The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-07

betrayed foreign accent. 4s5
The dark eyes and the blue eyes met.
@ few neighborly words exchanged, cali
followed soon. Mrs. Hali1ont felt new
emotion creeping into her heart. She telt
pleased and tlattered by this strangers
admiration. Then she knew she was
loved, and rejoiced and so discovered
that she herself loved again.
at first she was angry with herself, then
she wept over her inconsistency. but at
last she yielded utterly. After all, it was
the love that made her untrue since she
had loved she could never pride herself
on being faithful again, and so she list
ened to the sweet words, that, despite
herself, made her happy, and promised
to marry Colonel HUMPHREYS.
When q widow does marry second
time she generally contrivcs to make
fool of herself. !,
Mrs. .Hallfont had certainly not done as
toolishly as some widows do. She had
neither chosen little boy, or titled
Italian without money enough to keen
himself IN macaroni. Her future husband
was older than herself, and too rich to be
suspected of being fortune hunter, but,
after all, no one knew him. He came
into the neighborhood without letters of
introduction to any one, and whether he
won his fortune by trade, or came to it
by inheritance, remained mystery.
There were those who shrugged their
shoulders and dec Haired 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
friends. Nothing, to be sure, could be
said against this Spaniard or Cuban with
the English name; but who knew any
thing in his favor? r...... -,
Howevfr, no one said this to Mis- Hall
font, and if any one had, words never
changed womann's fancy vet. Mrs.
Halifont believed in Colonel Humphries,
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. -. .. 4. sag.....
At last only twenty four hours lay be-
tween her and her wedding day.
She was busy in her sewing room on
this last day, finishing some ruffles in lace
and ribbon, and singing softly to herself,
when suddenly the house was filled with
cries. I'LL. ....,. .... sr. ...-.ss. .s.-
An old man servant, while cutting the
grass upon the lawn, had wounded him
self seriously. The doctor was sent for
at once, but was not at home, and mean
while poor Zebedee was bleeding to death.
Suddenly Ida Halifont rememb ered
that Mr.. HUMPHREYS had said that he I'M
derstood wounds as we'll 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 be her protec-
tor in moment of anxiety. She would
call him herself, that there might be no
delay; and, selling her garden hat, she
ran along little path that led from her
ground to that Of Mr.. HUMPHREYS,
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 wound
ing Of poor Zebedee should have hap
pened on the eve of her wedding day.
Ten minutes after she thought OF herself
at that moment as utterly at ease-won-
derously happy--for as she reached those
windows and peeped half timidly through
the curtains, thing happened that made
all she had ever suffered appear as moth
ing. - III
The room, the window of which she
had approached, was one that opened out
Of conservatory. She saw Colonel
Humphries busy with some rare plants
he had just set out to the warm sunshine
that fell through the glass. He had
taken off his coat and rolled up his
sleeves. Now he left the conservatory,
and coming forward proceeded to wash
his hands in basin of water that had
been set ready for him. He was close to
Ida Halifont. He did not see her, but
she could have reached out her hand and
touched him. Why did she not speak
and call him by name? Why did she
sink down upon her hands and 1remble
like an aspen leaf? Alas the awful rea-
son was this: Upon that arm to which
she was about to give the right to clasp
her in tenderest embrace she saw ter
rible mark mark she had seen once
before. Sac knew its size and shape and
color. Her eyes had been riveted upon
it as the sinewy hand, at the wrist of
which 1t ended, grasped her dying hus-
bands throat. She had learnt it off by
heart; she could not be deceived. Though
years had rolled away, that horrible
marked arm was not to be forgotten or
mistaken for any other.
/ Suddenly Colonel HUMPHREYS felt him
self grasped by hand that small as it
was, had the fierce clutch of tigers jaw.
The fingers closed over that red mark
white face came close to bis.
''You are my husbands murderer!n
Missed voice in his ear.
Then the two stood staring at each
other. He made no denial. He only
looked down at the red mark upon his
srm and cursed it aloud.
How dared you make love to me?'
she gasped. "You-''
Because I loved you," he said. s'Wo-
n - s.