Year: 1878

Clickl In the dead of the night q
sharp sound awakened Mrs. Halifont.
The room was dark. Not even a CLEAN
of moon or starlight fell through the
curtains of the windows. 1t was a very
strange sound, indeed, but she saw
nothing, heard nothing more.


She sat up, leaning on her dimpled
elbow, and put out her right hand and
touched her husbands shoulder. lie
lay upon his pillow sound asleep, and
did not awaken at her touch.


at must have been dream" said
Mrs Halifont, and her young head-shc
was only the bride of year-nestled
down close to her husbands arm, and
she slept again.


Click!


This time the sound did not arouse
Mrs. Halifont. 1t was her husband
who awakened. He did not pause to
listen, but grasped the revolver beneath
his pillow and jumped out of bed at
once. In an alcove in the next room
stood safe which contained money and
valuables. 1t was not one of the won
derful new safes which defy fire and
burglars, but an old one that had been
in the family long time. Mr.. Halifont
knew on the instant that some one was
opening this safe.


A man of courage, a man who never
hesitated in the face of danger, one, too,
who had a warm regard for his worldly
possessions. Mr.. Halifont strobe at once
nto the room where he knew the house
breakers were at work and running in
the dark against a powerful man tackled
him at once.


The light of the lantern flashed across
the room. There were two more men.
Three against one.


The sound of blows, struggling, and
the report of a pistol aroused the young
wife once more. Amidst her terror she
had the good sense to light the gas. 1t
shone upon a spectacle of horror. Her
husband weltering in his blood, wrest-
ling with gigantic man, whose features
were concealed by mask of black Grape
a man, the upper part of whose person
was clothed only in knOUty wOolen
shirt, of some dark color, with sleeves
that left his great arms bare. On the
right one, the one which clutched Mr..
lIalifont's throat, was a red mark or
brand, scar, birthmark. 1t would
have been impossible for Mrs. Halifont
even in calmer moment, to tell what
it was, but it indelibly impressed itself
upon her mind, as she bravely cast her
self into the struggle, and fought with
all her might to drag the terrible hand
from her husbands throat, screaming
all the while for aid.


A blow, kick, would have silenced
her. The burglar must have known
that, but there are very bad men who
could not use violence toward woman,
to save their own lives. This man
could not. His companions had flown
with their booty, help might arrive at
any moment. With great effort he
wrenched himself from the clutch of his
victim, and let go his throat and sped
away. 1t was not too soon; assistance
arrived, now that it was too late, but
Mr.. HalifOnt did not live to tell the
story. lie was mortally wounded. His
young wife watched by his bedside until
he breathed his last then dropped beside
it senseless.


For weeks she raved in wild delerium
of the murdNrous hand, of the great
muscular arnywith II scar upon 1t, and
called upon tnam all to save her hus-
bands life /; but she was young and had
Il fine constitution. After while her
health returned, and, at last her mind
regained its equipoise.


She removed from the city and took
up her abode in a lonely country place
with favorite sister for companion.
She had resolved, as all widows who
have loved their husbands do at first, to
remain widow forever. And indeed,
though many young men would gladly
have tempted one so young, beautiful
and wealthy to change mind on this
point she seemed to care less for any one
ofthem than of the kitten which purred
upon her knee, or the little black and
tan terrier which ran by her side along
the garden paths, She was nineteen
when her husband was murdered; at
hirty-two she was still true to his
memory.


Is any one forever utterly true to
their lovers memory out of romance
who does not die youngS | fear not. In
this, the lapsing summer of the woman's
life, when she pretends to believe that
autumn has actually come, temptation
10 Inconsistency assailed her. For many
years fine house upon the nelghboring
estate had been empty, but now there
came to take possession ofita gentleman
not yet forty-a widow with plenty of
money and no children, and handsome
man, well built and stalwart, with mag
nncent black hair and eyes that were
like black iamonds--indeed ho called