The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-04-19
THE MARKED ARM.

tains Of the windows. 1t was q 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 her
husbands shoulder. He lay upon his
pillow fast asleep, and did not awaken
at her touch. alt must have been a
dream" said Mrs. Halifont; and her
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. it 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 alc0ve 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 s.
long lime. Mr. Halifont knew on the
instant that some one was opening this
safe
+ man OF courage, a man who never
hesitated in the face of danger; one, too,
who had warm regard for his worldly
possessions, Mr.. Haulifont strobe at once
into the room where he knew house
bre&kers were at work, and, running in
the dark against & powerful man, tackled
him at once.
The light of a lantern flashed across
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 q mask of black
Grape; man, the upper part of whose
person was clothed only in kitted wool
en- shirt of some dark color, with sleeves
that left his great arm bare. On the
right one, the one which ciutched Mr..
Halifont's throat, was red mark or
brand, scar, birth-make. It would
have been impossible for Mrs. Halifont,
even in calmer moment, to tell what it
was; but it indelibly impressed itself
upon her mind, as she 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, kick would have silenced
her. The burglar must have known
that, but there are very bad men who
could not use violence toward 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 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 mortally wounded. His
young wife watched his bedside until he
breathed his last, then dropped beside il
senseless.
For weeks she raved in wild delirium
of tue murderous hand, of the great mug
cular arm with the scar upon it, and
called upon them all to save her hus-
bands life but she was young, and had
fine constitution. After a while he1
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 fayorite sister for a 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 havs
tempted enc 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
blackand-tan terrier which ran by hel
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 an.
others memory out of romance-any
one who does not die young? l fear not
In this, the lapsing summer of the
woman's life, when she pretended to be
lieve that autumn had actually come
temptation to Inconsistency assailed her
For many years fine house upon the
neighboring estate had been empty, but
now there came 20 take possession of it 6
gentleman not yet forty. a widowel
with plenty Of money and no children
a handsome man, well built and stall
wart, with magnificent black hair, and
eyes that were like black diamonds
Spanish eyes; indeed, he called himself
a Spaniard, and his speech betrayed s
foreign accent.
The dark eyes and the blue ones met
a few neighborly words exchanged, a cal
followed soon. Mrs. Halifout felt new
emotion creeping into her heart. She
felt pleased and hattered by this stran,
gers admiration. Then she knew she wa,
loved, and rejoiced, and so discovered
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, twas the love that made her untrue
Since she had loved, she could never
pride herself on being faithful again
and so she listened to the sweet word
that, despite herself, made her happy
and promised to marry Colonel Hum
phries.
When q widow does marry a seconC
time she generally contrives to make
fool of herself.
Mrs. Halifont had certainly not don,
as foolishly as some widows do. She haC
neither chosen little boy nor a titlet
Italian without money enough to kee1
himself in macaroni. Her future hus
band was older than herself, ant
too rich TO be suspected of being
fortune-hunter; but after all, no on
knew him. He came into the neighbor
hood without letters of introduction t
anyone, and whether he won his forum
by trade or came to it by inheritance re
manned mystery.
There were those who shrugged thei