The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-30

warning instinct that tells the birds of the
| approaching storm, alike seemed to fill
Biddulphs mind at this moment with a
strong sense of impending i'll.
And suddenly, sharp and distinct, as he
stood, there sounded in his ears the crack
OF a rifle, and a swift messenger of death
passed him, grazing his shoulder, and
! went on. He started, turned, and the
next instant a wild shrek, a scream OF
| terror and fear seemed 70 rend the air.
"What is it?" cried Biddulph, loudly !;
and his voice echoed through the glen.
Another shrek, prolonged and agonized,
was the reply-a woman's shrek. And
Biddulph, quickly recovering himself,
now ran forward.
A jutting block of granite in front, near
| the spot where he had been standing when
the shot passed him, here partly hid the
pathway behind it; but in moment
Bidduiph had passed this obstruction, and
on the other side of it woman was half
kneeing, waving her arms frantically,
and, as Biddulph approached her, she
rose and came tottering forward, and he
saw who it was.
Wretch, wretch, you have murdered
mep' she cried in gasps, and then again
fell forward, the blood gushing in tor
rents from her side.
'I swear have notr' said Biddulph,
running toward her, and lifting her in
his arms.
The woman's face was ghastly-the face
of Natalie-and her breast was heaving in
the throes of death.
"Who has done this?" asked Biddulph,
bending over her and trying to staunch
the red tide.
She tried to speak, her dark eyes rolled
in her head, each breath grew a sob, but
no words came from her white lips. Then
she flung back her head, her arms fell
down, a shiver passed through her frame,
avd she died-died on Biddulph's breast,
the woman he had welded long ago.
Inexpressibly shocked and horror
stricken, he laid her gently down on the
sward, and, leaving her for moment,
hurried to little gushing streamlet amid
the rocks, and, having filled his cap with
water, returned to her side. But as he
knelt down, he saw it was no use. Death
had laid its gray, rigid finger on the once
familiar features, and the strange change
had come which marks the soulless clay.
He rose; he stood gazing at her, and his
memory went back to his boyish love, and
the long years of annoyance and shame it
had brought upon his head And this was
the end stray shot (for he saw in a
moment what had killed ker) the rife
ball, which had Just missed him-which
had, indeed, grazed and slightly wounded
his shoulder, though, in the excitement,
he never felt the pain-had pierced her
side, and probably touched her heart, as
her death had occurred few moments
after she was wounded.
As he stood. looking at her the idea
darted into Biddulphs mind that the man
who had fired the fatal shot would prob
ably be near, and he therefore commenced
shouting loudly for assistance. But no
answer came except the echo of his own
voice ringing among the crags. Then for
the first time it occurred to Biddulph the
position he was in. A dead woman lay
at his feet-a woman he had asked to
meet him in this lonely spot, and it be-
hooved him, therefore, at once to call wit
nesses to prove his innocence of her tragic
end.
He remembered the doctor, and no
sooner had this thought struck him than
he acted on it. One backward glance he
gave, half in pity, at the dead Natalie, and
then as fast as he could 90, he hurried
out OF the Glen on to the struggling village
of Balla.
AS he ran painting up the steep hill that
leads from the Glen to the village, he
perceived the doctor himself, starting on
his usual afternoon round, mounted on
his shaggy Highland pony.
He waved his cap to attract his atten-
ton, and called, and the doctor looked
round and saw him-saw a blood-stained
figure, for Biddulph's own slight wound
was now bleeding fast, and Natalie had
died in his arms.
''Mr. Biddulph," cried the doctor, in
the utmost astonishment.
can accident has happened in the
Glen'' painted Biddulph. "a woman is
lying there shot, l believe, dead. Come at
once, doctor, though L fear there is no
hope"
"a woman2" repeated the doctor, and
his expression changed.
"Yes, woman. A ball whistled passed
me, just touched my shoulder as it went, F"
and he put his hand to his shoulder as he
spoke, and for the first time perceived that
he was wounded, for his coat was torn,
and the blood trickling down the sleeve.
The doctor by this time had dismounted
from his pony, and, approaching Bid
dulph, proceeded to examine his injury.
1t ives a slight flesh wound, the rife ball
having torn the coat and the skin as it
passed on its fatal errand, and the doctor,
having looked at it, was about to COM
mence stanching the blood, when Bid
dulph stopped him.
Don't mind me-" he said-'it is moth
ing; but the woman, fear, is fatally hit" !"
"Ill tie my handkerchief round it, any
how" answered the doctor, producing a
large red handkerchief from his pocket.
"It's near shave; why, mon, another
inch and yer shOulder-bane had been in
splinters."
make haste, make haste" said Bid
dulph, impatiently; and the doctor, hav-
ing hastily bound the wound, followed
Biddulph into the Glen, and in few
minutes they came TO the spot where the
dead woman lay on the ground.
The doctor knelt down, lifted her hand,
looked at her white face, and his own
weather-beaten countenance grew very
pale as he did so.
Then he slowly raised his eyes and
looked at Biddulph.
"Mr. Biddulph," he said, almost stern
/ ly, "is this murder?"
"If you mean," answered Biddulph, in
dignantly, sudden flush dying in his
face at the mere suspicion that the doctors
words implied, "did 1 raise my hand
against her life, certainly did not"
"Yet this is the leedy, is it not, that
they said -
''This lady is known TO me, interrupted
Riddulph, haughtily; "and I had asked
her to meet me here to arrange some
business pending between US, rather than