The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1892-09-10

captain. lace, anu Ills eyes were blazing
like balefireS. He gave wildcat spring
and seized her two wrists in grasp of
iron. And it was you that spread that
darnnable story all over the town that |
had wife and children in Saint Kits,
and was trying to commit bigamy. And
when l came home her mother met mo
and told me the report, and said her
daughter hated me and would never
willingly see me again"
LET me co." shrieked Sister Martha,
as the vicelike grasp frightened on her
wrists. I'D have took you if you'd had
forty wives in all the ports, but you
treated me as if IL been toOthless
thing. You spurned me, George Bligh,
and forced me to marry Josiah Whit
cumb. Let me go, or I'll screech bloody
murder. You look as if You meant to
kill me. tell you Mother MAYHEM lied.
She was good Christian woman, but
she lied. Vinie loved you; she always
has, poor shadow, sitting at her window
year in and year out to sec you pass,
without so much as ever turning your
head, watchin nights the light in your
house rs if her life hung on it.
The captain let go her wrists. There
was Il horrible look in his face. His
fingers crooked as if ready to seize the
woman's throat. She had gradually
backed into corner, whence there was
no deliverance. At that moment the old
parrot awoke OH his perch and called
out in sleepy. raucous voice, Don't be
a fool, George" The captain stumbled
back and fell into his chair. He was
terrified at the murderous impulse that
had come over him. There was long,
sharp knife on the table. He just
glanced at it and iell into shuddering
fit, turning sick and giddy.
She was at the door of the room now,
and had stopped to say she hoped he
would forgive her, or something to that
effect, but his head was in n whirl and
he could not take it in. He had almost
been murderer, and the horror of it
and the weakness that came with sense
of escape filed all his being. Her voice
seemed to come from n long distance
off; and as ne sat there, crouched over,
with his head in his hands. he heard
steps go along the passage and the front
door open and close. There was such a
humming and roaring in his ears, he
wondered if he were growing deaf.
Niagara seemed poured through them;
every drop of blood in his body was
ebullicnt. Something had happened to
the captain.
Sister Martha meantime had managed
to get into AIMS kitchen by the back
way. Miss Mayhem saw her pass the
front of the house as she sat at her win
dow engaged on pink zephyr wool sack
for Tom Murphy's seventh baby. Tom
Murphy was her gardener and factotunl
and at that moment was cutting the
lawn in front of the house. she was
startled, and the work hung suspended
on her hand to see how Sister Martins
stopped and halted. How old her figure
looked in spite Of the smart mantle and
the artificials.
Ann, too, as she stumbled into the
kitchen was surprised at the sallow
ghastliness of her face. She fell bach
gasping on n chair, and when she camC
to herself she found that Ann had taker
off her gloves and was chaiing lei
hands.
1T was stroke like" said she fcebNT
"Nothing serious, Ann. I've had 'cll
before. They're due to my bad nights
Could you bring me thimbleful Of
brandy? I'm that shaky don't feel a
if l could get up stairs without drop o.
something strengthening. You may tel
Sister Vinie I'm going home on thu
three o'clock train"