Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-01
A BAFFLED CRIME.

hBel, IN my eyes, at least L VslS an orphan
without kith or kin In the world save Sadie
and her mother / was child In short
frocks and pinafores, and Sadye was lovely
young Lady. l was not SO young but that
knew she was an angel to at least one pair
Of eyes besides mine believe Colin Bal
four could have kissed the ground she
walked on. / did not like Colin Bslfour
myself He was too big and black browed
10 suit my childish fancy
He was very humble until she had prom
tsed to marry him, and then he began right
away 70 he so unreasonable that he made
her life Just as miserable as could be.
Well, one day Colin Balfour went of In
one of his RACES and enlisted.
Six months, year passed, and no word
from Colin Balfour. Other fellows came
home on leave to see sweethearts and moth
srs, but Colin neither came nor wrote,
though we heard Of him through others
often, and at last that he had married
pretty southern girl.
Sadie gave one moan when she heard It;
then she took hold Of me and shook me In
. sort Of passion Of pain and outraged love
HE Is a wicked man. GretR He has no
more heart than a stone. We will forget
him"
The next day she had promised Gran ther
Mayhem, who came often to the house
little dreamed what for-that she would
be his wife, Child as was, and little com
pretending the holy mystery of wifehood,
Twas afraid of Sadie when knew what
she had been promised and would not let
her kiss No
However, the kind old man was great
favorite Of mine at bottom-a genial, gen
tie, good man, who thought he was doing
right and best In marrying a girl young
enough to be his grandchild.
Mamma Ranstead las always called my
aunt was in great trouble, and was too
proud TO receive that aid from Gran'ther
Mayhem which she would not refuse from
her daughters husband. suspect that
Mamma Ranstead was more than a little
polite.
He and Sadie were married very shortly,
and a new house was built quite away from
the old one and on a site of Sadie's choos-
ing. Gran'ther Mayhem was very kind
and very patient. | think he never said an
impatient word, though Sadie must have
tried him sorely with her whims sometimes.
One day, when Sadie had been married
about q year, Mamma Ranstead fell sud
denly ILL., and, while Sadie and stood
Aghast with fear Of what might happen,
the worst happened that ever could-Mam-
ma Ranstead was dead.
Six months after came the news that
Colin Balfour had been killed. Sadie had
not seen him for near three years now, and
abe knew him treaeherous and unworthy,
but she shrank under the shock OF hearing
that he was dead, as though she had been
his plighted wife and he the hero Of her
widest imaginings Fortunately or un-
fortunately, Gran'ther Mayhem was away
from home on some important business
matter just at this time.
One day, the day but one after the news
bad come Of Colin Balfour's death, there
was knock at the door Of the cozy little
parlor looking upon the garden, which Sac
die called her garden room. / opened the
door cautiously, thinking 1t must be a
servant, and iot there was Colin Balfour In
the fieah.
He shot by me like flash and caught
arms.
MY poor darling" he cried, kissing her
amazed face between the words, that IL
should ever have come TO this"
Sadie looked frightened, but she chung TO
him, and presently she tainted away in his
arms.
He did not lay her down even then. He
held her until she was better, and then
would not have let her 20 but that she In
sisted, till with one Of the old scowls, but
half suppressed, he yielded.
/ shall never forget how she looked ~
she crept away from him and dropped like
o beaten lily into an armchair.
Neither Of them minded me. doubt II
they had any consciousness Of any presence
but each others So shrinking behind the
curtains, ard wondering If that was Colin
Balfour's ghost or satan come TO carry off
Sadie, 1 heard all that shameful tangle Of
lies. Child that | was, l knew Colon Bal
four lied when he told Sadie that Gran'ther
Mayhem had fabricated all those dreadful
rumors she had heard concerning him that
be might marry her himself
He avowed, the handsome, treacherous
villain, that he had never looked tenderly
upon woman's face since he left her; that
he had been n prisoner all this time In the
hands of pitiless foe. 1t was fnarvelously
hard to make all the circumstances tally,
but he had specious tongue, and Saddles
brain was dazed with love and anger, pain
und 10Y. She believed every word, and get
ting up from her chair in "a burst Of wom-
anly resentment declared she would go
straight away from the house into which
she had been betrayed so fouliy; she would
never stay to see Gran'ther Mayhem again.
She yielded, however, to Colin Balfour's
arguments Ia favor Of a contrary course, and
because the man she loved 40, and who she
believed had been 80 wrouged, made such a
point Of IL she consented 10 stay where she
was for the present.
was afraid Of Sadie in those days, more
terribly afraid OF her than had ever been
n anvthfnu She seemed to not like to