The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-07-26
Miscellaneous.
An EXTRAVAGANT WIFE.
BY g. A. SALA,

AT the beginning of the fifth year OF
her welded life, Mrs. Surbiton Mcllor
was desperately in debt, and was as
desperately dunned on every side. She
had numerous dealings with fat
DutchwOman named Schumacher, a
pawn broker or money-lcndor by pro-
fession, and when this ogress discovered
the straits into which Mrs. Mellor had
been driven, she threatened to expose
everything to Mr.. Mellor, unless she
handed over q hundred pounds as part
payment Of her debts. This threat was
uttered on precisely the same morning
which had brought Mrs. Mellor by pos
a number Of pressing inquiries for cash
from certain Westminster tradesmen
The poor woman was in despair. She
had spent her last quarters pin-money
to the last farthing weeks before. Only
five days previously her husband hat
presented her with a check for fifty
pounds, "for the missionaries" as hC
jocoscly said. Alas! she had paid five
and-forty pounds at once to the canni
bal5, and they still hungered for hel
flesh and blood.
''AoWam ! to finda hundredpounds?
she cried desperately. 81 could as easily
find a hundred millions. 1 can't give
you hundred pence; and if you speak
to my husband l shall be utterly anG
entirely ruined"
"Bahp' replied the Dutchwoman
STAT vor you drubblo yourself so much
moin tear? 1t is easy onof De mo-
neys is comeatiorful. You haf your
tiamonds."
"My diamonds ?"
eyes, surely; dc beautiful diamonds
Mr.. Mellor (tho kind shentlemans) he
puy You only last year, an git you on
your boll'day, ven you was dwendy.
dOO.n
"But Mr.. Mollor likes mo TO woal
those diamonds. lie was looking at
them in my jcEolcaso only this morn.
ing and admiring thom; and arn to
wear them this very night at the
French play"
"Bah l say agcn. Fat tear liddlo
stoopid lof of laty you arc! Doro is
diamonds and diamonds. Bring me dc
briddy liddle dings and will get dem
match by YOUR o'clock dis ferry after
noon; and l will lend you vivdy bonds
more, and gecp dem in bledge, and lent
you de oders vich is baste, and your
houspand he not know nefer one ting
about da drick We blay. Ah, ha, n p'
and Madame Schumacher took snuff
like an ogress-if ogresses ever took
snuff, which l believe they did,
What was the wretched Maude
Matilda Wilhelmina to do What but
bow down before the demon and obey
her.
Tho real diamonds which had cost
the alIectionato Surbiton z. Mclloi
seven hundred and fifty pounds, were
handed over to the DutchWOman in
pledge for four hundred and fifty pounds
and the paste limitations were given
to Mrs, Mellor instead.
A few evenings afterwards they
were TO dine at home and alone. Mr.
MellGr was, contrary to his established
habits, fully three. quarters of All houl
late. When he did come it was in +
state of great disorder, and with palC
and disturbed countenance. For Ions
time he remained silent, and the dinne
was sent down untasted. Then HI
hastily swallowed a glass of sherry, anC
after pacing the room for some time
thus addressed himself to speech:
"Mall, ,"--this was her petit nom
81 have some terrible news to tel
you"
She turned pale and felt ready t,
swoon; she thought for moment tina
the bank had broken. 1t was not that
however, but 50 far as her husband wa
concerned, even worse calamity
He explained that he had recently EN-
barked in very hazardous spcculatiOns
and that those speculations had prove,
unlucky. lie was, he said, on the yer.
| verge and brink OF ruin. He had EN-
bczzled a large amount of the funds 0
the bank, and invcstigation-whicl
might take place at any moment
would inevitably lead to his arrest on
criminal charge. lie had raised money
he said, on all his available property
There was a bill of sale on the fine fur
niture in Gallipoli Villa, the lease 0
of the house was mortgaged; but h
stiu lacked four hundred pounds t
complete the deficiency in his accounts
"FOur hundred pounds,' hoconclud
ed, "would save me, or at least Civ
me time 20 turn myself round. Their
are those diamonds of yours, Mall,
gave seven hundred and fifty pound