Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-21
from the clutch of his victim.

loo late. but Mr.. Halifont did not live to
tell the story.
For weeks she raved in wild delriam of
the murderous hand, of the great muscu-
lar arm with scar upon it and ca ID up
them all to save her husbands life; ut
she was young, and Lad IA fl 10 tonstitu-
ton. After a while her breath returned,
and at last her mind regained its eqnipolse
She removed from the city and took up
her abode in lonely country place, with
a favorlte sister for a co panion. She
had resolved, as all widows who have low
widow forever. And, indeed, tho many
men would gladly have tempted one 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 kit
ten which CURED apon her knee or the
little black and tan terrier which ran by
her side along the garden path.
Is any one forever utterly true to anoth-
ar's memory out Of a romance-any one
who does not die young? | fear not. In
this, the lapsing summer Of the woman's
ife, when she pretended to believe that
autumn had actually come, temptation to
inconsistency assaulted her.-For many years
fine house upon the neighborin estate
lad heen empty, but now there came
0 take possession OF it gentleman not
vet forty.
The dark eyes and the blue ores met, p
'pw neighborly words exchanged, call
nlowed soon-Mrs. Halifont felt a new
motion creeping into her heart.
At first she was angry with herself; then
ae wept over her Inconsistency, but at last
he yielded utterly. Since she had loved,
he could never pride herself on being
faithful again, ard so she listened to
he sweet words that, despite herself, made
er happy, and promised to marry Colonei
iumphries.
Mrs. Halifont had certainly not done as
oolishly as some widows do. She had
either chosen a little boy nor a It'll
Italian without money enough to keep
imself in macaroni, Her future husband
rs older than herself, and too rich to be
Inspected of any intention of being for
nne hunter, but after all no one knew
i'm.
There were those who shrugged their
houlders and declared that Mrs. Halifont
would regret not having chosen some one
of whom more was known-some retired
merchant, some gentleman of fortune
whose father had been known to her
friends. Nothing, to be sure, could be
said about this Spaniard Or Cuban with
the English name; but who knew anything
in his favor?
However, no one said this 10 Mrs. Hall,
font, and if any one had, words never
changed a woman's fancy yet. Mrs. Hall
ont believed in Colonel HUMPHREYS, and
meant to marry him. "a .--..
Indeed, the trousseau was prepared and
the wedding day fixed, all was ready, and
Ida Halifont believed herself TO be a very
happy woman.
At asst twenty-four hours lay between
her and her wedding day.
She was busy i'll her sewing room on this
last day, finishing some ruffles 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, Tut he was not home, and mean
while poor Zebedee was bleeding to death.
Suddenly Ida Halfont remembered that
MI. HUMPHREYS had Said that he under
TODD wounds as well as if he had been
bred surgeon. Without this it would
| have been natural for her to call upon one
who was soon to be her protector in a mo-
ment of anxiety. She would call him her
self, 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 so 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 wounding of
Door Zebe ee should have happened on the
eve OF her weddiag-day. Ten minutes
after she thought of herself at that mo-
Gent as utterly at ease wonderously hap
y, for as she reached those windows and
ue ped half timidly through the curtains.
"a thing happened that made all she had
eyer suffered appear as nothing.
The room, the window OF which she
Nod,
# a conservatory She saw Colonel Hum
phries busy with some rare plants he had
Just set out to the arm sunshine that fell
through the glass. He had taken off his
coat ard rolled up his sleeves. Now he
eft the conservatory, and coming forward
proceeded to wash his hands in a basin of
water that had been set ready for him.
He was elise to Ida Halifont. He did not
see her, but she did him.
Why did she not speak, and call him by
rame? Why did she sink upon her hands
and trembled like an aspen leaf? Alas
the awful reason was this: Upon that arm
10 which she was about TO give the right
to clasp her in the tenderest embrace, she
saw a 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 hus-
bands throat She had learned it off by
heart; she could not be deceived. Though
years had rolled away, that horrible mark
ed arm was not to be forgotten or mis-
taken.
Suddenly Colonel HUMPHREYS felt him~
self grasped by hand that, small as it !
was, had the fierce clutch Of a tigers