The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-07-31
be.t of girls-pretty, blue-eyed VIII

sake, but could not, despite her prett
blue eyes. remain in her company on
} minute without superstitiOus desire /
hurry away, to rid myself Of the strang
influence Of her society. l had n
satisfactory explanation Of this feeling
Il was a snake-like sensation, the lik
Of which had never known before.
The next week l had occasion to VII
i, the city of R, to remain ava
fiOm home several days.
"Get back in time for the wedding,
said my wife. as l started of.
l promised, and was gone.
So | got through with my bushes
as soon as possible, and the day a
pointed for the marriage started 70
home.
I need not speak of the journey j
particular; it is enough to say that
found comfortable seat in the cal
and away we went.
IA strange lot of people in the car,
l said to myself, looking forward an,
backward and all around me. 81 won
der where they are going"
The tall gentleman in the seat bacl
Of me gave me n strange, penetrating
glance, and the next moment l hsarC
him whispering in cold, dull tones Il
fellow traveller:
such pretty blue eyes, and hear
! full of evil strange
He could not have echoed my owl
thoughts more nearly than by those
words. Is il strange, therefore, thai
l should start and stare at the man
even as he spoke.
"Yes the case iS very peculiar" he
went on, land one not acquainted with
the facts will hardly comprehend it.
Shall l tell you all about the strange
affair.""
"Yes; go on"
l pricked up my ears and listened.
l was determined to hear all that was
said. l was agitated, yet my agita-
ton did not betray me.
"When l first knew the girl she was
an actress" continued the man, land
her beauty attracted the love and adj
miratiOn Of all who knew her. There
was something so delicate about her
face, and her eyes we're 90 blue and
tender. Everybody loved her, and
everybody wanted her to love them.
"Well, there was q young fellow, an
actor, engaged to her, SO reports had
it, and she murdered him !"
Murdered him!" repeated the com.
paniOn Of the stDry-teller.
YES" was the cool reply, "mur.
dered him +; stabbed him to the heart
with dagger. 1t was a case of jeal-
ousy, | believe, and bad one. She
plead guilty
"What was her sentence p
"FOr the term Of her natural life
but, strange to say, she escaped the
first year, and is now at large. How
ever, | am certain Of finding her, for |
have learned her whereabouts and all
about her. For the last year she has
been teaching school under an assum-
name; she calls herself Wilfred
Stone !"
If a bOmhshell had suddenly burst
before me l could not have sprung TO
my feet any sooner.
"DO you speak the truth ?" shrek
ed; and then as the car was set in
commOtiOn sank down in my seat and
groaned aloud.
"YOu seem in great distress" said
the stranger at length, taking a seat
beside me.
! told him in as few words as posi-
bic what l knew about Wilfred Stone,
and all the facts relating to the impris-
Onment subsequent escape Of the blue
Yed girl.
1t was late that night when reach
ed my native village. My companion
the detective, kept close by ME all the
while, and together we walked toward
my cottage home.
Just in time, Charlie" said my
wife, as l reached the door and then
she started back as she saw that was
not alOns, and l felt that the crisis was at
band.
"The girl is little less than a She
devil, Notwithstanding her pretty blue
eyes," remarked the detective in a
whisper, as we entered the room.
There was a goOdly number present
and standing in the middle of the
aOOr, the object of all eyes, pretty,
graOAfQl, gay, was the girl, and by her
side, Harry, my wife's brother.
"Great God who is thisi" exclaim-
ed the girl, starting back With pale,
terrified face as she saw the stranger.
"Speak man, who are you !"
The detective only laughed, and,
drawing . revolver, simply said
"YOu are my prisoner; you know
me, and ! know you. Come on"
"Never!" she shrieked, and fell
back on the floor in what seemed to be
a dead swoOn.
"What is the meaning Of this 7" de,
manded Harry at once.
l caught him by the arm and told
him all in one wild rush of words, and
he staggered away from me like q
drunken man, and mOaned, and sob
bed, and cried.
Then 1 lifted the girl from the floor,
but her head dropped, and l saw to my
horror that she was dead She had
ruptured blood vessel in her fall and
died without struggle. = =
Even as l write, her pretty blue eyes
are upon me, and though but picture
on the wall ! sometimes wonder that it
does not start from its frame into life
and blood. And there is another, q
darker picture, with wild, sad eyes,
and face set in shadows. 1t is Harry.
He never recovered from the blow,
but became q wanderer, living will ia
himself. the next year following this
sad event we heard Of him in Mexico,
then that he was dead. Tired Of life
he had united his fortunes With the
rehAl standard and diad AuhtinO for