Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-11-20
THE MARKED ARM.
Revealed by the Flash of Lantern,

The room was dark. Not even q CLEAN
of moon or starlight fell through the
curtains of the windows. 1t was very
strange sound, indeed, but she saw
nothing, heard nothing more.
She sat up, leaning on her dimnled
left elbow, and put out her right hand
and touched her husbands shoulder.
He Jay upon his pillow fast asleep, and
did not awaken at her touch.
at must have been DREAM" said
Mrs. Halifont; and her young head.
she was only the bride of year-nest-
led down again closer to her husbands
arm, and she slept again.
Click
This time the sound did not arouse
Mrs. Hallfont. TWAS her husband who
awakened. He did not pause to listen,
but grasped the revolver beneath his
pillow ard jumped out of bed at once.
In an alcOve in the next room stood q
safe which contained valuables. 1t was
not one of the wonderful new safes
which defy fire and burglars, but an old
one that had been in the family long
while. Mr. Halifont knew on the in
slant that some one was opening the
safe.
A man OF courage, man who never
hesitated IN the face of danger; one,
too, who had warm regard for his
worldly possessions, Mr.. Halifont
strobe at once into the room where he
knew house-breakers were at work, and,
running in the dark against powerful
man, tackled him at once.
The light of lantern flashed across
the room. There were two more men.
Three against one
The sound of blows, struggling, and
the reports of pistol aroused the
young wife once more. Amid her ter
ror she had the good sense to light the
gas. 1t shone upon spectacle of hCr-
ror. Her husband, weltering in his
blood, wrestling with gigantic man,
whose features were concealed by a
mask of black Grape; a man, the upper
part of whose person was clothed only
in knitted WOODEN shirt of some dark
color, with sleeves that left his great
arm bare. On the right one, the one
which clutched Mr.. Halifont's throat,
was a red mark or brand, scar, birth
mark. 1t would have been impossible
for Mrs. Halifont, even in a calmer
moment, to tell what it was: but it in
delibly impressed itself upon her mind,
as she bravely cast herself into the
struggle, and fought with all her might
to drag the horrible hand from her
husbands throat, screaming all the
while for aid
A blow, a kick would have silenoed
her. The burglar must have known
that, but there are very bad men who
could not use violence toward wo-
man to save their own lives. This man
could not. His companions had flown
with their booty; help might have ar
rived at any moment. With a great
effort he wrenched himself from the
clutch of his victim, and let go his
throat, and sped away. 1t was not too
soon. Assistance arrived, now that it
was too late, but Mr.. Halifont did not
live to tell the story. He was mortaily
wounded. His young wife watched by
his bedside until he breathed his last
then dropped beside it senseless.
For weeks she raved IN wild delirium
of the murderous hand of the great
muscular arm with the scar upon it.
and called upon them all to save her
husbands life; but she was young, and
had fine constitution. After while
her health returned, and at last her
mind regained its equipoise.
She removed from the city and took
up her abode in lonely country place,
with a favorite sister for a companion.
She had resolved, as all widows who
have loved their husbands do at first. to
remain widow forever And, indeed,
though many men would gladly have
tempted one so young, beautiful, and
wealthy to change her mind on this
point, she seemed to care less for any
one ofthem than for the kitten which
purred upon her knee or the little
black-and-tan terrier which ran by her
side along the garden paths. She was
nineteen when her husband was MUIR
dered; at thirty-two she was still true to
his memory.
Is any one forever utterly true to
another's memory out of romance
any one who does not die young? I
fear not. In this, the lapsing SUNNI er
Of the woman's life, when she pretended
to believe that autumn had actually
come, temptation to Inconsistency as
saulted her. For many years a fine
house upon the neighboring estate had
been empty, but now there came to
take possession of it a gentleman not
yet forty. A widower with plenty of
money and no children; handsome
man, well built and stalwart, with mag
nifcent black hair, and eyes that were
like black diamonds. Spanish eyes, and
indeed, he called himself a Spaniard,
and his speech betrayed foreign &C
cent.
The dark eyes and the blue ones met,
a few neighborly words exchanged, a
call followed soon. Mrs. Halifont felt
new emotion creeping into her heart.
She felt pleased and fattered by this
strangers admiration. Then she knew
she was loved, and rejoiced, and so dis
covered 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, 1t was the love that made her I'M
true Since She had loved Sha cO,11d