Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-08-29

nerltance, renamed mystery.
There were those who shrugged their
shoulders and declared that Mrs. Halifont
would regret not having chosen some one
of whom more was known-some retired
merchant, some gentleman Of fortune,
whose father had been known to her rela-
tives. Nothing, TO be sure, could be said
against this Spaniasd or Cuban with the
English name; but who knew anything
in his favor?
However, no one said this to Mrs. Hail.
font, and if any one had, words never
changed woman's fancy yet. She be-
leved in Colonel Huinphries, and meant to
marry him.
Indeed, the trousseau was prepared, the
wedding day fixed, all was ready, and Ida
HalifOnt believed herself to be very
happy woman. She once more built cas-
ties in the air, her old sorrow seemed to
fade away in the distance. She was girl
again.
At last only twenty-four hours lay be-
tween her and her wedding day.
She was busy in her sewing-room this
last day, engaged in finishing some ruii!es
in lace and silk, singing softly to herself.
when suddenly the house was filled with
cries.
An old man servant, Willie cutting the
grass upon the lawn, wounded himself
seriously. The doctor was sent for at
once, but he was not at home, and hican-
while poor Zebedee was bleeding to
death.
Suddenly Ida Halifont remembered that
Mr.. Humphries had said that lie under
stood wounds as well as though he had
been bred surgeon. Without this it
would have been natural for her to call on
one who was so soon to become her pro-
tector in moment Of anxiety. She would
call him herself that there might be no de-
lay and, seizing her garden hat, she ran
along a little path that led from her
grounds to these OF Colonel Humphries.
climbed low fence to save time, which
would have been lost in reaching gate,
and so gained the rear of the dwelling
of which tomorrow she would be mis-
tress.
She thought herself terrified and dis
tressed. She felt rather injured in that
such an unpleasant thing as the wounding
of poor Zebidce should have happened on
the eve of her wedding day. Ten minutes
Later she thought OF herself at that mo-
ment as utterly at tease-wonderOusly hap
py-for rs she reached those, windows and
pecped, half tim'lly, through the curtains.
a t. .Ag happened that made all she had
suliei ed appear rs nothing.
The room, the window Of which she ap-
proachcd, WAS one that opened out Of a
conservatory. She saw Colonel Hum
pfries busy with some rare plants he had
Just set out to the warm ss.c shine that fell
through the glas. lie had taken off his
coat and rolled up his sleeves. Now lie
left the conservatory, and coming forward
proceeded to wash his hands in a basin of
water that had been set ready for him. He
was close to Ida Kalifont. lie did not see
her, hut she could have reached out her
hand and touched him. Why did she sink
down upon her hands and tremble like an
aspen leaf? Alas the awful reason was
this: Upon that arm, to which she was
about to give the right to clasp her in ten
derest embrace. she saw Il terrible mark-a
mark she had seen once before. She saw
I its shape and size and color. Her eyes
had been riveted on it as the sinewy hand,
at the wrist of which it ended, grasped her
dying husbands throat. She had learned
it eff by heart; she could not be deceived.
Though years had rolled away. that hOrri-
BILE marked arm was not to be forgotten or
mistaken for any other.
i Suddenly Colonel Humphries felt him.
self grasped by hand that, small as it
was, had the fierce clutch of a tigers jaw.
The fingers closed over that red mark-a
white face came close to his.
4 .sYou are my husbands s murderer ~ his
sed voice in his ear
The two stood staring at each other.
He made no denial. He only looked down
at the red mark upon his arm and cursed
it aloud.
s.How dared you make love to me? ?" she
gasprM. You"
i because loved you," he said. "Wo-
man..if l had not fallen in love with you,
that night, | would have killed you also.
1t was risking my life to spare you, with
your screams calling men to hunt me
down.
.'Oh, if you had but killed ME then ~
she mOaned.
swell, l am at your mercy now" he
said.
She answered: sYon can kill me!
wish you would. Ipry you do it. You
killed my husband. The murderer Of my
husband must be brought to justice, and |
:. yesterday. nay, an hour age-I loved
you! Oh, God pity me! have loved
} this man, this thief, who came ia tie
night to rob my husband, and who mulr-
dered him.
| She remembered saying this. After
! wards strange drowsirsess Overcsanse her.
She seemed to let go lrer heM upon the
world. She family recognized the fact that
Colonel Humphries knelt at her feet and
kissed her hands. Then there were blank
hours, ard strange, wild dreams, and she
awakened. in the twilight, found herself
bound fast to a great armchair, long cords
about her arms tying her hands and con-
timing her feet.
i So her servants found her; bat she was
the only living being in the great house.
/ Colonel Hulnpries and ks two black
servants had vanished, no ene knew whith-
er.
The empty bottle of chlereform un the
foor-tl,e fact that he hes. left little oehind
j him, and that he had always kept his mon
/ ey in form that left him free to leave the
country at any time, al proved chat the
detection bad been prepared for. And he
was never traced-or had the means to
bribe those who were set upon his track to
catch him.
Il Ida Halifont lived through it an She
& lives to-day in the quiet house bcside the