Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-04-17
THE MARKED ARM.

Click! In the dead Of night sharp
sound awakened Mrs. Halifont. The
room was dark. Not even a CLEAN of
moon or starlight fell through the cur.
tains of the windows It was a strange
sound, indeed, but she saw nothing,
heard nothing more She sat up, lean
ing on her dinpled left elbow, and put
out her right hand and touched he1
husbands shoulder. He lay upon his
pillow fast asleep, and did not awaken
at her touch. lit must have been q
DREAM" said Mrs. Halifont; and he,
young head-she was only bride of a
year-nestled down again closer to her
husbands arm, and she slept again.
Click!
This time the sound did not arouse
Mrs. Halifont. 1t was her husband
who awakened. He did not pause to
listen, but grasped the revolver beneath
his pillow and jumped out of bed at
once. In an alcoye in the next room
stood a safe which contained valuables.
1t was not one of the wonderful new
safe, which defy fire and burglars, but
an old one that had been in the family a
long time. Mr.. Halifont knew on the
instant that some one was opening this
safe.
"A man OF courage, a man who never
hesitated in the face of danger; one, too,
who had warm regard for his worldly
possessions, Mr.. Hauiifont strobe at once
into the room where he knew house.
breakers we're at work, and, running in
the dark against powerful man, tackled
him at once.
The 1irh% rs 1or<orr flashed oo-o,,
the room. There were two more men.
Three against one.
The sound of blows, struggling, and
the report of a pistol, aroused the young
wife once more. Amid her terror she
had the good sense to light the gas. 1t
shone upon a spectacle of horror. Her
husband weltering in his blood, wrest-
ling with gigantic man whose features
were concealed by a mask of black
Grape; man, the upper part of whose
person was clothed only in akitted WOOL
en- shirt of some dark color, with sleeves
that left his great arm bare. On the
right one, the one which clutched Mr..
Halif0nt's throat, was q red mark or
brand, scar, a birth-make. 1t would
have been impossible for Mrs. Halifont,
even in a calmer moment, to tell what it
was; but it indelibly impressed itself
upon her mind; as che bravely cast her.
self 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 silenced
her. The burglar must have known
that, but there are very bad men who
could not use violence toward a woman
to save their own lives. This man could
not. His companions had flown with
their booty; help might have arrived at
any moment. With great effort he
wrenched himself from the clutch of his
victim and let go his threat 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 MORALLY wounded. His
young wife watched his bedside until he
breathed his last, then dropped beside it
senselt 50.
For weeks she raved in wild delirium
of the murderous hand, of the great mus.
cular arm with the scar upon it, and
called upon them all to save her hus-
bands life; but she was young, and had
a fine constitution. After a 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 favorite sister for companion.
She had resolved, as all widows who had
loved their husbands do at first, to
remain a widow forever. And, indeed,
though many men would gladly haxe
tempted che SO young, beautiful and
wealthy to change her mind on this
point, she seemed to care less for any
one of them than for the kitten which
purred upon her knee or the little
black-and-tau terrier which ran by her
side along the garden paths. She was
nineteen when her husband was MUIR
dered; at thirty-twos she was still true to
his memory. ~,.~ &c.,
Is any one forever utterly true to an
others memory out of romance-anv
one who does not die young? I fear not.
In this, the lapsing summer of the
woman's life, when she pretended to be-
ieve that autumn had actually come
temptation to INCONSISTENCY assailed her
For many years fine house mon the
neighboring estate had been empty. Int
now there came 20 take possession Of Il a
gentleman not yet forty. A widower
with plenty of money and no children
handsome man, we'll built and stal.
wart, with magnificent black hair, and
eyes that were like black diamonds
Spanish eyes; indeed, he called himself
9 Spaniard, and his speech betrayed 8
foreign accent.
The dark eyes and the blue ones met
few neighborly words exchanged, q cali
followed soon. Mrs. Halifont felt q new
emotion creeping into her heart. She
felt pleased and fattered BY this stran.
gers admiration. Then she knew she va.
loved, and rejoiced, and 60 disoovered
that she herself loved again.
At first she was angry with heraelf.
then she wept over her inconsistencv
but at last she yielded utterly. Afte,
all, twas the love that made her untrna
Since she had loved, she could neve,
pride herself on being faithful aeain
and 80 she listened to the sweet VOID,
that, despite herself, made her happy
and promised to marry Colonel Hum
Phries'
-.