The Red Cloud chief., 1878-12-12

the grN.. apo the Issn. hau Wounueu
himself seriously: the doctor wss scat
Tor At once. bu, be- wAs no; AT home. snd
bile p,or Zebejee sas bleeding
to death.
suddenly Ida Halifont remembered
,ha, Mr. numphnes had said that he
4 Understood wounds NJ veil a. though
be- had been bred = surgeon. Without
this IL would have been natural for her
ID call ON one who wAs soon 10 be her
protector IN a moment ~ anxiety. she
would c III him herself. tina, there might
he 20 delay, and seiring her garden {
she ran along a little path that led frou0
her ground e. that II Mr.. Humphries.
climbing a low fence to save time
~hicb would have been lost In reaching
N. gate. and 80 gained HI rear of the
dwelling II which 10 morrow she would
be mistress.
SHE thought herself terrified and DE- /,
,res.ei She feli rather injured isttss%
such IN unpleasant, thug ~ the w"auu-
| ing ~ poor Zebcdce should have hap
pcned cn the eve ~ hsr wedding day.
Ten minutes after she thought Of her
self nj that moment utterly at ease
wondrou~ly happy for u, she reachc1l
those windows and peepcf half timidly'
through the curtains. a thfsg happened
that made all she bad ever Suffered sp-
pear ~ nothing.
The room, the window Of which she
had approached. ~s- ON. tina, opened
out ~ a COMPENSATORY. She saw olo-
mel HUMPHREYS busy with some rare
plants he had fl-t st out Ia IN. warm
sunshine that fell through thu glass.
lie had taken - hrs coat snd rolled up
Ms sleeves. Nov he l.ft the con-ervs-
aory. and coming forward proceeded 10
wash his hands !, n basin ~ water that
had been set ready for him. lie Vas
close 10 Ida Haifont. lie did not sec
her. bul she couldh have reached out her
hand and touched him.
Why did she not -peah. and call hirp
by nams9 Why did she srpk down uHpA
her hands and trcmble like an aspea
leaf Alas, TIE awful resson WAS this:
Upon the arm Ia which she wa about
To give the right Ia cinsp her In tender
est &c. she saw u terrible mA /
a mark she had seen once before.
Sh. Knew It's shape and size and color.
Her eyss had been rivetcd apon IL .
the sir~wy hand. at the wrist II which
u ended. grasped her dying hnsbando
throat. She had lcarsed IL often by
heart; sac could not be- deceived. Tho
wears had rolled away. that horrible
marked arm wa not to 5e forgotten or
mistaken by Nny other.
Suddenly Col. Humphries felt hin
self GRASP sd by u hand that, small ~
II was. IN the fierce touch ut n Tigers
claw. THIS fingers closed over that red
mark ii white face came aose to hiA
You arr my husbands murdsrcrr'
Kissed a voice into his ear.
Th.R the two stood ard stared ~
each other.
He made ~ denial; ne only looked
down u, the red spot upon his arm and
cursed IL alori.
How dared yon to make love to mer'
cried she. 'You-"
--''Becsuse Z lowed YOU" he said. III
I had not fall.o in love with YOU thai
night. ! would have killed you also. 10
was risking my life Ia spare you. With
your q calling men to hunt me
down"
"Oh, II YOU had bu, killed re- thea"
she moancd.
well. I am .. your mercy now" 10
said.
WV
You can kill me-! I wish ~ would!
I pray you. do ", You killcd'my hus-
band. The murderer Of my husband
must be- broughtto justice! And I--yes-
,erdsy, nay, nm hour ago. loved YOU.
Oh. God pity me- lhave loved This mas
this thief. who came in the night to
rub my husband. and who murdered
| him.
She remembered saving this. After
ward n strange drowsiness oyercame
her. She seemed to let 90 her hold ~
the world. She family recognized the
fact that Col. HUMPHREYS knelt at her
feet and kissed her hands. Then there
were blank hours. and strange. Wild
dreams, and she awakened in the twi-
light and found herself bound hand fast
to n great armchair. long cords about
her arms, tying her feet and osafning
her hands.
~ her servants found her. but .hy
was the only living being in tae great
house. Col. ltumphries aud his TIVE
black servants had disappear ed
The empty bottle III c~hlorcform %
the fioor-thc saet that he had l.f: liz
tie behind him and that he had always
KEEP, his money In y form thai left him
FRYE to leave the country mt .ay time.
NIL proved that detection had been pRe-
pared for. And he was n.ysv traced.
or had the means to bride ,aoss whs
~ere set Lpoo his track.
Ida Hslifc~i lived through % all. She
hvesto-dsy ia the quiet h ,uss besiAr tho
river. but ~ one has eyes seen her
snile since that hour.