Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-02-03

Nothing, to be sure, could be said
agains. this Spanlard with the En-
glish name bu: who knew anything
in his favor?
However, no one said this to Mrs.
Halifont, and if any one bad, words
never changed woman's fancy yet.
Mrs. Halifont believed in Colonel
Humphries, and meant to marry him
Indeed. the trosseau was prepared,
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 distance.
She was a girl again.
At last only twenty-four hours ley
between her and her wedding day.
She was busy on this last day, fin
ishing some ruffies in lace and rib.
bon, and singing softly to herself,
when suddenly the house was filled
wi. b sharp cries.
An only man-servant, while cut
ting the grass upon the lawn, had
wounded himself seriously.
The doctor was sent for, but he
was not at home, and meanwhile poor
Zebedee was bleeding to death.
Suddenly Ida Halifont remembered
that Mr.. Humphries had said that he
understood wounds as we'll as though
he had been bred a surgeon.
Without this it would have beer
natural for her, in moment of anx'
iety, 10 call upon one who was soor
to be her protector.
She would call him herself; and
seizing her garden-hat, she ran along
a little path that led from her g.rder
to that of Mr.. Humphries, climbed :
low fence, to save time which woulG
have been lost in reaching gate
and so gained the rear Of the dwelling
Of which tomorrow she would bs
mistress.
As she reached the windows anG
peeped half timidly through the cur
tains, thing happened that made al
she had ever suffered appear as moth
ing.
/ The room, the window of whicl
she had approached, was one tha
opened out of conservatory.
/ Within the conservatory she sav
Colonel Humphries. busy with SOM
; rare plants he had just set out in th
warm sunshine that fell through tn
glass.
| He had taken tff his coat and rollet
up his sleeves.
Now he hadl eft the conservatory
and coming forward, proceeded II
wash his hands IN q basin of waite
that had been set ready for him.
He was close to Ida Haifont.
He did not see her, but she coul
have reached out her hand fror
where she stood and touched him.
, Why did she not speak and cal
him by name?
Why did she sink down upon he
knees and clasp her hands and trem
BILE like an aspen leaf?
Alas! the awful reason was this
], Upon that arm to which she wa
about to give the right to clasp her i
the tenderest embrace she saw re
, and terrible mark-a mark she ha
seen once before.
She knew its shape, and size, an
1 color.
Her eyes had been r,veted upon
as the slnewy hand, at the wrist {
which it ended, grasped her dyin
9 husbands throat.
t She had learnt it off by heart; ST
v could not be deceived.
Though years had rolled away th'
8 horribly marked arm was not to /
:, forgotten or mistaken for any other
Suddenly Colonel Humphries fe
: himself grasped by a hand tha
e small as it was, had the fierce clutt
+ of a tigers claw.
0 The fingers closed over his wris
s A white face came close to his.
'You are my husbands murde
!, er!" Missed voice in his ear.
S Then she pointed to the scar.
He made no denial. He on
d looked down at the red mark upt
t. his arm and cursed it aloud.
a "How dared you make love
mel" she gasped. "You"-
IS because 1 loved you," he sal
II "W oman, if 1 had not fallen in 10
with you that night 1 should ha
n killed you also. 1t was risking n
z. life to spare you with your screar
sr calling men to hunt me down.
% "Oh! if you had but killed I
IN then!" she moaned.
ar "Well, / am at your mercy now
IN he said.
,e She answered:
'.You can kill me! l wish y
S. would. l pray you to do it. Y
as killed my husband. The murder
of nv husband must he brought
to justice, anG yesterday, nay,
- hour ago-I loved you! Oh! &c
pity MT! have loved this ms
this thief who came in the night
be rob my husband, and who murder
to hIm!"
ly She remembered saying this;
s. terwards strange drowsiness ev
came her.
On She seemed to let go her hold ur
p the world.
IS She family recognized the fact u
,r- Colonel Humphries knelt at her f
ey and kissed her hands.
n, Then there we're blank hou
f. strange, wild dreams, and she aw
re ened in the twilight and found hers
es bound fast to a great armchair, le
n cords about her arms tying her han
,r- and confining her feet.
So her servants found her.
les But she was the only living be
re in the house.
Colonel Humpries and his two {
on wants had vanished, no one kr
whittier.
by The empty bottle of chloroform
the fonr-the fact that he had
nd little behind him, and that he had
he ways kept his money in form
left him free to leave the country
at, any time, all proved that deteo,
nd had been prepared for.
.. He was never straced-or he
IL sci ,k, ~