_A Revelation._
The fact that Ensal was to resign his church and leave the country was
soon known throughout Almaville and filled the hearts of the good people
of both races with sore regret. Tiara was amazed.
"Am I no more to him than that," she asked herself.
Choosing an hour when she knew Ensal would not be in, Tiara called at
his home to see his mother. Mrs. Ellwood received her in her bedroom.
She dropped on her knees by Mrs. Ellwood's side, and said in tones that
told of a sadly torn heart:
"Mrs. Ellwood, don't let your boy leave. We need him. I--, don't, don't
let him go."
"I have plead with him, my dear, but his mind is made up, it seems,"
said Mrs. Ellwood sorrowfully.
"Perhaps he thinks that--that--that I am not--as good a friend to him
as--ah! but he ought to--."
Tiara arose, clasped her hands tightly and bent her beautiful face
toward the floor thinking, thinking. Tears began to gather as she
thought of this culminating sorrow of a life so full of sorrows.
"Mrs. Ellwood," said Tiara, "when your son comes home, for
my--well--please, oh please, beseech him to stay. Think me not immodest
because I plead with you thus. I feel so sure; I know--somehow I know
that if all were known between your boy and myself he would not leave
the country, at least would not leave it--." Tiara paused and looked up
at Mrs. Ellwood as she finished her sentence with the word, "alone."
"May heaven pardon my boldness," said Tiara, with clasped hands, lifted
face and eyes straining for the light that would not come to her soul.
"I understand you, dear child. I must confess that I do not know what
has come over Ensal."
The two women now sat down upon the bed, and, clasped in each other's
arms, silently awaited Ensal's coming.
"Wait, dear," said Mrs. Ellwood. "I will bring you a copy of the
farewell address which he has prepared. Girl, my heart is drawn to you
and I love you, have loved you, and I always thought that Ensal loved
you with all the ardor of his soul. But I don't understand. I will get
the address. It might give us some light."
Mrs. Ellwood soon returned bringing with her the document, which was
addressed to a Negro organization devoted to the general uplift of the
race, a body that had been founded, and was now presided over by Ensal.
The paper ran as follows:
"FELLOW MEMBERS: I believe in the existence of one great
superior Intelligence whom the Christians know as the God of
heaven. I believe that this great being accords to men free
moral agency, but gathers up all that we do and shapes it to
his 'one far off divine event.'
"The Dutch slave trader that landed his cargo of slaves upon
the banks of the James River was moved thereto by his greed for
gain, we know. The Southerners who wrought upon their slaves
and gave them the rudiments of civilization, wrought, we know,
for the purpose of gain.
"The war which brought emancipation was not in itself a
deliberately planned altruistic movement, but was precipitated
upon the country, and waged primarily in the interest of the
solidarity of the white race in America.
"In order that the Negroes might preserve their estate of
freedom and thus obviate another martial conflict they were
given the ballot, and, that the national life might not be
corrupted by the putrid exudations from ignorant aliens to its
civilization and its ideals, culture was provided for the
liberated millions.
"The medley of motives working through all the past has at last
produced in America the strongest aggregation of Negro life
that has at any time manifested itself upon the earth.
"To say the least it is a striking coincidence that
simultaneous with the turning of the thought of the world
toward Africa and the recognition of the need therein of an
easily acclimated civilizing force, that the American Negro,
soul wise through suffering, should come forth as a strong man
to run a race.
"In America we are confronted with a grave problem, the
adjustment of our relations with a strong race. Some have
suggested that our social absorption by this race is the only
real solution of our difficulties.
"Fellow Negroes, for the sake of world interests, it is my hope
that you will maintain your ambition for racial purity. So long
as your blood relationship to Africa is apparent to you the
world has a redeeming force specially equipped for the work of
the uplift of that continent.
"Again, a seer linked to us by ties of blood, foreshadows that
the paramount problem of our century will be the problem of the
adjustment of the white to the darker races. If we disappear as
a dark race this world problem must look elsewhere for special
advocates. It seems to me that our situation is from every
point of view eloquent with the voice of destiny.
"I go to introduce a working force into the life of the
Africans that will make for their uplift. May it continue your
ambition to abide Negroes, to force the American civilization
to accord you your place in your own right, to the end that the
world may have an example of _alien_ races living side by side
administering the general government together and meting out
justice and fair play to all. If through the process of being
made white you attain your rights, the battle of the dark man
will remain to be fought.
"As I enter therefore upon the larger mission of the American
Negro, it is with the confident hope that my base of supplies
shall remain intact that our struggling kinsmen everywhere may
ever find men of their blood piloting the whole strength of
America into channels that make for the good of the whole human
race.
"Yours in perpetual bonds of brotherhood,
"ENSAL ELLWOOD."
The two had just finished the reading of the paper when the door bell
rang.
"Ensal's ring," whispered Mrs. Ellwood, who now closed Tiara in the room
and went to meet her son.
Armed with the knowledge of the fact that Ensal was strong in Tiara's
regard, Mrs. Ellwood was ready for a determined attack. Mother and son
entered the study, Ensal perceived at once that his mother had something
of importance to say to him.
"My boy," she began, "I know of the noble purpose that moves in your
bosom and have ever been proud of it. I shall not chide you now that it
turns your face to the fatherland. But I would have you marry."
"No! no! no! mother. O no! never," said Ensal, losing all his wonted
calmness, but kissing his mother to let her know that his displeasure
over the subject did not extend to her for mentioning it.
"My son, I shall hold you in utter disfavor unto the day of my death if
you, without just cause, declare war upon womankind. How can you, my
son!" said Mrs. Ellwood reproachfully.
Ensal grew calm and looked long and lovingly at his mother. He saw that
for some reason or other his mother had taken up the battle against him
and that he was under the necessity of exonerating himself. Said Ensal:
"Mother, I am going to divulge to you a secret which I had firmly
resolved to carry to the grave with me. I have withheld it from you, not
because I mistrusted you, my dear, dear mother, but for the sake of
another. In all my life, mother, I have seen but the one girl whom I
have loved, Tiara Merlow--and she loved another!"
The mother shook her head and smiled knowingly.
"Ah, but I know, mother. The object of her love was a white man. Gus
Martin saw him kiss her and killed him, killed the Rev. Percy G.
Marshall. The letter which gave me so much trouble told me all, told me
all! O my God! She loved another."
Mrs. Ellwood sat and looked at Ensal utterly dazed. She arose and,
thoroughly weakened physically by the shock of Ensal's information,
crept out of the room to Tiara.
"Darling," she gasped, "he says that you loved another--a white man--a
preacher--Percy Marshall. Daughter, darling, deny it! Deny it!"
"O! God of Heaven, what shall I do! What shall I do," groaned the
unhappy Tiara.
With one hand pressed upon her throbbing heart and the other laid upon
her fevered brow the beautiful girl left the Ellwood home.