Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-09
A BAFFLED CRIME.

angel, In my eyes, at least. | WIS an orphan
without kith or kin in the world save Sadie
and her mother was a child in short
frocks and pinafores, and Sadie wasa lovely
young lady. / 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 Balfour
myself He was too big and black browed
70 suit my childish fancy
He was very humble until she had prom
bed to marry him, and then he began right
away to be so unreasonable that he made
her life just a. miserable as could be.
Well, 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 sweethearts 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 IL;
then she took hold Of me and shook me In
. sort of passion OF pain and outraged love.
He Is a wicked man, Greta. He has no
more heart than 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 rs ! was, and little COM
pretending the holy mystery of wifehood,
was afraid Of Sadie when | knew what
she had been promised and would not let
her kiss n-
However, the kind old man was great
tavorite 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 Cas always called my
sunt) 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 Raustead was more than n little
polite,
He and Sadie were married very shortly
and a new house was built quite away from
the old one and "n a site Of Sadie's choos-
ing. Gran'thyr Mayhem was very kind
and very patient. | think lac never 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 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
she knew him treacherous and unworthy,
but she shrank under the shock OF hearing
that he was dead, rs though she had been
his plighted wife and be the hero OF her
widest imaginings Fortunately OF I'M
fortunately, Granther 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 Balfour's death, there
was knock at the door Of the cozy little
parlor looking upon the garden, which Sa-
die called her garden room. | opened the
door cautiously, thinking It must be a
servant, and lol there was Colin Balfour in
the flesh.
He shot by me like a fash and caught
the dropping figure upon the sofa In his
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 go but that she in
sisted, till with one Of the old scowls, but
half suppressed, he yielded
I shall never forget how she looked az
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
- IL. - 4 Al
curtains, and wondering if that was Colin
Balfour's ghost or satan come to carry off
Sadie, heard all that shameful tangle of
lies. Child that was, 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
he 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 prisoner all this time In the
hands of ptiless foe. II was narvelously
hard to make all the circumstances tally,
but he had specious tongue, and Saddles
brain was dazed with love and anger, pain
and Joy. She believed every word, and get
ting up from her chair in burst Of WON
anly resentment declared she would 20
straight away from the house into which
she had been betrayed 80 foully: she would
never stay to see Gran'ther Mayhem again.
She yielded, however, to Colin Balfour's
arguments in favor Of contrary course, and
because the man she loved So and who she
believed had been 40 wronged, made such a
point Of IL she consented to stay where she
was for the present.
Twas afraid of Sadie in those days, more
terribly afraid of her than had ever beer
of anything. She seemed to not like u
have me near her either, and would start II
came upon her suddenly.
Finally, after a delay that seemed like an
age to little frightened me, Gran'ther May.
hew came home. Sadie met AID greeted
him with bysterical gayety, insomuch that
her husband, looking at her burning cheeks
and bright eyes, seemed rravely to doubt II