and with good cheer. "Now those Negroes are moulding sentiment against the entire race," thought Dorian, as his eye scanned the unsightly mass. "Be the require- ment just or unjust the polished Negro is told to return and bring his people with him, before com- ing into possession of that to which his attain- ments would seem to entitle him. It is my opin- ion that there must be developed within the race a stronger altruistic tie before it can push forward at a proper gait. The classes must love the masses, (160) UNFETTERED. l6l in spite of the bad name the race is given -by the indolent, the sloven and the criminal ele- ment." Taking another survey of the throng he said, u Ah! the squalor and misery of my poor voiceless race ! What we see here is but a bird's- eye view. The heart grows sick when it contem- plates the plight of the Negroes of the cities." Dorian's eye now wandered from the people to the band. In the midst of the musicians he saw a cart pulled by five dogs hitched abreast. In the cart stood a man holding aloft a banner which bore a peculiar inscription. Dorian read the inscription on the banner and looked puzzled. Coming out of his gate he kept pace with the procession, never withdrawing his eye from the banner. He read it the second, third, fourth and fifth times. At length he called out, "Hold! here am I." The occupant of the cart leapt up and gazed wildly over the throng, endeav- oring to see the person that had spoken. " Here," said Dorian. The man looked at Dor- Ian, jumped from his cart and rushed through the crowd and ran to Dorian's side. Taking a knife from his pocket he quickly made a slit in Dorian's clothes just over the muscular part of his left arm. The purposes of the man were so evidently ami- cable that Dorian interposed no objection. The man seemed to be satisfied with what he saw. He now tfrrew himself at Dorian's feet and uttered l62 UNFETTERED. loud exclamations of joy. Arising he turned to pay and dismiss the band. The throng by this time was thoroughly excited over the curious antics of the stranger, and had clustered around Dorian wondering what it was that had caused such an abrupt cessation of the open air concert which they were enjoying. The stranger now locked his arm in that of Dorian and the two returned to Dorian's home. The crowd followed and stood for a long time at Dorian's gate hoping that the two would return and afford an explanation. As this did not happen, they at length dispersed. When Dorian and the stranger entered the for- mer's room and were seated, they looked at each other in silence, Dorian awaiting to be addressed and the stranger seeking to further assure himself that he was not mistaken. He arose and again looked at the markings on Dorian's arm. He now spoke some words in a strange tongue. Dorian readily replied in the same language. The stranger now felt safe in beginning his narrative. Said he, in English, u My name is Ulbah Kumi. I hail from Africa. I am one of an army of commissioners sent out by our kingdom into all parts of the world where Negroes have been held in modern times as slaves. We are hunt- i"iorfor the descendants of alost prince. This prince was the oldest son of our reigning king, a.ncl UNFETTERED. 163 taken captive in a battle fought with a rival king- dom. He was sold into slavery. The royal family had a motto and a family mark. You recognized the motto on the banner ; you have the royal mark. You also look to be a prince. Tell me your family history and I will make to you further disclosures." Dorian now told of his father and his grand- father. His grandfather had always claimed to be the heir to an African throne, had imbued his, Dor- ian's father, with that thought. The father had taught the same to Dorian. A certain formula, said to be known to no others on earth, was cher- ished in their family. " Now ! Now !" said Kumi when Dorian recited that fact. " That formula is no doubt a key that will unfold the hiding place of treasures that will make you the richest man in the world. Here is an inventory of what is to be found in that hiding place." Dorian took the reputed inventory. The enor- mous value of the items cited staggered his imagi- nation. ' ' This is incredulous," said Dorian. " How could Africans, unlearned in the values of civilized nations, know how to store away these things." " Easily explained," said Kumi. " A white ex- plorer spent years in our kingdom collecting these things. We deemed them worthless, gave them to him readily and called him fool. . He took sick in r country arid saw that he was going to die, He 164 UNFETTERED. called your great grandfather, our king, to his bed- side, told him that civilization would make its way into Africa one day, and urged him at all hazards to preserve and secrete the treasures that he had collected. Our king was led to believe that these treasures would make him one of the greatest rulers of earth, and he obeyed the dying man's injunc- tion. The white man left this inventory and a document giving the location of his European home, the names and family history of his kin, asking that our king remember them in the day of hi s affluence. " Our king gave the formula that leads to the hiding place to your grandfather, your grandfather told it to your father, your father has, I see, no doubt, told it to you. u As a further proof that I speak the truth I hand you now a few specimen stones that were reserved to prevent this affair from being classed as a myth." He now took from a pocket a box of costly stones and handed them to Dorian. " How these things would grace Moilene," thought Dorian, as his eye passed from one spark- ling jewel to another. It now occurred to Dorian that the acceptance of this fortune might entail upon him a sacrifice of which he was incapable. It might involve his leav- ing this country, a step that he could not even con- template in view of the fact that Morlene was now free, The looming of this contingency before his. UNFETTERED. 165 mind caused him to drop the jewels as though they had suddenly become hot. Kumi looked up at him in great astonishment. Dorian's face now wore a pained expression. He had always been profoundly interested in Africa and was congratulating himself on the opportunity now offered to convert the proffered kingdom into an enlightened republic. It now seemed that his own interests and those of his ancestral home were about to clash. He cannot endure the thought of putting an ocean between Morlene and himself. Nor can he with equanimity think of allowing Af- rica to remain in her existing condition. " When am I expected to go to Africa?" enquired Dorian in serious tones. " You may not have to come at all, and yet serve our purpose." " How so?" asked Dorian, arising and drawing near to Kumi. The latter began : " We Africans are engaged in a sociological investigation of many questions. We are seeking to know definitely what part the cli- mate, the surface, the flora and the fauna have played in keeping us in civilization's back yard. Huxley thinks that our woolly hair and black skins came to us only after our race took up its abode in Africa. He holds that it was nature's contribution to render us immune from the yellow fever germs so abundant in swampy regions. "He thinks that those of our race who did not take on a dark hue and woolly texture of hair were the less adapted to life in the tropics and eventually died out, leaving those that were better adjusted to survive. " He thinks that these beneficial modifications were preserved and transmitted with increasing strength from generation to generation until our hue and our hair or the physical attributes for which they stand rendered us immune from yellow fever. I may add that Livingstone says of us, ' Heat alone does not produce blackness of skin, but heat with moisture seems to insure the deepest hue.' " Now, nature, in thus protecting us against yel- low fever, by changing our color from the original, whatever it was, has painted upon us a sign that causes some races to think that there is a greater difference between us and them than there really is. So much for our color and the ills that it has en- tailed." Dorian interrupted Kumi to remark very feel- ingly : " I am truly glad that you are not inoculated with that utterly nonsensical view to be met with in this country, which represents that the Negro's color is the result of a curse pronounced by Noah upon his recovery from a drunken stupor. Please proceed." UNFETTERED. 167 Kumi resumed his remarks. u Mr. Herbert Spencer holds that our comparative lack of energy is due to heat and moisture. He states that 'the earliest recorded civilization grew up in a hot and dry region Egypt ; and in hot and dry regions also arose the Babylonian, Assyrian and Phoeni- cian civilizations.' He points out that all 'the conquering races of the world have hailed from within or from the borders of the hot and dry re- gion marked on the rain map ' rainless districts,' and extending across North Africa, Arabia, Persia and on through Thibet into Mongolia.' " He, therefore, would ascribe our backwardness principally to a woful lack of energy, a condition brought on by our hot and moist climate. "When our investigation of these questions is complete," continued Kumi, "we will know just what has brought us where we are and can deter- mine whether artificial appliances sufficient to counteract existing influences can be discovered and instituted. " Mr. Benjamin Kidd seems to think that the tropics can never develop the highest type of civ- ilization. In the event that the government of the tropics is to be conducted from the temperate zones, we tropical people will desire Negroes to remain in the temperate zones, to advocate such policies and form such alliances as shall be for our highest good. "So, it may turn out to be the best for you, our king, to remain here, for our welfare, owing to our i 68 UNFETTERED. peculiar environments, depends, just now, as much upon what others think of us as upon what we ourselves may do. The question of your go- ing to Africa is not, therefore, a pressing one, yet." " That leaves me somewhat free to deal with a question that is pressing, and pressing hard," said Dorian, clasping Kumi's hand in joy, now that the way was clear for him to serve without conflict his own heart and the home of his fathers. Kumi looked at Dorian puzzled as to what ques- tion it was that was pressing for a settlement. Dorian did not enlighten him on the subject, how- ever. But we know, do we not, dear reader ? CHAPTER XXIV. GOING FORTH TO UNFETTER. Morlene was yet wearing mourning for Harry, and, as a consequence, Dorian was forced to de- lay the inauguration of his suit. If you think that this procedure, or rather non-procedure, was to his liking, but ask the stars unto whom his heart so often entrusted its secrets ; ask the wee small hours of the night who saw him restless, times without number. Somehow his business seemed to require him to pass Morlene's house rather often ; and yet the business could not have been so very urgent, in that he found so much time to spare, talking to Morlene in an informal way at her gate. And, to go further, if the truth must out, Morlene's pres- ence at that gate at Dorian's time of passing did happen, we must admit, rather often to be placed in the category with usual accidental occurrences. Now and then, at rare intervals, Dorian would pay Morlene a call on some matter of business, he would say. On those occasions it was interesting to note how quickly the business matter was dis- posed of in fact, was so of ten actually forgotten by Dorian and, it must be confessed, by Morlene, too. The truth of the matter is, to be plain, these two (1(59) I7O UNFETTERED. individuals had discovered that their souls were con- genial spirits, each seeming to need the other, if it would have a sense of completeness. Now, this was the latent Dorian and the latent Morlene, the apparent Dorian and the apparent Morlene co-oper- ating with society in its policy of adding to the duration of the marriage vow, which reads until death, but which has been stretched by society to an indefinite period thereafter. This discovery of a bond of affinity, we say, was purely the work of the latent Dorian and the latent Morlene, for were not those two members of society abstaining from all mention of the regard, the deep regard, the bound- less excuse us, the period of mourning has not passed. One day Dorian discovered by consulting his memorandum that about the usual time between those business (?) propositions had elapsed and he searched his mind for a plausible excuse for making a call. When Dorian arrived at Morlene's home that night, imagine his feelings when he saw on enter- ing the parlor that she had at last laid aside her mourning attire. The thought that she was now approachable set his soul ablaze. What Dorian took to be the most wicked of all demons, seemed to say to him, " Don't declare your- self on this the very first occasion. Those gate talks and business visits are not supposed to have been acts of courtship, remember." UNFETTERED. "Will you please leave me?" whispered Dor- ian's soul to the imaginary grinning demon that made the suggestion. Utterly repudiating all thought of further delay, Dorian drew close to Morlene. She saw the love signals in Dorian's eyes. Rather than have her soul flash back replies, she inclined her head for- ward and looking down, clutched the table near which she stood. " Morlene," said Dorian, "I really believe that my heart will burst if I do not let out its secret. Morlene, I love you. But you know that and you know how well. You have read this and more, too, in my countenance. Will you be my wife?" Those words spoken into Morlene's ear at close range were elixir unto her soul. Looking up into Dorian's face, her eyes told of love, deep, bound- less. This Dorian saw. But he saw more than love. He saw despair written so legibly upon that sweet face that it could not be misunderstood and would not be ignored. " Come," said Dorian, leading Morlene to a seat. Sitting down by her side and taking one of her lovely hands in his, he said in tones charged with deepest emotion : "Tell me, dear girl, that you will be my wife. May I, poor worm of the dust, be allowed to call you my own?" plead Dorian, bestowing on Mor- lene that peculiar look born of love stirred to its depths by anxiety. 1 72 UNFETTERED. " I do not know, Mr. Warthell, I do not knew. It "Do not know," gasped Dorian, dropping the hand tenderly. " My God ! she does not know !" he groaned. " Wait but a second, and all will be plain," said Morlene, placing a hand upon Dorian's arm and looking eagerly into his grief-torn face. "Wait a second," repeated Dorian mechanically. U A second in moments like these seems akin to an eternity. But I wait." " Now, Mr. Warthell, be fair to yourself," said Morlene, soothingly. u You remarked that I must have read some things in your countenance. Re- member your soul has an eyesight, and you have done some reading, too." Her eyes were averted, her tones low, her speech halting as she made this half-confession to Dorian's eager ears. Dorian, who had been feeling more like an arctic explorer than a suitor for a lady's hand, felt his blood running warmer from the effects of this morsel of cheer. "I will explain to you what it is that I do not know, Mr. Warthell. I do not know how long it will be before conditions in the South will warrant women of my way of thinking in becoming wives of men of your mould." "If," said Dorian, rising, "consideration of this matter is to be postponed until my environments UNFETTERED. 173 enable me to prove myself worthy of you, my doom is certain. For the most benign influences of earth have not produced the man that could claim your hand on the ground of merit." " Mr. Warthellj you misapprehend. A second thought would have told you not to place a con- struction on my remarks that causes them to savor of egotism on my part. It is far from me to suggest that anything is needed to make you worthy of any woman. To the contrary, your esteem is a tribute than which there is nothing higher, so I feel. Now, hear me calmly," said Morlene. " Not until I have purged myself of contempt," said Dorian, deferentially. " I hold that egotism is inordinate self-esteem, esteem carried beyond what is deserved. Under this definition, show me, please, how you could manifest egotism. It is absolutely unthinkable from my point of view." Morlene waved her hand deprecatingly, told Dorian to be seated and began an explanation of the peculiar situation in which they found them- selves. Dorian was calmer now ; he realized an undercurrent of love in all that Morlene was saying and he knew, as all men know, that love will eventually assert itself. So he bore Morlene's at- tempt to tie cords about her affections, much in the spirit of one who might see a web woven across the sky for the feet of the sun. 174 UNFETTERED. Morlene said : " Mr. Warthell, to my mind it is the function of the wife to idealize the aims of a husband, to quicken the energies that would flag, to be at once the incentive and perennial inspira- tion of his noble achievements, to point him to the stars and steady his hand as he carves his name upon the skies. In the South the Negro wife is robbed of this holy task. We are being taught in certain high quarters that self-repression is the Negro's chief est virtue. Our bodies are free they no longer wear the chains, but our spirits are yet in fetters. I have firmly resolved, Mr. War- thell, to accept no place by a husband's side until I can say to his spirit, " Go forth to fill the earth with goodness and glory." Morlene paused for an instant. " Mr. Warthell, in you may slumber the genius of a Pericles, but a wife in the South dare not urge upon you to become a town constable or a justice of the peace. Talk about slavery ! Ah ! the chains that fetter the body are but as ropes of down when compared to those that fetter the mind, the spirit of man. And think ye I would enter your home sim- ply to inspire that great soul of yours to restless- ness and fruitless tuggings at its chains ! In the day when a Negro has a man's chance in the race of life, I will let my heart say to you, Mr. Warthell, all that it wishes to say." Morlene ceased speaking and the two sat long in. Porlau was the first to speafc. UNFETTERED. 175 " Morlene, I confess I am a slave. My neigh- bors, my white fellow citizens, have formed a pen, have drawn a. zigzag line about me and told me that I must not step across on pain of death. Having a mind as other men, such arbitrary restrictions are galling. I am then a slave, limited not by my ca- pacity to feel and do, but by the color of my skin. You do not wish to marry a slave ; refuse him for his own good. All of that is clear to me, and I chide you not. Come ! There are lands where 'a man's color places no restrictions on his aspirations for what is high and useful. L,et us flee thither !" u No, no, no, Mr. Warthell ! Let us not flee. At least, not yet. Our dignity as a people demands that the manhood rights of the race be recognized on every foot of soil on which the sun sees fit to cast his rays." "Now, Morlene," said Dorian, "you as good as tell me that you will never be my wife. Pray, tell me, why am I so rudely tossed about upon the bosom of life's heaving ocean ?" These words were; spoken in tones of utter despair. " I have not said that I would not be your wife, Dorian. I am trying every day I live to devise a solution for our Southern problem." " She called me Dorian, she called me Dorian,", said he to himself, rejoicing inwardly over this fresh burst of sunshine just as his gloom was deepening. Suddenly his face showed the illurmnatipn of 3 great hope, 176 UNFETTERED. " Morlene ! Morlene !" cried Dorian, in a rush of enthusiasm, " Suppose I, Dorian Warthell, solve this problem ; suppose I unfetter the mind of the Negro and allow it full scope for operation ; sup- pose I offer lo you a thoroughly substantial hope of racial regeneration, will you " Here Dorian paused and looked lovingly into the sweet face up- turned to his. " If I do these things," he resumed in sober tone, " will you be my wife ?" u Mr. Warthell, if you can open the way for me to really be your wife, there is nothing in my heart that bids me shrink from the love you offer." Dorian's mind entertained one great burst of hope, then fled at once to the great race problem that had hung pall-like over the heads of the American people for so many generations, and now stood be- tween himself and Morlene. A sense of the enor- mity of the task that he had undertaken now over- whelmed him. Dorian bowed his head, the follow- ing thoughts coursing through his agitated mind : " I am to weld two heterogeneous elements into a homogeneous entity. I am to make a suc- cessful blend of two races that differ so widely as do the whites and the Negroes. Each race has manifested its racial instincts, and has shown us .all, that wise planning must take account of these. The problem is inherently a difficult one and of a highly complex nature. But with an in- centive such as I have, surely it can be solved. UNFETTERED. 177 Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln said the problem was incapable of solution, that the two races could not live together on terms of equality. They were great and wise, but not infallible. With Morlene as a prize, I shall prove them wrong." Morlene, taking advantage of his abstraction, be- stowed on him an unreserved look of pitying love. Dorian looked up suddenly from his reverie, and their eyes met once more. There was no reserve now "and Dorian's joy was so keen that it seemed to pain him. Arising to go, he said : u I go from you con- secrating my whole power to the task before me. Fortunate it is, indeed, for the South that she has at least one man so surrounded that he cannot be happy himself until he makes this wilderness of woe blossom as a rose. Farewell." Dorian now left and walked slowly toward his home. He reflected, " I will have no business at her home now until this problem is solved. Sup- pose I do not solve it." Dorian's fears began to assert themselves. " I may never, never see that face again. Think of it !" he said. This thought was too much for Dor- Ian. He paused, leaned upon the fence, thrust his Hat back from his fevered brow. He turned and retraced his steps to Morlene'' s home. She met him at the door and was not surprised at his re- turn. Her heart was craving for just another sight 178 UNFETTERED. of its exiled lord. Re-entering the parlor, they stood facing each other. " Morlene," said Dorian, " I have come to ask a boon of you. I can labor so much better with a full assurance of your love. From your eyes, from your words, I say humbly, I have come to feel that you have honored me with that love. But the testi- mony is incomplete. Will you grant unto me the one remaining assurance ? Will you seal our most holy compact with a kiss ?" Morlene's lips parted not, but she attempted an answer, nevertheless. Her queenlike head was shaking negatively, saying, " Please do not require that." But those telltale eyes were saying, " Why, young man the whole matter rests with you." Morlene was conscious that her eyes were contra- dicting the negative answer that her head was giv- ing. To punish the two beautiful traitors she turned them away from Dorian and made them look at the carpet. Morlene in this attitude was so ex- quisitely beautiful that Dorian was powerless to re- sist the impulse that made him take her into his arms. One rapturous kiss, and Dorian was gone ! CHAPTER XXV. TONY MARSHALL. Tony Marshall was one of the Negroes of the younger class who had left the country district and had come to R as a result of the imbroglio between L,emuel Dalton and Harry Dalton. He had come to the city with the untried innocence of country life, sober, industrious and frugal, accepta- ble as a wholesome infusion into Negro life in the city, which, so far as the masses were concerned, stood sadly in need thereof. Without much dim\ culty he had secured work as a porter in a hard- ware store. After a few years' sojourn in the city, he had fallen in love and married. Among the Negroes of R Mrs. Tony Mar- shall was variously designated as " a good looking woman," "a fine looking woman," and among the older ones as "a likely gal;" and she richly deserved these encomiums passed on her personal appear- ance. She was not a small woman, nor yet could you call her large. Her form, while not delicate- ly chiseled, presented an appearance that seemed to be a satisfactory compromise between beauty and strength, each struggling to be noted in this one form. Her face was well featured, her hazle col- ored eyes making it very attractive. As to com- (179) J 80 UNFETTERED. plexion, she was dark, quite dark, and of a hue so soft and attractive therewith that her complexion made her an object of envy. Tony Marshall adored his wife, and it was his one ambition to see her happy. Everything that he did was with a view to her comfort and happi- ness. On the meagre wages which he received he had not been able to provide for her as he had de- sired. Noticing that young white men who had entered the employ of the hardware company after his com- ing and knew no more of the requirements of the business than he did noticing that these had sev- eral times~been promoted, Tony Marshall made an application for an increase in his wages. The head of the firm looked at him in astonishment. It was an unwritten and inexorable rule in that and in many other establishments that the wages of Negro employes were to remain the same forever, however efficient the labor and however long the term of service. Failing of promotion where he was, and noting that the rate of one dollar per day prevailed al- most universally, Tony Marshall saw no relief in changing employment, and decided to increase his own wages at his employers' expense. He made a comparison between the salary which he was re- ceiving and that being received by the white em- ployees who did work similar in character to his. He began, therefore, to purloin the wares of the com- UNFETTERED. I Si pany and dispose of them at various pawn shops. As a "sop" to his conscience he stole only so much as sufficed to bring his wages to the level of others who did work like his. His thefts were the more easily committed because he had won the unlimited confidence of his employers. Tony has just rented a more commodious house for the pleasure of his wife, and as his rent is to be increased, he is pondering how to further increase his income. On this particular morning when our story finds him, he is debating this question as he walks to his work. At last he concluded to steal that day a very fine pistol from the stock under his care, which theft he hoped would net him such a nice sum that he could suspend pilfering for a while. When he returned home that evening he carried the pistol with him, and hid it under the front door- step, it being his rule to not allow his wife to know anything of his misdoings ; for he could not bear the thought of forfeiting her respect. " I am going to my lodge meeting now ; I may not return until very late," said Tony that night } as he kissed his wife good-bye. Instead of going to the lodge meeting, however, Tony Marshall went to the section of the city where were congregated practically all of the vicious Negroes of R . Entering a house, the front room of which was the abode of an aged couple, he passed to the rear through a hall way. Giving the proper rap at a 1 82 UNFETTERED. door, he was admitted. He was now in a long room well crowded with Negro men and many women, who sat at tables engaged in various kinds of gaming. The occupants of the room gazed up at the newcomer, quickly, enquiringly, but seeing that it was the well known Tony, their attention returned to the matters before them. The flapping of cards, the rolling of dice, outbursts of profanity, the clinking of glasses as liquor drinking progressed, were the sounds that filled the room. Tony found room at a dice table and was soon deeply engaged in the game. At a late hour the accustomed rap was heard at the door and it was opened. Great was the consternation of all when the newcomers were discovered to be a half dozen policemen. The inmates of the gambling house saw at once that some frequenter of the place had proven traitor and furnished the officers with information. They were all placed under arrest and formed into a line to be marched to the city jail. The Negroes had submitted with such good grace that the offi- cers felt able to dispense with the patrol wagon, the jail being near. Tony Marshall's thoughts were of his wife, L,ula. She was of a highly respectable family and her mortification would be boundless should she know of his arrest in the gambling den and hear of his UNFETTERED. 183 being in the chain gang working out his fine on the public highways. Tony Marshall decided to escape at the risk of his life. The gambling fraternity had a code of signals that could give the cue to the proper course to be pursued under any given circumstances. The leader of the gang now gave three coughs, which meant, " Raise a row among yourselves." The idea was to get up a fight among the prison- ers and while the officers were attempting to quell the fight, as many as could were to make their es- cape. It was the rule that all who made their es- cape were to employ lawyers and raise money to help out those left behind. A group began quarreling among themselves, and a fight soon followed. The officers interposed to quell the disturbance and prisoners broke and ran in all directions. The officers found that they had a larger number than they could well manage un- der the circumstances, and they gave their attention to corralling a few, letting the others escape in the hope of tracing them out and re-arresting them on the morrow. Among those that escaped was Tony Marshall. Running by his home, he secured the stolen pistol from beneath the doorstep, got his bicycle from the woodhouse and was soon speeding out of the city. He chose the road that led to the settlement whence he had come to the city. It was his intention from 184 UNFETTERED. that point to write to his wife, telling her that he had received a most urgent call to see his aged mother who was represented to him to be dying. Throughout the night Tony rode at a rapid rate, putting many miles between himseu and the city. About daybreak, as he was speeding along on his bicycle, he glanced up into a tree and saw therein a squirrel. "Good luck!" said he, "there is my breakfast." Jumping from his bicycle, he got on the side of the road opposite to the tree that held the squirrel. Elevating his pistol, he took aim and vas upon the eve of pulling the trigger when he heard the clatter of the hoofs of a horse galloping in his direction. He dropped the pistol to his side and peered around the bend of the road to catch sight of the newcomer on the scene. For a few minutes only we leave him standing thus that we may fully acquaint you with the newcomer, that the horror of the meeting between the two may not come as too great a shock to you. " But how is the waiting, struggling, hoping Dorian concerned in all of this ?" the reader asks. That, too, in due time will be apparent. CHAPTER XXVI. A MORNING RIDE. We are at the Dalton house once more. It is the night on which we followed Tony Marshall to the gambling den, which we saw raided by the officers of the law. Under the window of Lemuel Dalton's bed room a dog had stationed himself, and through- out the night uttered long, loud and piteous howls. Lemuel Dalton professed to be above supersti- tion and detested that in the Negroes more than he did anything else, perhaps. While professing to the contrary, he was in reality superstitious to a marked degree, even against his own better sense. This semi-consciousness of the presence of a latent superstition in the crevices of his inner-self, no doubt served to intensify his antipathies against a people who had thus in spite of himself injected supersti- tion into him ; for he blamed the Negroes for the prevalence of superstition in the Southern States. So the howling of this homeless dog bothered Lemuel, although he sought to assure himself, over and over again, that it did not. He had arisen more than once and fired his pistol out of the win- dow in order to stop the noise of the dog. The dog would quiet down for a brief period and then (185) 1 86 UNFETTERED. resume his canine lamentations. The howling of the dog, coupled with its persistence, produced in Lemuel Dalton a state of mind bordering on terror. The Negroes held that the howling of a dog be. neath a window was a sure sign that an inmate of the house was soon to die. Arising very early the next morning, Lemuel Dalton entered his library and took a seat. He wheeled his chair until it faced the east window and, tilting back in it, mechanically twirled his mustache, a look of deep meditation coming over his face. " Confound the people who first brought the Negroes to this country," he said. He was worried that he could not shake off the superstition as to death following the howling of a dog. In the midst of his broodings Lemuel Dalton's pretty little wife (for he is married now) came dash- ing into the room attired in a riding habit. Lem- uel Dalton wheeled around to meet her and her quick eye caught the cloud that was just vanishing from his face. " Lemuel, my dear, what on earth are you allow- ing to trouble you ?" she said, shaking her riding whip at him, playfully, while her eyes were shining with the love that she cherished for him. " I may tell you when you return from your morning ride," he said, opening his arms to receive his wife. " You naughty lad," she cried, looking into his eyes with.mock earnestness. "When did you ever UNFETTERED. I 7 hear of a woman consenting to wait a moment to obtain a secret? Tell me now on pain of being doomed to bear this burden, my humble self, in your arms for ever." "The very penalty that you affix as a menace is an inducement for me to disobey. I resist the temptation, however, and tell you the subject of my thoughts. I was thinking of the Negroes." A shiver ran over the frame of Mrs. Dalton and the cheerful smile died out of her face. " Lemuel, will you people of the South ever be rid of this eternal nightmare?" queried Mrs. Dalton, looking up into Lemuel's face. Lemuel tenderly stroked her beautiful hair, but did not essay to answer her question. The fact of the matter was, he regarded the Negro problem as grow- ing graver and more complicated as time wore on. The strenuous efforts of the Negro to rise arid the decrease of the distance between the two races he viewed with alarm. He did not care to communi- cate his real feelings to his wife, so he said nothing. Mrs. Dalton's nature was of a light and volatile kind and she thought of the Negroes only for an in- stant. Wresting herself out of her husband's arms, she skipped out of the room. She immediately re- appeared at the door of the library and threw a kiss at Lemuel in girlish fashion and was soon mounted and riding out to get the benefit of the brisk morn- ing air. As she saunters along, we may learn a few 188 UNFETTERED. points in her history that bear upon the case unto which events are leading. She was born and reared in a section of the State of Maine where no Ne- groes whatever live. It was here that Lemuel Dai- ton found, wooed, and wedded her. She had read from time to time of the crimes of brutal Negroes and the summary punishments administered to them, and she had rather imperceptibly grown to re- gard the prevailing race type of the Negroes as being criminal. This opinion was not an unnatural out- growth of the newspaper habit of giving unlimited space and flaming headlines to the vicious Negro, the exotic, while the many millions who day by day went uncomplainingly to their daily tasks and wrought worthily for the country's welfare, re- ceived but scant attention. The opinion that this state of affairs caused Mrs. Dalton -to imbibe, was the further fostered by the atmosphere of the Dal ton house, which was so thor- oughly hostile to the Negro. The whole of the Dalton place was now manned by white help, and Negroes would not so much as go there on errands of business. It was from such a home and under the conditions outlined that Mrs. Dalton went forth for her morning ride. It was the noise of Mrs. Dalton's horse that caused Tony Marshall to pause in his attempt to kill the squirrel. CHAPTER XXVII. THEY FEAR EACH OTHER. As Tony peered around the bend in the road, Mrs. Dalton caught sight of him and uttered a piercing scream. Tony knew the horse to be that of I/em- uel Dalton and he perceived at once that the situa- tion was full of danger for him, as the uninten- tional frightening of white women in the South had furnished more than one victim for the mob. Knowing so well the feelings of Lemuel Dalton toward Negroes, he reasoned that if the white woman who had become frightened at him, re- turned to the house and reported that she had come upon a Negro with a drawn pistol, public opinion among the whites would at once adjudge him guilty of harboring a purpose of committing a dastardly crime against woman's honor. He knew that a strong suspicion to this effect meant instant and violent deatu to the party suspected. He was de- termined to see to it that the woman did not leave him in a disturbed frame of mind. Rushing for- ward, he grasped the horse's bridle. This all the more frightened and excited Mrs. Dalton. " L