The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-10-04

umpet. Inere was no SnrleklnB tneu
it was struggle in dead silence-Alice
too intent, the thief too cautious.
"Come now, little one," he said, hoarse-
ly, at last, emo more of this. It's no
use. Twas mine before twas yours.
You'd never have had any of it if L
hadn't sent him back the will-fair
division |" A blow of his fist on her
temple or from the butt of his pistol
would have finished her and left him
free; but somehow he had hesitated in
giving it, thinking to shake her off, and
the moment of his last hoarsely whis-
pered word, Mrs. Magilvray-an awful
sheeted vision, in night-cap that would
have terrified ghost-issued from her
room, holding aloft kerosene lamp,
and the three boys burst upon the scene
with orange-wood sticks and the old
queen's-arm, and there was nothing for
the uninvited guest to do but to make
congo, which he did at once; and Alice
was picked up in dead faint, but still
clasping the box.
Eugene came back that night, and he
was speechless and cold with horror
when he found to what he had exposed
his darling. And Alice was i'll with
raging fever, and with that housebreak-
er's face sealed upon the space before
her eyes-a dark and pallid face strange
ly evil and strangely beautiful, with the
straight lines of its features and the
brilliant blaze of it's eyes, but with q
great scar running like cash along the
cheek. She did not even know she saw
it at the time, but now it seemed to hang
before her like mask, just as when the
light of her mothers lamp first fell on it,;
and turn which way she would, she could
not escape it's evil glance, its dark and
beautiful fascination. "Oh, it is Satan's
own !" she would cry. "Lucifer looked
just so Am L always to see it ?''
The doctor said it was hallucination
owing to nervous shock, and that it
would take q long season for her to re-
cover entirely, if she ever did. But
youth is great deal stronger than doc
tors are wise, and before as many months
as he had prophesied years, Miss Alice
was about the house again, as gay as
ever, only very tremulous, when night
time came, and unwilling to be left alone
| in the dark a minute.
1t was a month or so after Alice's we'd
ding that an officer waited upon her one
morning with the request that she should
go to the city prison in order to identify
party suspected of breaking open the
Wamsutteag bank on the same night
that Mrs. Magilvray's house had been
entered and the little fiat tin box so near
ly made away with. If Mrs. Descamps
could identify the scamp, he could be
detained; otherwise they would be
obliged to let him go, the officer had
told Eugene. eff he could be identified
as the wretch with whom Mrs. Descamps
had the struggle" he said, /" it would be
a benefit to the community"
SIS he so very bad?" she said, shiv-
ering.
"Well, ma'am, he has been," the
officer replied. "Just now he's been
playing off. We found him at trade,
with some custom, and he begged hard
to be let off and left to lead an honest
life. That's his blind. Oh, he's bad
'unl 1t IL only take n half hour"
"Oh, Eugene, L can't go !' she ex-
claimed, shrinking back and covering
her eyes. 81 couldn't be the means OF
keeping him-and, oh I couldn't see
that face again. 1t would drive me
Wild"
"It made an IMPRESSION" said the
officer. "Youre the very person we
need, Mrs. Descamps. haven't the
power to force you to go with me, except
as a criminal witness, but I can bring
the prisoner here.
"That would be Objectionable fol
many reasons" said Eugene. Il will
go with you, dear, and perhaps it would
be really best to make the effort"
And sure that it could only bring back
all her old trouble of two years age
should she see that evil face in its darl
beauty and with it's gash-like scar, Alice
put on her hat and cloak, and stepped
into the carriage with Eugene and the
officer.
1t was strange contrast that was pre-
sented by Alice's entrance into that dark
place where that group of fettered fierce
looking men, with their generic coun
tenances, were defiled before her under
their guard the brilliant, beamine
young wife, with her shining hair, hel
shining eyes-great, innocent eyes-hel
snowy brow, her blooming cheek, the
sweetness on her trembling lips, taking
the one sunbeam that slanted through
the place on her golden brown velvetl
and furs and plumes, like an aura of sue
cess and happiness. She felt it herself
"Oh, what have they done to be shu
in here?" she cried, and she burst int
tears. "No, mol" she said, looking NJ
with streaming eyes. L do not see
face l ever saw before" In spite of thu
evasion, she told the truth; the tears il
her eyes hindered her seeing single
face among them all.
They selected one man from the res
| and hrouoht him nearer Have yOl
no recollection of this face ?" they asked
The dark and evil beauty of that face
with its gash-like scar Perhaps tn
evil was wearing off it; perhaps that wa
only look OF yearning petition TO
mercy-he had been merciful; he coulC
have taken her life. And then, was i
not to the return of that will that sh
and Eugene owed everything? "Oh
don't! don't! don't" she cried, turning ant
burying her face on her husbands arm
the very personifcation of the repulsiol
Of innocence from vice. " L told you
never saw one of them before; wha
more do you WANT"
And the man went back to his trade
for there was nothing to hold him
"I'm living a new life," he said to him
self the night of his return, as he file
his pipe in freedom. But one goo
turn deserves another, and I'll be blame
if 1 ever let them know that poor Jir
and me broke open the old desk in tn
old house, after we'd forged that wi
and the names of the dead witnesses, so
to get hold of the bonds after the youn
man got hold of 'em. Jim was master
hand. Well, that squares accounts, an