The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-11-11
A BRAVE WOMAN.


In spite of the high opinion which we
entertain of feminine courage in geleral,
We must be permitted to doubt whether
you all, ladies, feel yourselves capable
OF initiating on similar occasion the
heroine of tho following little story,
which we can recommend to your atten-
tion as entirely true.
Madame Aubrey occupied with her
husband large old house, in the village
of D. This house stood entirely
alone, at the loot of an immense garden,
far from neighbors, and had no other
occupant than Monsieur and Madame
Aubrey, their son, an infant of twelve
moths, and domestic, recently ad-
mitted into their service.
One evening in the month of Novem.
Der Madame Aubury was awaiting with
some anxiety the return of her husband,
who had been gone since morning to q
town distant few miles from D..
His business was to collect debt, and
he expected to bring home large sum
ofmoney, and his wife now remembered,
with feeling of uneasiness, that she
had seen him arm himself with pair
of pistols. 1t was about six o'clock, aud
Madame Aubrey went to hor chamber
accompanied by the domestic, with the
Intention of putting her little boy to
bed. This apartment, large and high,
was situated on the second floor, look
ing into the garden. The oaken wood
work, turned almost black with age, the
Old-fashioned furniture off grotesQue
form and gloomy color and some family
portraits in ancient dress and severe
countenances, gave to the room some
what of forbidding aspect. A deep
alcove beside which was placed the
cradle of the infant, occupied nearly all
the side of the room opposite to the
fireplace. The curtains were drawn
across the front, but one corner, having
caught upon some article near, was
raised sufficiently to show the foot of
the bedstead, made of the same dark
wood with the rest of the furniture, and
carved in the curious figures and gro
tesque lines in which the artisans of an
hundred years back were wont to in
dulge.
The night was true November night
black and gloomy, with torrents of
rain, which beat continually upon the
windows. The trees of the garden, bent
by the force of the wind, from time to
time drew the finger like ends of their
branches across the glass, making a
fantastic and melancholy concert, in
which mingled no human voice-no
sound which promised human aid,
should the want be ever 80 urgent.
Madame Aubrey sat upon low chair
in the corner Of the fireplace, holding
upon her knees the little boy whom she
was undressing, while the servant at the
other end of the room executed certain
orders Of her mistress, A blazing wood
fire, aided by lamp upon the mantle
shelf, threw strong light upon some
objects, left others in intense shadow,
and upon others again cast wayward
and iitful CLEAN, which caused them to
assume grotesque and unreal forms.
The baby had ceased his laughing play
and had closed his drowsy eyes. The
mother threwher eyes toward the cradle
to assure herself that all was prepared; I;
at this moment the fire blazed up sud-
denly and threw strong light upon the
corner Of the bed exposed by the lifted
curtain. As Madame Aubrey looked,
she almost fell from her chair under
the bed, close to the cradle in which
she had been about to deposit her sleep
ing child, she now behold two great
feet, shod in coarse brogans. In an in.
slant the sense Of her situation flashed
across the mind Of the young woman
as il shown by flash OF lightning.
This hidden man no doubt was thief,
perhaps on assassin, She was alone,
without help present or soon to be OK
pocted, FOR her husband was not to re
turn until eight or nine o'clock, and ii
was now but little past six. What
should she do2 How should she de
iend herself2