Show A ied A great mass of red liaijr a hand and a gleaming knife were revealed by the light of the fire After the first moment of terrible alarm her presence of mind j: ejturn- ed She felt that she had Jierself cut off all means of espape by the jdoor and was left entirely to her Without uttering own resources a cry but trembling in every limb the poor woman got into bed by the side of her child Ail idea — a plan —had suggested itself It had hashed through her brain like lightning It was the only chance left Her bed was so disposed that the robber could only get out from beneath it by a harrow aperture at the head without making a noise and it was probable that he would choose from prudence this means of exit Thce wee no curtains in the way so Mrs Martin with terrible decision and noiseless energy made a running knot in her silk scarf and held it poised over the aperture by which her enemy was to make his appearance She had resolved to strangle him in defence of her own life and that of her child ' The position was an awful one and probably had she been able to direcft mr attention to the surrounding circumstances she might have given way to her fears and endeavored to raise the house by The fire on the hearth — screams unattended to — had fallen abroad and now gave only a dull sullen light with an occasional bright Every object in the vast gleam apartment showed dimly and uncertainly and seemed to be endowNow ed with a restless motion and then a mouse advanced stealthily along the floor but startled by some movement under the bed went scouring back in terror to its hole1 The child breathed steadily jn its unconscious repose the mother endeavored also to imitate slumbep but the man under the bed uneasy in his position could not avoid occasionally making a slight ! noise J Mrs Martin was occupied only First she reflectwith two ideas ed on the extraordinary delusion by which she had been led to see enemies in the people of tlje house d and a friend in this pian and secondly it struck her that as he could fear no resistance frojn a’ woman he migbf push aside the chairs that were in his way regardless of the noise and thus avoid the snare fhat was laid for Once even sjje thought that him 'whilst her attention was strongly directed to one spotj p? had Wade TRAVELER’S TALE his exit and was leaning over her but she was deceived by a flickering shadow on the opposite wall In reality there was no danger that he would compromise the success of his sanguinary enterprise the shrieks of a victim put on its guard might alarm the house Have you ever stood hour after in hand hour with your fishing-ro- d waiting with the ferocious patience of an angler for a nibble V If you have you have soipe faipt idea of which Mrs the state of mind Martin — with far other interests at stake — passed the tjme until an told old clock on the chimney-piec- e one hour after midnight Another source of anxiety now presented itself — the fire had nearly burnt out Her dizzy eyes could scarcely see the floor as she bent wfh fearful attention over the head of the bed — the terrible noose hanging like the sword of Damocles above the gloomy aperture ‘What she thought “if he delay his appearance until the light has comWill it not pletely died away then be impossible for me to adjust the scarf — to do the deed — to kill this assassin —to save myself and Oh God ! deliver him my child into my hands !” A cautious movement below — the dragging of hands and knees along the floor —a heavy suppressed breatking-announcthat the supreme movement was near at hand Her white arms were bared to the shoulder her hair fell wildly around Ijer face like the mane of a lioness about to leap upon its prey the distended orbits of her eyes glared down upon the spot where the question of life and death Time was to be sb soon decided seemed immeasurably lengthened out — every second assumed the proportions of an hour But at last just as all lines and forms began to float before ier- sight through an indistinct medium of blended light and darkness a black mass interposed between her eyesand the floor Suspense being over the time of actioft having arrived everything seemed to pass with magical rapidity The robber thrust his Mrs head cautiously forward There was a Martin bent down d cry— rthe sound of a knife falling on the floor — a convulsive struggle Pull ! pull pull ! Mrs Martin heard nothing— saw nothing but the scarf passing over the head of the bed between her She had half two naked feet thrown herself back and holding the scarf with both her hands pulled with desperate energy for her ! ed half-choke- ! life The conflict had begun and one or the other must perish The robber was a powerful man and made furious efforts to get loose but in vain Not a sound escaped from his lips — not a sound from hers The dreadful tragedy woa enacted in silence ’ “ Well Mother Cuerard” cric a young man leaping out of a carriage that stopped hefore the door of the auberge next morning “ what news have you for me I Has my mother arrived V “Is it your mother V replied the landlady who seemed quite after her night’s rest “ There is a lady up stairs waiting for some friends bqf she does not speak French easily and seemed unwilling to talk’ We could scarcely persuade her to go tq good-humo- red bed” “ Show me the room !” cried Arthur running into the house ' i: They soon arrived before tho door “Mother! mother!” cried he 5 but received no answer “ The door is only latched for we have no robbers in this part of the country” said the landlady But a formidable obstacle oppoor ed their entrance They bcaniq when thejr alajrmed especially heard the shrieks of the little girl 1 and burst open the door The first object that presented itself was jhe face of the robber violently upturned from beneath thq bed and with protruding tongucj ' 5 and eye-balthe next w$s th Yorm of Mrs Martin in the position in which ve left her She wa still pulling with both hands af thq scarf and glaring vyildly towards the head of the bed The child hac thrown its arms round her neck and was crying but she paid nq attention The terror of that dread ful night had driven her mad ls Travellers esti MUMMIES mate that the Catacombs of Egypt contain more human bodies tharj there aje people now living on tkcj The mummies are wholly globe destitute pf any animal matter— it is all changed into a resinous sub- stance or decayed They are tar ken fropi the catacpmbs to be exported and to be used for fuel The finest are exported whole as subjects of curiosity for museums Certain parts as the inside of thq head and chest aresoldas a drug and the back-hqn- e is ground intj for is a ’yrliich painty powder hihljr prizee by artisrtsq -- ' |