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


knew anything in his favor?
However, no one said this to Mrs
Halifont, and, if any one had, words
never changed womau's fancy yet
Mrs. Halifont believed in Colonel Hum.
phries, and meant to marry MIN.
Indeed, the treusseau was prepared
and the wedding day fixed, all was
ready, and Ida Halifont believed herself
to be very happy woman. She once
more built castles in the air. Her old
sorrow seemed to fade away in the dis
lance. She was girl again.
At last twenty -four hours lay between
her and hei wedding-day.
She was busy 10 her sewing-room on
this last day, finishing some ruff1es in
lace and ribbon, and singing softly to
herself, when suddenly the house was
filled with cries.
An old man-servant, while cutting the
grass upon the lawn, had wounded him
self seriously. The doctor was sent for
at once, but he was not at home, and
meanwhile poor Zebedee was bleeding to
death.
Suddenly Ida Halifont remembered
that Mr.. HUMPHREYS had said that he
understood wounds as we'll as though he
had been bred surgeon. Without this
it would have been natural for her to
call on one who was soon to be her pro-
tector in a moment of anxiety. She
would call him herself, that there might
be no delay, and selling her garden-hat,
she ran along little path that led from
her ground to that of Mr.. Humphries,
climbing low fence to save time which
would have been lost in reaching a gate,
and 80 gained the rear of the dwelling of
which tomorrow she would be mistress.
She thought herself terrified and dis
tressed. She felt rather injured that
such an unpleasant thing as the wound
ing of poor Zebedee should have hap
pened on the eve of her wedding day.
Ten minutes after she thought of herself
at that moment utterly at ease-wonder-
ously happy-for as she reached those
windows and peeped half timidly
through the curtains, thing happened
that made all she had ever suffered appear
as nothing.
The room, the window Of which she
had approached, was one that opened
out Of conservatory. She saw Colonel
HUMPHREYS busy with some rare plants
he had just set out to the warm sunshine
that fell through the glass. He had
taken off his coat and rolled up his
sleeves. Now he left the conservatory,
and coming forward proceeded to wash
his hands in a basin of water that had
been set ready for him. He was close to
Ida Halifont. He did not see her, but
she could have reached out her hand and
touched him.
Why did she not speak, and call him
by name? Why did she sink down upon
her hands and tremble like an aspen
leaf? Alas! the awful reason was this
give the right to clasp her in tenderest
embrace she saw terrible mark-a mark
she had seen once before. She knew its
shape and size and color. Her eyes had
been riveted upon it as the sinewy hand,
at the wrist of which it ended, grasped
her dying husbands throat. She had
learned it off by heart; she could not be
deceived. Though years had rolled
away, that horribly marked arm was not
to be forgotten or mistaken by any other
Suddenly Colonel HUMPHREYS tell
himself grasped by hand that, small as
it was, had the fierce touch of tiger:
claws. The fingers closed over that rec
MARIA white face came close to his.
You are my husbands murderer
Kissed voice in his ear.
Then the two stood staring at each
other.
He made no denial; he only looked
down at the red mark upon his arm anC
cursed it aloud.
Chow dare you to make love to me?'
she gasped. "You "
" Because I love you," he said
"Woman, if / had not fallen in low,
with you that night, L would have killed
you. 1t was risking my life to spare you
with your screams calling men to hunt M
ooh, if you had but killed me thenl'
she moaned.
"Well, am at your mercy now" b.
said.
| She answered.
"You can kill. wish you would.
pray you de it. You killed my husband
The murderer of my husband must b,
brought to justice, and yesterday
nay, an hour ago-1 loved you'll 0 God
pity me! l have loved this man, thi
thief, who came in the night to rob my
husband, and who murdered him."
She remembered saying this. After
ward strange drowsiness overcame her
She seemed to let go her hold upon the
world. She family recognized the fac
that Col. HUMPHREYS knelt at her fee
and kissed her hands. Then there were
bland hours, and strange, wild dreams
and she awakened in the twilight anC
| found herself bound fast to great arm
| chair, long cords about her arms tyine
her hands and combining her feet.
| So her servants found her; but sht
was the only living being in the grea
house. Col. HUMPHREYS and his two
black servants had vanished, no on,
knew whittier.
The empty bottle of chloroform on the
| hoor-the fact that he had left little be
hind him, and that he had always KEEP
his money in form that left him free
to leave the country at any time, al
proved that detection had been prepared
for. And he was never traced-or haC
| the means to bride those who were Sc
upon his track.
Ida Halifont lived through it all
She lives to-day in the quiet house be
side the river, but no one has ever seer
her smile since that hour. No one vii
ever see her smile again; and from he
deepest slumbers she often starts in ter
ror, fancying that she sees uplifted men
acingly above, that cruel, terrible arm
marked with the blood-red stain. Their
is no hope of happiness for her, for sh
never can forget that this arm has ais
embraced her.
/ n