Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-25


at full cock.
apologize, sir whispered Plato, |
"orn-
Here came his mistress loud scream /
for help. Plato was petrifed.
Mrs. Brothertofs rushed into the hall. |
There was the negro, standing like a
statue holding forth weapon to her |
hand. She seized it. Her sudden fright |
reacted into a sharp fury. She was
fearless enough, this cruel virago. The
touch of deadly weapon made her
long to be dealing death. She heard the
scufile in the dining room.
"Come" whispered her old comrades,
the furies, closing in, and becoming
again body of her body, spirit of her
spirit. "Come, take your chancel Here
are marauders-rebelsl Shoot one of
them! Practice here. Then You will
get over any scruples against blood, and
can kill the people you hate, if they ever
come in your way. Now. madam"
Such command ran swiftly through
her brain. She opened the dining room
door.
Her scream told the assaulting party
they We're discovered. They We're pin
ioning Major Kerr in double quick time.
He sat in tipsy bewilderment, muInbling
vain protests and vainer threats.
Not one of the group about the captive
observed the mistress of the house as
she softly opened the door.
But another did
Edwin Brothertoft, tardily following
fis party, was clambering through the
window.
He saw his wife at the door. She
must be kept from the danger of any
chance shot or chance blow in the scufile.
This was his impulse. He sprang for
ward to put her away gently.
She instantly fired at the approaching
figure.
He staggered and fell. His head struck
the claw foot of the table and he lay
there motionless, with face upturned
and temple bleeding.
Her husband! She knew him at once.
His thin, gray hair drawn back from
his mild, dreamy face, with the old par
doning look she remembered so well and
hated so fiercely-there lay the man she
had wronged and ruined, dead; yes, as
it seemed, dead mt last by her own hand.
"My husbandr"
She said it with a strange, quiet salts
faction.
Every one paused an instant, while she
stood looking at her work. with smile.
She had done well to wait Those i'm
palpable weapons she used TO see in the
air had become palpable at last. Yes,
she had waited wisely. This was self
defense, not murder. She had the tri-
umph without the name of crime.
80 you must come prowling about
here and be shot, she said to him, as il
they were alone together.
And she spurned him with her foot
AS by this indignity she touched and
broke down the last limit Of womanli
ness, she felt a great exulting thrill OF
liberty, a mad sense Of power. Nothing
could offer itself now that she was moi
willing to do. Any future cruelty was
a trife TO this. Her JOY in this homicide
promoted it to a murder
She looked up. The group about Kerr
We're all regarding her. She laughed
triumphantly in a dreadful bedlam toni
and flung her pistol at Major Skerrett.
He caught the missile with his hand.
care you mady" said he. "DO YOU
know that you have killed your husband
Take her into the next room, men,"
"Come, anadam." said Qalsworth,
gently. lyon did not know it. Wear
sorry it was not one of MS. We ar
manor men, come to take this Britishe
prisoner, not TO harm anybody or any
thing here"
Course you ALL" she cried, and sh
made clutch at Sans honest face. "
am not sorry-not Il No; glad, glad
gladl And III have You all served So
no, hung, hung for spiesv
Take her away, menr repeated Skier
rett. 1--WE must confine her. but no
here with this dead man. Gently now
as gently as you can; remember she's
womanr'
"Womanw says Canady, holding he
fingers from his face. NO by the Cor
tinental congressl she's a hell catl'
"No hope for him with such woun
as that" said the major, kneeling owe
Brothertoft and examining his blood
4 | ANAtutAus AAt cNGiAln " 10 u lAbS u0ttN
See to him, Sappho Stand by Majo
Kerr, Van Wart, while dispose Of tn
, woman
"Sargn," mumbled Kerr, I'm sasl
fed It's all a mshtake."
The two men dragged Mrs. Brother
loft, struggling furiously, across int
the parlor and forced her into an arm
chair before the fire.
Skerrett followed. Plato was in III
hall, terrified at the mischief he ha
caused.
"Run, Plato" said the major, can
have Miss Lucy's mare out. And yol
Voltaire; don't look so frightened. maj
We must make the best of it. Brin
the young lady down some back wa.
She must not see her father or h'
mother. Horrible, horrible. all
dreadful end of all this sorrow and sin
He passed into the parlor
MADAM" said Skerrett gravely, .
regret that / must confine you. Yc
have shown your power to do harm an
i threatened more. cannot take yc
s. with me for safety. If l left you FRI
you could start pursuit and we shou
r he caupht and hanood as Won desir