The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-15
AM SURE 1HAyE MADE \ MISTAKE


come to dinner, nor to tea. A little
after midnight something came tumb-
ling and kicking at the front door, and
the something was Mark Hascall, and,
for the first time in his life, Mark Has
call was heavily intoxicated. It is a
mans way, you know.
That was the beginning of it. After
that, no more peace, no more love for
those two. Mark Hascall's life went
by jumps, and he had taken a long and
desperate downward leap. Their life
thenceforth was a series of chickering's
and bitter quarrels. These two souls
that could not exist apart, you know.
At the end Of year, Bell went home
to her fathers, an jll-tempered, disap-
pointed woman, to hang like stone on
the shoulders of the father who, but
one little year ocfore, had rubbed his
hands and fondly whispered to himself
that he was rid of the burden of one of
his children, at any rate. Then Mark
drank himself beastly drunk to drown
his troubles. and followed her to take
her home again. She refused to go,
and there, in the presence of her mother
and sister, he raised his hand and
strucksher in his drunken rage.
Even then her cold presence of mind
did not leave her. She pushed him
across the threshold and out of doors
with her own hands, and made as if she
would have spurned him with her foot.
Il shall make application for a
divorce to-day she said to him in her
calmest voice.
''Do you really mean that 2 he ask
ed.
so help me God, l do! l never will
live with you another day. For your
future have neither faith, hope, nor
charity. Co."
She pointed with her hand to the
street, and he went away without an.
other word. In due course of time, a
year and half after these two congen.
ial souls had been pronounced one, be
cause they were unable to exist away
from each other.
DIVORCE WAS GRANTED
to Mrs. Hascall, and the custody Of
their infant son given to her, she being
in every way fitted TO rear him proper
ly, the court said. The most common
occurrence in the world, you know
happens every day.
Mark made no remonstrance to any
part of it. He did not drink so much
as before, but seemed sunken into a sui
len. leadcn apathy. On the day the
divorce was granted, he came to the
house and asked to see his little boy
Even Bell could not find it in her heart
to deny him, especially as her former
husband was perfectly sober. She car
ried the child down stairs herself.
You are free now" said Mark.
'Yes," she answered, with enthu
siasm. .'The old dreams and the ole
ambitions seem to shine before me
again. / take off your ring and return
it to you, and with that put off the
old life forever. Thank God. l an
free! am going to put the past Out
of my life so entirely that | shall not
even remember it. have no memo
ries; l have hopes-once more l have
hopes. l am free, free. A hope is bet
ter than a memory. All, l have
wingsr'
"And the little child" said Mark
softly.
Her cheeks flushed hotly. Sh'
clasped tie baby closer. 81 shall take
him with me wherever l 60" she an
swered. 81 shall devote my life t.
him, and try to make him wiser and bet
ter than his father "--she hesitated /:
little, and then added gently-"or hi:
mother.
Now that it had really come. and sht
was all free from the drunken husband
the coarse mother-in-law, and the hor
rible old life. with its shameful bicker
ings, was it odd that she suddenly fell
strange sense Of
SADNESS AND MELANCHOLY
Those who have passed through Ike
experiment will understand it.
Mark kissed the baby.
"W ell--good-bye," he said.
"Good.bye," she answered.
But neither held out hand across
the gulf which lay between.
Isabel had said that the old dreams
and ambitions shone before her again
She was but % when her ll-starree
marriage endedin a miserable divorce
only just beginning life then, so t
speak. The dream of her girlhood. be
re she met Mark Hascall, and foun,
in him her "csngenial soul,' had beer
to 60 on the stage and be famous. All
l don't suppose there ever was TO
mantle girl or boy who didn't have tn
same dream one time or another. tn
ambition came back to her now with
wild heart-bound. If she should be
come an actress, and show them al
what she was capable of-Mark. VIII
had blighted her life. as she said t.
herself, the coarse old mother-in-lav
who snubbed her, and even her owl
father and mother, who seemed tired 0
f her, and to look upon her as a burde'
on their hands, and who somehow
didn't seem to care for her as the,
! used.
She didn't consult all her friend
about it. She made up her mind al
to herself, and when she was ready t.
60 she just went, and the friend
, stormed afterwards. When you want t,
| do 4h;no tho haSf NAV Is tn on anf