Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-01-15

the bed. A great mass Of red rair, a hand and
a cleaning knife were revealed by the light of
the fire. After the first moment of terrible
alarm, her presence OF mind returned. She
felt that she had herself cut off oil means OF
escape by the door, and was entirely left to her
own resources. Without uttcring a cry, but
trembling in every limb, the poor woman got
into the bed by the side Of her child. An idea
Ia plan had suggested itself 1t had flashed
through her brain like lightning. 1t was the
only chance left.
The bed was so disposed that the robber
| could get from beneath it by narrow aperture
at the head without making a noise; and it
was probable that he would choose, from pru-
dence, this means Of exit. There was no cur
tain in the way, so Mrs. Martin, with terrible
decision and noiseless energy, made a running
| moose with her silk scarf, and held it poised
| over the aperture by which her enemy was to
make his appearance. She had resolved to
strangle him in defence Of her own life and
that Of her child. NJ sejtag
The position was an awful one; and proba-
| bly had she been able to direct her attention to
| the surrounding circumstances, she might have
given way to her fears, and attempted to raise
the house by her screams. The fire on the
hearth, unattended to, had fallen around, and
now gave only dull, sullen light, with an oc-
casional bright gleam. Every object in the
vast apartment glowed with a restless motion.
| Now and then mouse advanced stealthily
along the floor, but, startled by some noise
under the bed, went securing back in terror to
| its hole The child breathed steadily in its
unconscious repose; the mother endeavored
also to initiate slumber; but the man under the
bed, uneasy in his position, could not help oc-
casionally making slight noise.
/ Mrs. Martin was occupied with only two
| ideas. First she reflected on the extraordinary
| delusion by which she had been led to see enc
mics in the people Of the house and friend in
| the red-haired man; and secondly, it struck
her that as he would fear no resistance from a
woman he might push away the chairs that
were in his way regardless of the noise, and
thus avoid the snare that was laid for him.
Once she thought that, whilst her attention
was strongly directed to one spot, he had made
his exit, and was leaning over her; but she
was deceived by Pickering shadow on the
opposite wall. In reality there was no danger
that he would compromise the success Of his
sanguinary enterprises; the shrieks OF victim
put on its guard might alarm the house.
Have you ever stood, hour after hour with
| your fishing rod in hand, waiting with the
ferocious patience of an angler, for nibble :
If you have, you have some faint idea of
the state of mind in which Mrs. Martin-with
| far other interests at stake-passed the time,
until an old clock on the chimney-piece told
| one after midnight Another source of anxiety
now presented itself-the fire had nearly burn
| ed out. Her dizzy eyes could scarcely see the
| floor, as she bent with fearful attention over
the head Of the bed-the terrible moose hang
| ing like the sword of Damocles above the gloomy
aperture "What, Thought she, 1if he delay his
appearance until the light has completely died
away3 Will it not then be impossible for me
to adjust the scarf-to do the deed Ito kill this
assassinto save my myself and my child
o, Godl deliver him into my handsr
A cautious movement below-the dragging
| Of hands and knees along the foor-a heavy
suppressed breathing g-announced that the su-
preme moment was near at hand. Her white
arms were barred to the shoulders; her hair
fell wildly around her face, like the name of a
lioness about to leap upon its prey the dis
! tended orbits of her eyes glared down upon the
| spot where the question of life and death was
was soon to be decided.
Time seemed immeasurably heightened out,
every second assumed the proportions of an
hour But at last Just as oil lines and forms
began to float before her sight through an in
distinct medium of blending light and dark
ness, black mass interposed between her eyes
and the floor. Suspense being over, the time Of
action having arrived, everything seemedtopass
with magical rapidity. The robber thrust his
head carefully forward, Mrs. Martin bent down.
| There was halfchoked cry--the sound of o
knife falling to the Aoor-a conyulsiye struggle.
Pull pull!l pulll!! Mrs. Martin heard nothing
saw nothing, but the scarf passing between
| her two naked feet. She had half thrown her.
self back, and holding her scarf with both
hands, pulled with desperate energy for her
| life. The conflict had begun; and one or the
| other must perish. The robber was powerful
man, and made furious efforts to get loose !;
not sound escaped his lips-not a sound from
hers. The dreadful tragedy was enacted in
silence.
"Well, mother Guerard," cried young man,
leaping out of a carriage that stopped before
the door Of the Auberge next morning, what
news have you got for me7 Has my mother
| arrived ~
aIs it your mother?" asked the landlady,
nights rest. Theresa lady up stairs waiting
/ for some friends, but she does not speak French
easily and seemed unwilling to talk. We could
scarcely persuade her to 60 to bed"
/ "Show me the room |" cried Arthur, running
| into the house. M
They soon arrived before the door.
Mother motherl" cried he, but he received
| no answer.
"The door is only latched, for we have no
robbers in this part of the country" said the
landlady.
But formidable obstacle opposed their en-
trance. They became alarmed, especially when
they heard the shrieks of the little girl, and
burst open the door.
The first object that presented itself was the
face Of the robber, violently upturned from be-
meath the bed, and with protruding tongueand
eyeballs; the next was the form of Mrs. Mar
tin, in the position in which we left her. She
was still pulling with both hands at the scarf,
and glaring wildly towards the head of the
bed The child had thrown its arms around
her neck, and was crying, but she paid no at
tention. The terror Of that dreadful night had
driven her mad. o
s~" Wife," said the victim Of a jealous rib,
one day, al intend to 60 to camp meeting, on
| Tuesday evening, to see the camp break up"
| ut .ls:..L ,,o,, xvor,tu ro,,l;ad oh