The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-12-11
CAUGHT BY A GRAss-WDow-A VERY

TRUE TALE.-Some three years ago respect
able business man of st. Paul, bachelor, a
prominent church-member, Ggood fellow of
the sedate class, and withal remarkably mod.
est and unassuming gentleman, became &C
quainted in the circle in which he moved with
a gay and attractive lady, who appeared to him
in the guise of lone woman whose lord had
deserted her-in need of the comforting as
surances of sympathy and grateful for all the
delicate attentions his retiring disposition per-
mitted him to offer her. The acquaintance,
auspiciously commenced with seeming mutual
prepossession, ripened into intimacy until the
gentleman became a very frequent visitor to
his fair friend, devoting all his spare time and
something of his means for her entertainment,
and finding his chief pleasure in her charming
society. 1t may never be told by what arts,
what spells, he won her-nor, indeed can the
story of their loves be freed from doubt
that her woman's wiles and womans smiles in
sensibly guided him into the way she would
be led. Enough for history, that, while pre-
serving the outward adornment of morality,
he fell from his high estate of pure manhood,
and she yielding to his opportunities, threw
off her widowhood without the formality of
new marital vows. The new moons came and
waned month after month, while the guilty
pair prolonged their criminal intercourse, the
enamored swain finding no alloy to his happi-
ness, unless, perhaps, conscience may have
stung him now and then when he raised his
voice among the elders in church. BE was
lavish in his attentions and liberal in his bounty
she seeming grateful and even charmingly
complainant At length she whispered to him
a secret that scarcely made him happy-under
the circumstances it could not be expected to-
and in due time a child was born without
family name, likely to grow up in some uncer-
tainty concerning its paternity.
From this event there grew change in the
relations of the parties. The gentleman's con-
science caught fire from the baby's eye, and
burned with an unconsuming flame. He alb
sented himself from the widow, and sought
more jealous performance of the outward du-
ties of his church membership. She sought
him out, and upbraided him with desertion.
He wished to release himself from the entang-
ling alliance, and rendered her money, which
she accepted. Soon she came again, received
more mOney-and came again and again. al
ways drawing upon his material resources, till,
from being prosecuted and annoyed, he grew
Indignant. and threatened to stop the supplies.
But woman's wiles, without the smiles now,
bound him fast; she delicately limited at law
and exposure, and he succumbed If she had
been banker in wildcat times, she would not
have drawn upon her deposits more freely than
she drew upon him. Royalty she bled him, till,
driven almost to desperation, he resigned
his flattering associations in the church, gave
up his iourshing business and retreated from
st. Paul and his whilom charmer. Since then,
in distant city, his avenging angel has ceased
to persecute him except by am occasional white
missive bearing the postmark of St. Paul.
The story now rests upon the incident that
drew attention to it at this time. Whether it
is to have continuance time or the widow NAV
tell.
A few days ago, under the mortuary head in
the daily papers of this city, appeared notice
OF the death of the child of this morganatic
alliance. The child was named as the daugh-
ter of the bachelor herein alluded to. and to
name the mother, the widows initials were
aihxed to his family name; and appended was
modest request for the papers of the CITY where
the gentleman may be supposed to be, to copy
the notice.