The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-04-16
An Aggravatng
Misunderstanding


I was spending my summer vacation
near Milton, on the Maine coast ]
was so~tourning at a rural boarding
house, in which were several boardeeRs
One morning. while out for an early
stroll, / made my way to a chH over
looking the sea. While contemplate
Ing the beautiful marine view. 3
church clock at some distance rang
out the hour of six. It was at least
half a mile away, and I wondered that
I could hear 1t SO distinctly.
The next instant / started violent
" and faced round, for q woman's
shrill, penetrating voice. coming from
q distance, had called:
"Murderl Murderi Murderi Oh,
he is going to kill mel"
For a moment, as ] looked eagerly,
frantically around. ! could see no hv-
ing thing except a solitary gull wheel
ing here and there and some indist1nct
figures on a country road, but then
my eyes fell ON a sight that made my
heart leap with fear and horror.
On one of the grassy knolls-the
most distant but one, it seemed
were q man and q woman. They
were both dressed In dark clothes and
were far from distinct; but I.could see
that one was a woman, the other .
man.
They were now about q yard apart.
and the woman's arms were raised in
tragic gesture. Then / saw the man
slowly raise his right hand. Some
thing that he held in It giittered in
the slantins u rays. The next In
slant he had stepped UP to the WON
sa and-how distinctly I cen to have
seen It aIli-had plunged what was
evidently a weapon into her breast
She sank instantly to the ground.
Great heavens! Had she been MUIR
dered before my eyes?
Until now l had stood ho~rrorsstzick-
en-, rooted to the spot; but az the
woman dropped over his victim-I
suddenly awoke to the full conscious
ness of what l had seen.
! could hardly e the two now
they only made a blur in the rounded
curve of the knoll; but, without the
least thought of what l intended to
do, l tore madly down the slop.
On l raced, gasping from my efforts
to maintain my speed up the short
but stir ~ascents, for / am not an ath-
lete. and a rapid run ver such ground
was no light matter to me.
I had but one idea n my mind
to- reach the spot where the woman
lay. perhaps already dead, perhaps
dying for want Of aid.
The brute! How / should like to
have my fingers at his throat, choking
the life out of him! What efrontery
what audacity! WI an air OF ex-
aggerated courtesy he had lifted h}9
cap, and was bowling to the PROSTATE
form. Then, turning. he ian quickly
across the meadows toward the o
that led to Milton.
The thought that he should escape
maddened me, and rallied my almost
exhausted powers for q final effort
But / must go to the woman first;
perhaps she might be still alive. and
/ could be of service to her.
There was only the last dip be-
tween us now, and / could g her
plainly. She was dressed in a sim
pie dark gown-blue serge or some
thing Of that kind-and a cap of Tam
os-shanter covered her face. She was
lying quite still and rigid, and the
thought Of what l might find under
that cap filed me with horror.
Utterly spent, disheveled. hatless.
perspiring and painting violently. !
sank down by the side Of the prostrate
form. l was about to remove the cap
from the face when / received .
shock which rendered me for the
moment powerless.
The cap was thrown aside, the girl
sat upright, and / found myself look
ing. not into a face pallid in death,
but into the bright. cheery face Of q
maiden with rosy cheeks and laugh
ing blue eyes!
ooh. what is 1T" she exclaimed.
And there l knelt, or crouched. or
lay-Heaven only knows what!-stiM
painting like a primitive steam-engine,
and unable to utter a word.
what is it?" she said. again. AArc
you Ill ? What is the matterf"
OIL" 1t was 40 use-I had
nothing to say. / couldn't tell her
had seen her murdered-she was SO
Obtrusively alive!
"Have you been runningf Are yoa
mr. She had risen now and stood
looking down at me; she was q mere
girl. II think / had better go to
the nearest farmhouse and get some
water for you-would that do you
good?"
"No-please don't!" I gasped. III
-you-will-excuse me two-minutes
Il shall be-all right. I-am-wind-
d-dedi"
And for two minutes there we were.
she standing, ! lying on the grass,
gradually recovering from my breath
less condition.
But / was absolutely dumfounded.
I didn't know what to think. There
was not q shadow of a doubt that /