The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-04-06

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the chest of drawers Tolerably satisfied
in this direction, she proceeded to ex-
anime the windows. They were all well
protected with iron bars. The walls
were papered, and, after careful exam
| nation, seemed to contain no signs of a
secret door.
! Mrs. Martin now sank down into a
chair to reflect upon her position. As
was natural, after having taken these
precautions, the idea presented itself
that they might be superfuous, and she
smiled at the thought of what her friends
would say when she related to them
the terrors of the night. Her child was
sleeping TRANQUILITY, its rosy cheeks half
buried in the pillow. The fire had
blazed up into flame, whilst the un-
snufed candle burned dimly. The room
was full of pale, trembling shadows, but
she had no superstitious fears. Some
thing positive could alone raise her
alarm. She listened attentively, but
she could hear nothing but the bowling
of the wind over the roof, and the pat
tering of the rain against the window
panes. AS her excitement diminished,
the fatigue-which had been forgotten
resolved to undress and go to bed.
Her heart leaped into her throat.
For moment she seemed perfectly
paralyzed She had undressed and put
out the candle, when she accidently
dropped he watch. STOPPING to pick it
up, her eyes involuntarily glanced to-
wards the bed A great mass of red
hair, hand, and cleaning knife, were
revealed by the light Of The fire. After
the first moment of terrified alarm, her
presence of mind returned. She felt
that she had herself cut off all means of
escape by the door, and was left entirely
to her own resources. Without uttering
a cry, but trembling in every limb, the
poor woman got into bed by the side of
her child. An idea-a plan-had sug-
gested itself. 1t had flashed through
her brain like lightning. 1t was the
only chance left.
Her bed was so disposed that the rob-
Der could only get out from under it by
narrow aperture at the head without
making noise; and it was probable
that he would choose, from prudence
tuis means of exit. There were no cur
tains in the way, 50 Mrs. Martin, with
terrible decision and noiseless energy.
made a running knot in her silk scarf,
and held it poised over the aperture by
which her enemy was to make his APP
pearance. She had resolved to strangle
him in defense of her life and that of
her child.
The position was an awful one; and
probably had she been able to direct her
attention to the surrounding circum-
stances, she might have given way to her
fears, and endeavored to raise the house
by screams. The fire on the hearth
unattended to-had fallen abroad, and
now gave only dull, sullen light, with
an occasional bright CLEAN. Every OBJ
Ject IN the vast apartment showed dimly
and uncertainty, and seemed to be en-
dowed with a restless motion. Now and
then a mouse advanced stealthily along
the floor, but, startled by some move
ment 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 slum-
Der, but the man under the bed, uneasy
in his position, could not avoid occasion
ally making slight noise.
Mrs. Martin was occupied only with
two ideas. First, she reflected on the ex-
traordinary delusion by which she had
been led to see enemies in the people of
the house and a friend in this red haired
man; secondly, it struck her that as he
could fear no resistance from a woman,
he might push aside the chairs that were
in the way, regardless of the noise, and
thus avoid the snare that was laid for
], H. IL l.. 1.
attention was strongly directed to one
spot, he had made his exit, and was lean
ing over her; but she was deceived by a
Pickering shadow on the opposite wall.
In reality there was no danger that he
would compromise the success of his
sanguinary enterprise; the shrieks of a
victim, put on his 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 III
terests at state-passed the time, until an
old clock on the chimney-piece told one
hour after midnight. Another source of
had nearly burnt out. Her dizzy eyes
could scarcely see the floor, as she bent
with fearful attention over the head of
the bed-terrible moose hanging, like the
sword of DamOcles, above the gloomy
aperture. What" she thought, +" if
he delays his appearance until the night
has completely died away? Will it not
then be impossible for me to adjust my
scarf-to do the deed-to kill the as
sassin-to save myself and my child?
Q, God! deliver him into my handsn
A cautious movement below-the
dragging of hands and knees along the
foor-a heavy, suppressed breathing
announced that the supreme moment
was near at hand. Her white arms were
barred to the shoulder; her hair fell
wildly around her face. like the name
OF lioness about to leap upon its prey;
the dlstended Orbits of her eyes glared
down upon the spot where the question
OF life and death was to be so soon de-
cfded. Time seemed immeasurably
heightened out-every second assumed
the proportions of an hour But at last,
just as all lines and forms began to float
before her sight through a distinct
medium of blended light and darkness,
a black mass interposed between her
eyes and the floor. Suspense being over,
the time of action having arrived, every
thing seemed to pass with magical
rapidity. The robber thrust his head
cautiously forward. Mrs Martin bent
down. There was a half-choked cry
the sound of knife falling on the floor
"a convulsive struggle. Pull pull
pull Mrs. Martin heard nothing-saw
nothing but the scarf passing over the