Year: 1878

increase the strength of her defense. Th


leg was broken, and when she touched i


it fell with a crash TO the floor. A lon!


echo went sounding through the house


and she felt her heart sink within her


But the echo died away, and no one


came; so she piled the fragments of the


table upon the chest of drawers. Toler,


ably satisfied in this direction, che pro


ceeded to examine the windows. They


were ali well protected with iron bars.


The walls were papered, and, after care.


full examination, seemed to contain no


signs of a secret door.


Mrs. Martin now sank down into a


chair to reflect upon her position. AS


was natural, after having taken these


precautions, the idea presented itself


that they might be superfuous, and she


smiled at the thought of what her friends


would say when she related to them
! the terror of the night. Her child F'.sss
sleeping trananiliz, Tue rosy cheeks half
l.kz1isd IA the pillow. The fire had
blazed up into a fame, whilst the un-


snuffed candle burned dimly. The room


was full of pale, trembling shadows, but
she had no superstitious fears. Some


thing positive could alone raise her


alarm. She listened attentively, but


she could hear nothing but the howling


of the wind over the roof, and the pat


tering of the rain against the window


panes. As her excitement diminished,


the fatigue (Which had been forgotten)


began again to make itself felt, and she
resolved to undress and go to bed


Her heart leaped into her throat. For
moment she seemed perfectly paralyzed


She had undressed and put out the can
die, when she accidently dropped her
watch. STOPPING to pick it up, her eyes
involuntarily glanced towards the bed.
A great mass of red hair, hand. and
cleaning knife, were revealed by the |
light of the FIRE. After the first moment
of terrified alarm, her presence of mind |
returned. She felt that she had herself |
cut off all means of escape by the door, |
and was left entirely to her own re- |
sources. Without uttering cry, but
trembling in every limb, the poor woman
got into bed by the side of her child. An
idea-a plan-had suggested itself 1t
had flashed through her brain ike light
ming. 1t was the only chance left.


Her bed was so disposed that the rob
Der could only get out from under it by
q narrow aperture at the head without |
making a noise; and it was probable |
that he would choose, from prudence
this means of exit. There were no cur
taiDs in the way, so Mrs. Martin, with |
terrible decision aud noiseless energy,
made g running knot in her silk scarf,
and held it poised over the aperture by
which her enemy was to make his ap~
pearance. She had resolved to strangle
him in defense of her life and that of her
child.


The position was an awful one and
probably had she been able to direct her
attention to the surrounding circums
iears and endeavored TO raise the house |
by screams. The fire on the hearth, !
q.
now gave only a dull, sullen light, with
an occasional bright gleam. Every OBJ
ject in the vast apartment showed dimly
and uncertainty, and seemed to be en-
dowed with a restless motion. Now ana
then mouse advanced stealthily along
the floor, but, startled by some move
ment under the bed, went securing back
in terror to its hole. The child breathed
steadily in its unconscious repose; the
mother endeavored also to initiate slum-
Der, but the man under the bed. uneasy
in his position, could not avoid OCCASION
ally making a slight noise


Mrs. Martin was occupied only with
two ideas. First, she reflected on the
delusion by which she had
been led TO see enemies in the people of
The house and a friend in this red haired
man secondly, it struck her that IS he
could fear no resistance from woman,
le might push aside the chairs that were
n the way, regardless of the noise. and
hus avoid the snare that was laid for
lin. Once even she thought, while her
ttentiOn was strongly directed to one
pot, he had made his exit, and was
Gaming over her but she was deceived
" Pickering shadow on the opposite
vail In reality there was no danger
hat he would compromise the success of
is sanguinary enterprise the shrieks of
victim, put on his guard, might alarm
he house. .


Have you ever stood, hour after b our,
nth your fishing rod in hand, waiting :
nth the ferocious patience of an angler
or nibble? If you have, you have
ome faint idea of the state of mind in
'hich Mrs. Martin, with far other inter
SITS at stake, passed the time, until an
Id clock on the chimney piece told one
our after midnight. Another source Of
nxiety now presented itself; the fire
ad nearly burnt ont. Her dizzy eyes
ould scarcely see the floor, as she bent
18th fearful attention over the head of
ne bed the terrible moose hanging, like the .
word of Danocles, above the gloomy :
perture. What" she thought, I" if
e delays his appearance until the night !
as completely died away? Will it not /
hen be impossible for me to adjust nv U
carf, to do the deed, to kill the assassin.
D save myself and my child? O, God q
oliver him into my hands,"


A cautious movement below - the c
Tagging of hands and knees along the j
heavy, suppressed breathing
that the supreme moment
as near at hand. Her white arms were
ared to the shoulder; her hair fell il
idly around her face, like the name V
lioness about to leap upon its prey F
le distended orbits of her eyes glared n
own upon the SPOT where the question t,
life and death was to be so soon de- b
ded. Time seemed immeasurably I
ngthened out-every second assumed v
le proportions OF an hour. But at last, @
lst as all lines and forms began to float v
sfore her sight through a distinct L