The Homesteader: A Novel

by Oscar Micheaux

  CHAPTER XVIII

  VENGEANCE IS MINE. I WILL REPAY

  "Jean," she cried joyfully. "The detective says that you are innocent;and that he feels he will be able to place the crime where it belongs!"

  "I'm glad," he said solemnly. She bestowed upon him a kind smile as shesaid:

  "So I thought I would just come over and cheer you up. There issomething mysterious about it all, and the newspapers are devoting muchspace to it. Oh, I'm so glad to hope that it will be all over tomorrow,and you will be let out of this place, so you can go back home and cutyour wheat."

  "My wheat?"

  "Yes, of course, Jean. You have a fine crop of wheat on all your land."

  "I have?"

  "Yes, it is so," she reassured him. And then she paused, as somethingseemed to occur to her. "Because of the fact that you have had severalfailures you cannot realize that you have actually raised a crop, a bigcrop, better than any crop since--since." She stopped short, and heunderstood and suppressed a sigh. When he looked up, she was moving downthe hallway, her mind filled with something she had almost forgottenduring the past two days.

  He knew of it. She had been given quite a write-up in the social columnsof a Chicago paper and many lovers of her musical hit, were, unknown toher, curious with regard to her coming marriage.

  The detective Agnes had retained, called on Baptiste's lawyers and helda lengthy consultation. When he left them, an understanding had beenreached with regard to the hearing, and silence was agreed upon.

  At the magistrate's office the following morning, the court room wascrowded. Scores were turned away, and all the family had beensubpoenaed.

  Glavis was first called, and related what he knew, which has alreadybeen related. Next came Mrs. McCarthy who knew even less. She wasfollowed by Ethel, and the detective and two lawyers questioned herclosely.

  "Now, you say you heard your sister scream," said the lawyer after theusual formalities had passed. "Will you kindly state to the court justwhat you overheard and know regarding this affair?"

  She glared at him, and then her eyes met those of Baptiste, and sheglared again. She told a varied story of the case, and made it verybrief.

  "You say, madame, that after you heard your sister scream you rushedfrom your room and to where she was?"

  "Yes," she answered, and those near noticed the sulkiness.

  "And when you arrived you found her dead near the door, while yourfather lay murdered in the bed?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you recall, Mrs. Glavis, whether she screamed long, or whether itwas brief?"

  She hesitated, somewhat confused. Presently, she stiffened and said: "Itwas long."

  "Did it last until after you had left your bed?"

  "It did."

  "Until you had left the room you were in?"

  "Yes."

  "In fact she was screaming still when you arrived at the door of theroom, no doubt?" the lawyer's tone was very careless, just as though hewere not in the least serious. Her reply was prompt.

  "Yes."

  "Now Mrs. Glavis, do you recall having ever heard your sister screambefore in a like manner?"

  She started perceptibly. Her eyes widened, as if she were recalling anincident. Suddenly she became oblivious of her present surroundings, andconscious of a night two years before.... When she resumed hertestimony, she was seen to be weaker.

  "No," she said bravely.

  Now it so happened that the attorneys for the defense had consulted witha chemist, who was in the court room by request. At this juncture he wascalled to the stand. He was asked a number of questions, and then Ethelwas again placed on the stand.

  "Now, madame, the court has decided to investigate this matterthoroughly. You are positive Jean Baptiste, here, killed your sister,also your father? You remember, of course, in giving your testimony,_that we are going to investigate the case and prosecute for perjury_!"She had been seen to raise her handkerchief to her eyes with the firstannouncement regarding the investigation. Now she uttered a loud cry asthe tears flowed unchecked. Suddenly she dropped her handkerchief, andwith her arms stretched forward, she screamed:

  "_No, no! Orlean, Orlean! Oh, my God, Orlean!_" And in the next instantshe would have fallen in a dead faint had those near not caught her. Forthis is how it happened.

  * * * * *

  When the family returned from the court house, Orlean had retired atonce, complaining of a headache. Since she had very often since herfather brought her home complained of such, no particular attention hadbeen paid it. She stayed in bed until late in the afternoon. In themeantime her father went over to the west side, presumably to call onMrs. Pruitt. It was late when he returned, about eleven o'clock, thatnight.

  Orlean retired again about ten, and had fallen into a troubled sleep.She felt the same as she did the night she had returned from Mrs.Merley's, and she could not account for the strange nausea that lingeredover her.

  When N.J. McCarthy returned, he went to the kitchen for a drink ofwater, after which, he must return through the room in which hisdaughter, Orlean, lay sleeping. As he had done on that occasion twoyears before, he had paused at the foot of the bed to observe hissleeping daughter. How long he stood thus, he never knew, but after atime he became conscious of that strange sensation that had come overhim on the memorable night before. He tried to throw off the uncannyfeeling, but it seemed to hang on like grim death. And as he stoodenmeshed in its sinister thraldom, he thought he again saw her rise andpoint an accusing finger at him. Out of it all he was sure he heardagain her voice in all its agony as it had spoken that other night. Buttonight the accusation was more severe.

  From a painting by W.M. Farrow.

  HE TRIED TO THROW OFF THE UNCANNY FEELING, BUT IT SEEMED TO HANG ON LIKEGRIM DEATH. AND AS HE STOOD ENMESHED IN ITS SINISTER THRALDOM, HETHOUGHT HE SAW HER RISE AND POINT AN ACCUSING FINGER AT HIM.]

  "_There you are again, my betrayer_," she said coldly. "_Today youcompleted your nefarious task; you completed the evil that began morethan thirty years ago, oh, debaser of women! Where is Speed, and thewife of his you ruined? Where? In hell and its tortures did you say?Yes, and where are my brothers? Oh, don't tremble, for you should know!No, you made me pretend to feel that you had not committed that sin, andother sins, also. But I knew--yes, I knew! You never told me I hadbrothers. You said foolish things to deceive me and the mother of mine.You called me by a boy's name, Jim, and pretended, because you did notrecognize your illegitimate off-spring, that there were none. And thencame Jean. Oh, you had him at a disadvantage always! When he was alittle boy, you started your evil, and twenty years later you renewedit. Why, oh, you vain sinner, you know! He married me--perhaps he didn'tlove me then as he might have--as he would have had I tried to be thewoman he wished me to be. But you took advantage of the weakness thatwas in me by the heritage of my mother, and you made me subservient untoyour evil will!_

  "_Well, it's all over now, and from this day henceforth you will neversee peace. The evil and misery you have brought unto others, shall nowbe cast upon you. You are my father, and the creator of my weakness, butyou have taken my husband and soul mate, and made a new generationimpossible for me to lead. And now I say unto you, go forth and repent.Begone from me. For from this day evermore though in weak flesh I maypretend to love you, know that I must hate you!_"

  He shook himself, and succeeded in casting off the depression. When helooked again, Orlean was sitting up in bed, regarding him sleepily. Hestarted, and wondered whether what had passed was real, but in the nextmoment he was relieved.

  "Papa," she said in her usual, but sleepy-like voice, "Is that you?"

  "Yes, daughter," he replied quickly, and as if to still the excitementin his heart, he passed quickly around to where she reposed, and planteda kiss upon her lips, and turning, hurried upstairs.

  She sat upright for some minutes after he had gone, and became consciousof that singular feeling that she had felt all the day, still lingeringover
her. As she sat there, she heard the little clock on the tablebeside her mother strike 11:30. She lay down again, and a few minuteslater she was asleep.

  The Reverend retired quickly and wished he could sleep and forget whathe thought he had seen and heard. He was successful, and soon he wassnoring. He could not understand upon being awakened slowly how long hehad slept, but he became conscious that the light was burning brightly.He turned on his back, and when he could see clearly, his eyes fell uponOrlean.

  She stood between him and the door, and he regarded her with a puzzledexpression. Presently his eyes met hers, and he started up. _What wasthe matter with her?_ Her eyes were like coals of burning fire; herstiff, bushy hair, was unbraided and stood _away from her head givingher the appearance of a savage. But it was the expression of her eyesthat disturbed him._ He was held in a thraldom of fear as she slowlyadvanced toward the bed.

  "Orlean," he at last managed to say. "What is the--"

  "_I have come at last to right a wrong_," she began in an uncanny voice.Never had he seen her appear like that before, nor heard her speak insuch a voice. She paused when she was beside the bed, and stood lookingdown upon him in that demented fashion. The cold perspiration broke outall over him, and he trembled.

  "_Oh, you told me my husband did not love me. While he worked to make uscomfortable and happy out there on the claim you sat beside my sick bedand told me lies. While he grieved over the loss of our little one, youconceived a vile plot to 'get even,' Oh, you--liar! You sunk his soulinto hell for spite. And then today--yesterday you reached your climaxby having me go on the stand and testify to a greater lie! To save yourwretched soul from disgrace, I swore to the most miserable lie a womancould tell! And now that you have made him suffer unjustly, and spoiledall life held for me, the judgment of God is upon you. The God that youhave lied to and made a laughing idol of seeks restitution! So yousinner of all the sins, vengeance is mine, I will repay!_"

  So saying, she reached quickly and grasped the knife he had found yearsbefore, a desperate looking instrument with a six-inch blade and bonehandle. She raised it high, and for the first time he was fullyawakened. He attempted to struggle upward, but with a strength borne ofexcitement, she pushed him and he felled backward upon the bed.

  "_Orlean, my child, Orlean! My God--oh, my heaven, what do you--_" hegot no further. Quickly her poised arm descended, and the knife she heldsank deeply into his heart.

  "_Oh, God--my beloved God--ah--oh--Christ! Christo...._" he struggledupward while she stood over him with that same white expression upon herface. As the blood clogged in the cut the knife had made, and all thepulsations concentrated, struggled before ceasing their functions forall time, he turned his dying eyes toward her. Regarded her blindly fora moment, and then, dropped limply back from where he had risen, dead.In that moment she regained her sanity.

  She regarded him a moment wildly, and then she closed her eyes to try toshut out the awful thing she had done and screamed long and wildly--justas she had done that night when she returned from Mrs. Merley's. Then,as the echo died away, the door was pushed open, and before her stoodEthel. One terrible look and the mad girl went quickly forward, halted,swayed, and then with a moan, raised the knife and sank it into her ownbreast. Drawing it forth she regarded Ethel wildly, and then, throwingthe knife against the wall of the room, dropped dead at Ethel's feet,just as Glavis' steps were heard in the hall below.

  When he heard his wife scream, and had rushed upstairs, saw the deadfather-in-law and her sister, he cried:

  "Jean Baptiste did this! I just met him coming out of the house as Ientered," and catching his wife he quickly took her back to the room,and proceeded to spread the alarm.

  Even with the grief she was cast into, Ethel had quickly seen a chanceto spite the man she hated, and instead of telling the truth, she hadchosen to keep silent and let Jean Baptiste be convicted if possible forthe crime he knew nothing of.

  The people were filing out of the court room. Ethel's confession, bornout of the excitement when the lawyer had mentioned investigating thecrime deeply, had cleared everything, and Jean Baptiste was free.

  In the court room during the hearing he had observed Agnes, but when thetrial was over, she was nowhere to be seen. He looked around, but failedto find any trace of her. At last, with a sigh, he went with the lawyersand a few days later was home, to harvest the wheat she had told him wasthe best, and so he found it.

  He was saved thereby, and went into the harvest with Bill and Georgeagain shocking as they had done years before. But there was no Agnes tobring the luncheon now, and Jean Baptiste lived in the memory of whathad once been.