Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-06-01
A RAFFLED CRIME.

Sadie Ranstead was my cousin, and an
angel in my eyes, at least. l was an orphan
without kith or kin in the world save Sadie
and her mother. l was II child in short
frocks and pinafores, and Sadie wasa 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 Oh. | did not like Colin Balfour
myself lie was too big and black proved
to suit my childish fancy,
lie was very humble until she had prom
ised to marry him, and then he began right
nway to be so unreasonable that he made
her life Just as miserable as could be
We'll, one day Colin Balfour went off 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 swecthearts and moth
ers, but Colin neither came nor wrote,
though we heard Of him through Others
often, and at last that he had married a
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, Grcta. lie has no
more heart than a stone. We viii forget
him."
The next day She had promised Gran'thcr
Mayhem, who came often to the house
little dreamed | what for-1hat she would
be his wife. Child as ! was, and little COM
pretending the holy mystery Of wifehood,
was afraid of Sadie when l knew what
She had been promised and would not let
her kiss ns.
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
sunt was in great trouble, and was too
proud to receive that aid from Gran'ther
Mayhew which she would not refuse from
her daughters husband. | suspect that
Mamma Ranstead was more than little
polite.
lie 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 Mayhew was very kind
and very patient. l think henever.said an
impatient word, though Sadie must have
tried him sorely with her whims sometimes.
One day, when Sadie had been married
about a year, Mamma Ranstcad fell sud
denly i'll, and, while Sadie and | stood
Rghast 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
she knew him treacherous and unworthy,
but she shrapk under the shock OF hearing
that.he was dead as though she had been
his plightedfwife and he the hero Of her
widest imagutngs. Fortunately or I'M
fortunately, Cran'the Mayhem was away
from home on some important business
matter just at this time.
One day, the day but one after the news
had come of Colin Balfours death, there
was a knock at the door of the coy little
parlor looking upon the garden, which Sa-
die called her garden room. | opened the
door cautiously, thinking it must he u
servant, and lo there was Colin Balfour in
the flesh.
He shot by me like II flash and caught
the dropping figure upon the sofa in his
arms.
My poor darling" he cried, kissing he-
amazed face between the words THAT il
should ever have come TO this"
Sadie looked frightened, but she clung to
him. and presently she tainted away in his
arms.
He did not lay her down even then. lie
held her until she was better, and then
would not have let her go but that she in
sisted, till with one OF the old scowls, but
half suppressed, he yielded
l shall never forget how she looked as
she crept away from him and dropped like
beaten lily into an armchair
Neither Of them minded me. doubt if
they had any consciousness of any presence
but each others. So shrinking behind the
curtains, and wondering if that was Colin
1(glfonr'G ubnCt ~ satan 70 r,,4f
Sadie, I heard all that shameful tangle Of
lies Child that | was knew Colon Bal
four lied when ne told Sadiethat Gran'ther
Mayhem had fabricated all those dreadful
rumors she had heard concerning him that
lie might marry her himself
He avowed, the handsome, treacherous
villain, that he had never looked tenderly
upon woInan's face since he left her: that
he had been prisoner all this time in the
hands Of a pitiless foe. 1t was marvclously
hard TO make all the circumstances tally,
but he had a specious tongue, and Sadle's
brain was dazed with love and anger, pain
and JOY. She believed every word and get
ting up from her chair in u burst of WON
anly resentment declared she would 20
straight away from the house into which
she had been betrayed SO foully; she would
never stay to see Granther Mayhem again
,he yielded, however, to Colin Balfour's
arguments in favor of a contrary course, and
because the nian she loved 80, and who she
believed had been SO wronged, made such q
point Of IL she consented to stay where she
was for the present.
was afraid of Sadie in those days, more
terribly afraid Of her than had ever been
Of anything. She seemed TO not like to
have me near her either and would start If
came upon her suddenly.
Finally, after delay that seemed like an
age to little fri htcned me, Gran'ther May
hew came horne. Sadie met and greeted
him with hystercal gayety, insomuch that
her husband, hooking at her burning checks
pndbright eyes, seemed gravely to doubt If