Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-08-29
THE MARKED ARM,
A Circumstance From Real Rife.

A Circumstance From Real Rife.
Click! In TIE dead of the night shar,
sound awakened Mrs. Halifont. The room
was dark. Not even CLEAN of moonlirh
or starlight fell through the curtains @
the windows. 1t was very strang
sound, indeed, but she saw nothing. hear
nothing more.
She sat up. leaning on her dimpled lef
elbow, and put out her right hand ane
touched her husbands shoulder. He lay
upon his pillow sound asleep, and he dit
not waken at her touch.
''It must have been a dream" said Mrs
Halifont; and her young head - she wa.
only the bride of year - nestled dowr
closer to her husbands arm, and she slep
again.
Click!
This time the sound did not arouse Mrs
Halifont. 1t was her husband who awak
ened. lie did not stop to listen, bu,
grasped the revolver beneath his pillow
and jumped out of bed at once. In an al
cove in the next room stood safe which
contained money and 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. MIR.
HalifOnt knew on the instant that some
one was opening this safe.
A man of courage, man who never
hesitated in the face of danger-one, too,
who had a warm regard for his worldly
possessions, Mr.. Halifont strobe at once
into tie room where he knew housebreak-
ers were at work, and running in the dark
against a 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. Amidst her terror, she had
the good sense to light the gas. 1t shone
upon spectacle of horror. Her husband
wcltcring in his own blood, wrestling with
Il gigantic man, whose features were con-
the upper part of whose person was clotl.-
ed only in Il knitted woolen shirt, of some
dark color, with sleeves that left his great
arms bare. On the right one, the one
which ciutched Mr.. Halifont's throat. was
Il red mark or brand, a scar or Il birth
mark 1t would have been impossible foi
Mrs. Ialifont. even in casner moment.
TO tell what it was; but it indelbly i'm
pressed itself itself upon her mind, as she
braveIy cast herself into tile struggle, AMI
fought with all her might to drag tlie lor-
rible hand from her husbands throat,
screaming Ill the while tor aid.
A blow, a kick would have silenccd her.
The burglrr must have known that, but
there are very bad men who could not use
violence toward Il woman to save thciI
Own lives. This man could not. His
companions had flown with their booty.
and help might have arrived at any mo-
ment. With great effort he wrcnched
himself from the clutch Of his victim, and
let go his throat, and sped away. 1t WIS
not too soon. Assistance arrived, now
that it was too late; but Mr.. Halifont did
not live to tell the story. He was mortally
wounded. His young wife watched by his
bedside until he breathed his last, then
dropped beside it seDseless.
For weeks she ravcd in wild delirium O
the murderous hand of the great muscular
arm, with the scar upon it, and called up
on them all to save her husbands life
but she was young and had a fine con
stitution. After while her health re
turned, and at last, her mind regained it
equipoise.
She removed from the city and took uI
her abode in a lonely country place. viii
favorite sister tor companion. Sh;
had resolved, rs all widows who have
loved their husbands do at first, to remain
Il widow forever. And indeed, though
many men would gladly have tempted ont
so young, beautiful and wealthy to change
her mind on this point, she seemed to carr
less for any one Of them than for the kit
ten which purred upon her knee, or TIN
little black-and-tan terrier which ran by
her side aiong the garden paths. She WA!
nineteen when her husband was murdered
at thirty-two she was still true to his mem
ory.
Is any one forever utterly true to anoth
er's memory out of romance--any on'
who does not die young? l IfcOnot. Ii
this the lapsing summer of the woman!
life, when she pretended to believe tina
autumn had actually come, temptation II
INCONSISTENCY assailed her.
For many years fine house upon tin
neighboring estate had been empty, bn
now there CAME to take possession Of it I
gentleman not yet forty. A widower witt
plenty OF money and no children. hand
some man, well built and stalwart, will
magnificent black hair, and eyes that wer'
like black diamonds. Spanish eyes-in
deed, he called himself Spaniard, and hi
speech betrayed a foreign accent.
The dark eyes and the blue eyes met,
few neighborly words exchanged q cal
soon followed. Mrs. Halifont felt new
emotion creeping into her heart. She fel
pleased ani fiattered by this strangers ad
mirtion. Then she knew she was loved
and rejoiced-and 30 discovered that SIN
herself loved again.
At first she was angry with herself, theI
she wept over her INCONSISTENCY, but at las
she yielded utterly. After an IL was th,
love that made her untrue-since she Lac
loved she could never pride herself on be
ing faithful again, and SO she listened tt
the sweet words that, despite herself, made
her happy, and promised to marry Colone
Hnmpbries.
When widow does marry second tlmt
she generally ceOtrives to make = fool O
herself
Mrs. Halifont had certainly not done n
foolishly as some widows do. She ha(
| neither chosen little boy, or a titlet
Italian without money enough to keel
himself in macaroni. Her future husbant
was older than herself, and too rich to b