Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-04
THE MARKED ARM.


sound wakened Mrs. Halifont m
room was dark. Not even the CLEAN q
the moon or starlight fell through tn
cu1 talns OF the windows 1t was a yer
strange sound indeed but she saw NOTHING
heard nothing more.
she sat up, leaning on her dimpled lef
elbow, and put out her right hand am
touched her husbands shoulder. He IL,
upon his pillow sound asleep, and he dc
not waken at her touch.
ut must have been a dream. /. said Mrs
Hallfont; and her young hcad-she wa!
only the bride of year-ncstled dowr
again closer to her husbands arm. an6
she slept again. ''''e
| Click
:, This time the sound did not arouse Mrs
hallfont. 1t was her husband who awak.
ened. he did not stop to listen, but
gfasped the revolver beneath his pillow
ana jumped out of bed at once. In an
alcove ia the next room stood safe
which contained money and valuables. II
was not one of the wonderful new safes
which defy fire and burglars, but an old
one that had been in the family a lono
while. Mr.. Halifont knew on the instant
that some one was opening this safe.
A man OF courage, a man who never
hesltated in the face Of danger---one foo
VINO had warm regard for his worldly
possessions, Mr.. Halifont strobe at once
into the room where he knew housebreak-
ers were at work, and running in the dark
against powerful man, tackled him at
once.
The light OF a lantern flashed across
the room. There were two more men
Three against one.
The sound Of blaws, struggling, and
the report OF pistol aroused the Young
wife once more. Amid her terror. she
had the good sense to light the gas. 1t
shone upon spectacle of horror. Her
husband Weltering in his blood, wrest,
ling with a gigantic man, who's. features
were concealed by mask of black
Grape; the upper part of whose person
was clothed only in a knitted wooden
shirt, OF some dark color, with sleeves
that left his great arms bare. On the
right one, the one which clutched Mr..
Hallfonts throat, was a red mark or
brand, scar, birth-mark. 1t would
have been impossible for Mrs. Halifont.
even IN callner moments, to tell what it
was; but it indelibly impressed itself up
on her mind, as she bravely cast herself
INTO the struggle, and fought with all
her might to drag the horrible hanl from
her husbands throat, screaming all the
while for aid
A blow, a kick would have silenced
her. The burglar must have known that.
but there are very bad men who could
not use violence toward woman to save
their own lives. This man could not
His companions had flown with their
booty, help might have arrived at any
moment. With great effort he wrench
ed himself from the clutch of his victim.
and let so his throat, and sped away
1t was not too soon; assistance arrived.
now that it was too late, but Mr.. fall
font Gid not live to tell the story. He
was mortally wounded. His young wife
watched by his bedside until he breath
ed his last and then dropped beside it
senseless.
For weeks she raved in wild delirium
OF the murderous hand, Of the great mus
cular arm with the scar upon it, and
called upon them to save her husbands
life; but she was young and had a fine
constitution. After while her health
returned, and, at last, her mind rega;ned
Its equipoise.
She removed from the city and took up
her abode in lonely country place, with
a tavorite sister for companion. She
had resolved, as all widows who have
loved their husbands do at first, to re-
main widow forever. And indeed. |
though many men would gladly have
tempted one SO young, beautiful and
wealthy to change her mind OF this
point she seemed to care less for apy one
OF them than for the kitten which purred
upon her knee, or the little black-and
tan terrier which ran by her side along
ne gnrden paths. She was nineteen
when her husband was murdered: at
-hlrty-two she was still true to his mem.
Dry.
Is any one forever utterly true to an
others memory out of romance-any one
Who does not die young? I fear not. In
'hls the lapsing Summer of the woman's
lie, when she pretended to believe that
Autumn had actually come, temptation
% Inconsistency assailed her. For MANY
ears fine house upon the neighboring
estate had been empty, but now there
'ame to take possession of it gentleman
lot yet forty. A widower with plenty Of
money and nochildren, a handsome man,
veil built and stalWart, with magnificent