The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-05-08
The MARKED ARM.

Clickl In the dead of night a sharp
sound awakened Mrs. Halifout The
room was dark. Not even CLEAN of
moon or starlight fell through the cur
tsins o.! the windows. It was a strange
sound indeed, but she saw nothing, heard
nothing more. She sat up, leaning on
her dimpled 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.
at must have been dream" said Mrs
Hsli!oGt; and her young Lesd-she was
only q bride of yesr-nestled down
sgsin closer TO her husbands arm, and
she slept sgsin.
Click This time the sound did not
sroUse Mrs. Halifont. It was her hus-
band who awakened. He did not pause
TO listen, but grasped the revolver be-
nesth his pillow and. jumped out Of bed
81 once. II an slcove in the next room
stood safe which contained valusbles.
L was not one Of the wonderful new
sstes, which Gefy fire and burglars, but
sn old one that had been in the family 8
long time. MIR. Hslifont knew on the
instant that some one was opening this
safe.
a man Of courage, q man who never
hesitsted in the face of danger; one too
who had a warm regard for his worldly
possessions. Mr.. Halilont strobe st once
20 the room where he knew house
breakers were st work, and, running in
the dark against a powerful man, tackled
him at once. The light of 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 tie young
vile once more. Amid her terror she
had the COED sense to light the gas. 1t
shOne upon spectacle of horror. Her
husband weltering in his blood, wrests
ling with gigantic man whose features
were concealed by mask of black
Grape; man, the upper part of whose
person wss clothed only in a knitted
wOolen shirt Of some dark color, with
sleeves that LETT his great arm bare. On
the right one, the one tina. clutched Mr..
Halitont's throat, was q red mark OF
brand, scar, birth-make. 1t would
have been impossible for Mrs. Hslifont,
even il q cslmer moment, 10 tell what il
wss; but it indelibly impressed itself
upon her mind, as she bravely cast her
self into the struggle, ard fought with
81 her might to drag the horrible hand
from her husbands throat, screaming all
the while for aid.
: blow, kick would have silenced
her. The burglar must have known
thst, but there sre very bad men who
could not use violence toward woman
u -sve their own lives. This man could
no.. His companions had flown with
their booty help might have arrived at
any moment. With a great esort he
wrenched himself from tie clutch of his
victim and let 60 his throat and sre9
swsy 1t was not too soon. Assistance
81 we'd, now that it was too late, but
II. Ealifcnt did not live to tell the
st y. He Va, mortslly wounded. His
young vile watched his bed-ide until he
bresthed his lsst, then dropped beside it
senseless.
For weeks she rsved in wild delirium
Of the murderous hand, of the great
muscular arm with the scar upon it,
and called upon them all to save her
husbands life; bat she was young, and
nSd a fine constitution. After q while
her health returned, and at last her
mind regsined its equipo;se.
She removed from the city and took
up her sbode in lonely country place,
with isvorite sister for companion.
she had resolved, as all widows who had
loved their husbands do at first, to re-
main a widow forever. And, indeed,
though many men would gladly have
tempted one so young, beautiful and
weSlthy to change Der mind on this
poirt. she seemed to care less for any of
lem than for the kitter which ipurred
~, I her knee, or the little bsck-and-
t. terrier which ran slong her side by
to- garden paths. She was nineteen
y n her husband was murdered; at
t1irty.two she was still true to his
memory.
Is snyone forever utterly true to an
others memory out of romsDce-sny
one who does not die young? 1 fesr
not. In this, the lspsing summer of the
womsn's life, when she pretended to
believe that autumn had actually come,
temptation TO Inconsistency asssiled her.
For many years fine house upon the
neighboring estate had been empty, but
now there came to take possession of it
s gentleman not yet forty. A widower
with plenty of money and no children
8 handsome man, well built and stall
wsrt, with magnificent black hair, and