Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-11-05
CHAPTER XII.


Helen had not seen Frank since the time he
had the difficulty with the constable. As soon
as the constable had left the house, she had
locked it up and repaired to her parents.
Either from shame, or wanton neglect, her hus
band had never paid her visit. Many an
hour had she passed in silent grief. While her
friends were about her, she appeared gay and
cheerful, but at every opportunity she would
steal away to private apartment, and weep
by herself. Many bitter pang thrilled through
her bosom, as the idea of her past happiness
fitted before her imagination-the contrast be-
tween the past and the present. was too great
TO be borne without sigh If a mild dispo-
sition like Helen's were capable of severe
censure upon the cause of her unhappiness, it
might be supposed that the bitter recollection
of the politicians who had worked the ruin of
her husband, found prominent place in her
bosom. The day after Frank had undertaken
to manage the Bommers, and take charge of
them until they had voted she thought she
would take n walk in the western part of our
city. With this intention she pursued her
way, musing as she went, what had become of
her husband. The affair of striking the con-
stable had ceased to be the talk of the town,
and though she felt that she was the particu-
lar object OF observation of every person she
passed, she proceeded on her way. On eros
sing one of the most extreme western streets
she beheld a crowd of men and boys, formed
in kind of semi-circle. Her way lay directly
past them. As she drew closer the loud laugh
of jeering boys was to be heard, and the men
seemed to enjoy the amusement amazingly.
"Now you've done it Frankl now you've done
i'll now you havnt done it'll" shouted several
boys, while the men burst out in immoderate
fits of laughter. Helen cast her eyes towards
the group, and her surprise and modification
may be better imagined than described, when
she saw her husband PROSTATE on the ground
endeavorlng to rise upon his feet but owing
to excessive intoxication he could do no more
than rise upon his knees, and then, for the
want of proper balance, would fall back
again. She paused moment to behold her
degraded husband the boys and idlers ceased
their merry making Frank cast his bleared
eyes towards her, and apparently as it he knew
his wife put on what might have been intended
for smile, hic-coughed "drunk by jingo !"
Helen could stand this sight no longer; heart
broken, she turned her steps homeward. We
will not follow her to her residence, nor at
tempt to describe her feelings; suffice it to say
that she retired to her room feyerish and sor-
rowful That idiotic look was before her i'm
agination; she could see nothing but her hus-
band in beastly state of intoxication; the
ieers of the yagrants around him rang in her
ears What was to become of her2 If there
is one thing on this earth worse than another
to loving and confiding wife, it is to see the
partner of her joys the husband of her bosom,
degraded in the eyes of the world.
Helen threw herself upon the floor, and gave
herself up to the sorrow of a broken heart.
Let us turn to Frank and see how the new
mission of managing the Bommers operated
with him. After he had left the office of the
would-be Senator, he proceeded to prosecute
his new business of cooping these worthless
men. One by one he gathered together the
bloated countenances and bleared eye gentle-
men, who make their residence in the vacant
barns, and among the lumber piles of the diff
ferent parts of the city. 1t was not long be-
fore he had a goodly crowd at his heels, hur-
rying away like fine fellows. They had found
an "angeln with pocket full of money, and
of course they knew how TO use him. They
paraded from one point to another, making
might hideous, until they had become so in
toxicated that many had fallen asleep by the
road side, and others were to be found scat
tered about, one place and another, upon
wood piles, boxes and such other places as
chance seemed to throw in their way.
Frank was the grand fugle-man of the party,
and it was very necessary that he should keep
little more sober than the rest. With this
intention, he had not drank so freely as his
followers, who, since the election before, had
not had as much of the needful as their raven
GUS appettes craved. But it was necessary for
him to take drink now and then. This he
did and inasmuch as he had not been an hab-
itual drinker, it had marked effect upon him,
Notwithstanding his effort okeep sober. When
morning came, ne iouhu hiihseh-oi i"thoi
Others did, without his host-on the outskirts
of the city, unable to get anywhere. Theboys
and idlers were around him, making over
his situation. 1t was here, and among this
class of human beings, that Helen found her
husband the morning in question.
Gould the heart-broken wife tell her parents
of her husbands situation Could she expose
her feelings so much as even to let them know
that he was in that beastly condition Would
il do to let one, whom she loved dearer than
her life, lie in that condition Her mind was
Immediately made up. She would proceed to
where she had last seen him, and help him
herself to their former residence. With this
intention she placed the key of her house in
her bosom, and proceeded on her errand, with
out mentioning her business to any one. When
she arrived within square of the place where
she had seen Frank an hour before, she saw
pretty much the same number of persons that
she had seen before, when she was taking her
| morning walk but there was more merriment
among them now. Without the least hesita-
| tion, she walked boldly towards the crowd
No false modesty prevented the true wife from