Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-20
And look | the knife Il 30 bright ana
aharu. II cannot hurt him much"

And look the knife u 30 DiI8ns s"~
sharp, II cannot hurt him much"
The wall seemed to reel around me
Is / leaned against It for support. In
| . fash Of revelation that nearly blinded
me, as / realized the full horror oil the
situation, understood for the first
time how matters actually stood. Craw-
ford himself was the mailman, and the
devoted wife, whom had been taught
to look upon as insane, had known the
truth all this time, and knowing it, for
some inscrutable woman's reason, had
shielded him, perhaps ct the cost OF her
very life. In q moment the meaning
of his many whims, his loss Of memory,
bis fits Of depression, were made clear
to me; and as I thought Of the martyr
dom through which his girl-wife had
passed, I cursed myself for the readi.
ness with which ] had been duped.
While these thoughts were rushing
through my brain had noiselessly
opened the outer door, and now stood
| in the dressing-room, peering into the
bedroom beyond. The door between
the two was standing open, but heavy
curtain hung in the aperture, and, by
making little slit in it by means OF
nv penkr;fe, was enabled to command
a view of the interior. At the further
end of the apartment lay BERTHE asleep
in his cot. Standing before him, clad
| in long, white wrapper aud with her
auburn hair flowing over her shoulders,
was the young mother herself, while at
some PAGES from her stood Crawford,
still in evening dress, and balancing in
his fingers long, glittering dagger, that
recognized as one that usually hung
in the library below. BY this time he
had dropped his angry tones aud was
speaking in his accustomed pleasant
fashion. "You know, DEAR" he was
saying, sit is really necessary that we
both drink some. Half glsssful Of
young and innocent blood, and we shall
both keep young and happy forever"
Wont my blood do?" asked the
girl desperately. She stretched her bare
arms toward him and forced smile to
her poor quivering lips. "You are much
fonder of me, aren't you, dear? | shall
do much better"
He laughed softly. "No. no, my
darling; not you. wouldn't hurt you
for all the gold of all the Indies" lie
stopped suddenly, as if struck by his
own words. "Gold?" he repeated.
"Ah, yes, of course must have gold.
Where did put it, now"
lie retreated few steps, looking I'M
easily from side to side.
"Perhaps you left it in the library.
Ring for James. Or go to Mr.. Lennox,
Arthur; he will help you to find it."
He laughed again-a low. monotonous
laugh, to which my hospital work had
but too we'll accustomed me, and then
he moved nearer her, still balancing
the dagger in his long, nervous fingers.
That terrible knife If he had only
put it down for moment could have
rushed in and secured it before turning
to him, but as matters were, cruel ex-
peIience taught me that the instant he
caught sight Of me he would rush to
the child to carry his dreadful purpose
into effect, and that the mother, in all
probability, would fall the victim. On
the other hand, dared not quit my
post to summon assistance and so leave
Beatrice entirely at his mercy.
glanced round the dressing.room, and
the window-cord caught my eye. TWAS
new and strong. cut it as high as ]
could reach, and crept back to my hole
at the curtain. Crawford was growing
rapidly angry.
"Give me that boy !" he cried rough
ly. "Get out of the way, Beatrice,
and let me have him; - and he caught
her by the arm and dragged her from
the cot.
"Arthur, Arthur husband, sweet
heart" She clasped both arms around
his neck, and raised imploring eyes to
his j; but the sight of the thin, white
face only moved him to geater wrath.
alt is all your fault have not made
you strong long ago." he exclaimed irri-
tably. "You never laugh now, and
you can't sing, and you won't dance"
dance o yes, | can. Look, Ar
thur" She drew rapidly back toward
toward the cot, speaking in her ordi-
nary, quiet voice. "You shall do what
you like with BERTHE; was only jo-
king. Only we must have our dance
first, you know"
With asudden movement, she stopped
and lifted the sleeping child from the
bed, talking all the time in an arch,
merry voice, that still retained its old |
power over the poor mailman. lie nod
ded approyingly as she began rocking |
to and fro with the boy in her arms,
and he moved chair or two to give her
more space.
Dance, Beatrice :" and he began
whistling q then-fashionable yalse, beat
ing time to the air with the dagger, Of |
which he never relinquished his hold.
Very WE'LL" she responded cheeri- |
ly. "Stsnd by the mantelpiece and |
give US plenty Of room. Now, then,
my baby boy; one, two, and off we
co."
My life has shown me instances Of |
self-devotiOn in plenty. | have seen
proofs Of ready Wit and morepf indom-
liable pluck but | have never seen
them SO marvellously combined rs on |
that terrible June night. Instinct
taught me what she meant to do. She
had persuaded her husband to stand at
the end Of the room furthest from the
curtain that hid her one means of es-
cape, and now she intended to hazard
her only chance, dash through it, lock
the door on the other side, and then go
for help. Backward and forward, round
and round, she circled, weird enough
figure in her white draperies. The lit
tie white feet were bare, and it taxed
her utmost strength to hold the heavy
boy in her arms; but with sublime
heroism OF which | should never have
believed her capable, she never once
paused for breath. A miracle alone
kept the child asleep; but when l saw
the poor mothers lips move dumbly be-
tween the snatches Of the gay valse she
was humming | felt that she was pray
ing God he might not waken. Nearer