Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-12

cause those murderous wretches to draw
back and hesitate at such amoment as this.
| BETTER. indeed, for him had they still come
on and killed him there-better, indeed?
But they did draw back for one moment,
and even in his agony and madness, per
haps rather from a mischanee h q "a
tional impulse, he replaced the cartridges
in his pistol. PerhapO his wife, as she lay
diving there, misunderstood his purpose,
| Even rs he heard once mere that savage
veil, she drew herself feebly toward him
| and gasped; while every breath she drew,
every beat of her heart, sent the blood
yelling in crimson floods from the wound
in her breast.
"No, no, Bertie-don't hurt me again.
I am safe from them now. But keep
keep them away. l will die Only-only
with You.
Once more the wretches were upon him,
and. crazed and raving, he stood up and
fought as never mar fought before. Every
cartridge was emptied in a moment, ana
as they crowded around and almost over
him, on foot and on horseback, he stood on
the dead body of his own horse, his dubbed
pistol in one hand and his knife III Inc
other, striking, stabbing and tearing, and
longing for death, yet praying that II
should come not yet, that he might live
vet one moment longer and beat those hell
hounds back, only that his wife might hare
time 10 die. And that wild wish was an-
swered. and in a manner he had not hoped
nor wished for. He had noticed nothing
but that scene of blood and horror there
about him; but now there came a sudden
change. though seemingly a tentold IN
crease of uprOar. The yells of savage tri-
umph and ferOcity changed TO shrieks OF
fear, above which sounded Il rattle OF mus
kerry and hoarse shouts that came not from
Indian threats. Then there was the thun-
derous trampling of irOn-shOd boots, and
a band of cavalrymen, their horses white
with dust and foam, swept up the road
with that brave fighter, Crawford, at their
head. As in a dream Harrington saw for
an instant the dark and fierce yet friendly
faces as they flew by him like Il living ava
lanche, and then he was alone with his
wife, except for q few grim and hteless
forms which lay upon the other side of his
dead steed. From the wooded hOllOws OF
the hills to which the Savages had fled
came the sounds OF conflict, dropping shots
and wells of fear or triumph, but Albert
did not hear. He sat mOtiOnless upon the
earth with Mary in his arms, his hand
pressed upon the wound, and in his hear
despair unutterable and awful.
She knew all that was passing i'll his MIND
and her heart bled for him, but she knew
too. that words were useless, and she only
nestled more closely in his arms, with hel
head upon his shoulder and her faint
breath tanning his cheek. She knew wei
that he was diving, but God knows, thai
in that supreme moment not one thought
of self entered he mind. She would have
been glad, oh, so glad, to live, but only fol
his sake. She had always been of 4 Singu'
larly loving nature, and since her married
life began Albert had ever been first IN hcl
thoughts. As she would have died for him
and deemed herself happy if the sacrifice
brought him good, so now she would have
been glad to live to save him from the
agony OF rcmOrselul sorrow that she knew
was eating out his soul. But there seemed
nothing she could do, but show him in
every glance from her tcar-dimmcd eyes, III
every faint, half-uttered word, how dearly
she loved him, and the poor child could not
think that she was driving the iron deeper
in his soul.
After a time some of the troopers cam
back, for those Of the redskins who had not
been shot or captured had escaped for the
time ut least by scattering among the
thickly wooded and inaccessible hills.
They drew near the group in silent sym
pathy. and Crawford and his surgeon knclt
: Ill. Al, ,,,tI ,,,,n i.ln, ynrl,nr S thpt
medical aid might avail. But it needed
but 4 glance to see that this was utterly
useless. and the surgeon and the Captain
drew back, and the Latter, brave and per
feet soldier that he WAS, turned an eye OF
ferocious sayagery upon his prisoners, and
in a tone which seldom indeed was heard
from his lips:
Was either of these that killed her,
Point him out, and by the living God he
shall die where he stands"'
Did Crawford ever forget until that day
when he himself fell with that treacherOuS
bullet in his heart the look that Harring'
ton gave him? Perhaps not, but the un-
utterable horror of it all only came to him
with that l~Ow-SpOken answer:
81 killed her myself killed her"
They saw it all in an instant, and some
thing more than u look of horror came into
their eyes. lie spoke again and his words,
ut first low and broken, rose almost to q
scream OF agony:
ayes, | killed her. | killed her my wife
my darling, And OH, my God, my God,
/ might have saved herr
But in her own voice, sweet and low, al,
most inaudible, answered him and il claimed
him instantly:
''YOu did-what-I begged you-Bertie,
You did it-all for the best. Kiss ne
darling. My own dear, dear husband.
-love-you-So dearly
She never spoke again, but died even
before his lips had left her own.
They lifted her gently from his arms,
and he did not resist-Only gazed straight
before him with laCk-luSter eyes. Then
a moment later, with a sudden movement,
he snatched Il troopers pistol from his belt
and placed it TO his forehead. Swift as he
was Crawford was swifter, and though he
pulled the trigger the weapon was struck
aside and the ball went harmleSSly into the
air. Then the pistol was torn from hi,
hands, and non too soon, for he turned
upon them, raging and raving like a ma,
Mac, and it needed the strength of dOzer
strong arms to restrain him until he sud
denly fell back in a dead faint, from which
he was only aroused, but to pass into {
state of dull stupOr. in which condition
Nhe was finally sent back to his home in the
East.
Well, that is all. He recovered as you
see, and when he did so nothing could re-
; strain him from returning again to the
West. But there is nothing of the revenge
full melOdramatic hero about him at all,
He attends to his usual business as quietly
rs do the other ranchers in whose lives
there have been no such scenes of tragedy,
But he has taken part in one or two vol
unteer expeditions against the r~cnegades
since then. and | need not say that no hand
has been more remOrSeless, no aim has
been deadlier, when in fair and open bat.
tie he has been brought face to face with
those he holds, and justly, responsible fol
the murder of his wife.
In a Bank.
TerIS SU1iRgS.
4 gentleman greatly interested in col,