Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-07-18

But YOU would have sent for me,
surcly?' said Frank.
Sent for YOU answered Kate.
You do not imagine that would have
kept You to our engagement. if such a
thing was trueg'
That would have mala no differ
ence in my love, You know said Frank.
reproachtullv.
II could never nave married any one
Ia bring reproach ON his amily-but
let me continue.
You might ut least have had my AS
Slstance TO ferret out the Scoundrel."
Frank, said Kate, 9 am proud, and
would rather have died than have YOU
know my shame, had 1t been true Well
! hired private detective, who soon
found that the colonel--whosc real name
was Salford-was n worthless scamp and
adyenturer, who, under assumed names.
had forged bills ON several banks in Eu-
rope, and was in great demand Ivy police
officers generally With this information
| might easily have repealed the colonel.
but was determined to- get at the truth
of the other matter Here, again, my
detective assisted me. My father still
happened To have a picture of his first
wife in his desk, which | showed the de
tcctive. In tracing the colonel To place
in London, one night, he came upon a
woman very much resembling the pie
ture. Making inquiries, he found that
the woman was the colonel's wife, "A
younger sister by ten years of the Sig
nora Bettini, and one who from her re
semblance Ia her sister it was evident he
intended 10 palm Oh rs the wife of my
! father, The woman herself was in II
wretchcd condition, and entirely ignorant
of the base purposes to which her hus-
/ band was putting her From her We
gained authentic proof that the woman
/ burned in the theatre was indeed my
fathers wife, for she had no sister but
this one, who was then but Il child
Armed with these proofs, ! took silly
notion to put a ghmor of romance on
the affair and proposed an elopcment to
Wcstmorcland, where took care to have
the colonefs wife and the detective as
witnesses of the ceremony. Confronted
with the proofs of his crimes and base
| fabrication, the crewhile colonel became
the most ahlect wretch | ever set eyes
ON, literally crawling at our feet for mer-
icy. His wife, also, whose love for the
wretch was marvellous, considering his
hasencss to her, added her entreaties,
and pitcously pleaded that the detective
and | would spare him. !, conscious
that he could do me no more harm, and
not wishing my name to get into the
courts, consented, bribing my detective
of course, to keep silent
! But why, little wife did YOU stay
/ away SO long without word To me?
You don't know how suffered"
So did /, Frank oh, so terribly
But thought that you already despised
me for my perldity, and my hateful
pride kept me from saying anything to
clear myself for even then could not
tell YOU everything"
why notg
Well, Frank, my plans were little
altered. After exposing the colonel and
| giving him up to the law, intended
/ lars. But, before they left. the wife of
the coloneI-and Oh ! Frank, YOU can't
imagine how pitiously she plcaded--ex-
tracted promise from me that would
reveal the colonies basencss to no one
while she lived. | could not therefore
60 home directly without being pestered
by inquiries from curious busybody'.
which ] could not answer, and so | de
cided to stay in Wcstmorcland with
Aunt Rachel, until such time as could
60 home, and make people believe that
| was deserted by the colonel"
And you have been content to bear
all this suspicion and calumny rather
than expose william? Brave little wife,
NAY, nay, Frank, | would have OK
posed him had his wife not pleaded so
strongly, and | would have broken my
promise, | think, had known that YOU
did not despisc me, but rather loved me
spite Of I'll my faults
Faults, darling God grant we may
all have such faults The greatest Of
yirtue-self-sacritice call it,
But. | could not have told you this,
Frank, had not learned, this morning,
that the colonel's wife is dead, and that
he is now serving his time across the
water for one Of his misdeeds.'
Well, Kate darling, may God forgive
him Henceforth let us forget that such
n man ever lived, and may | prove such
a husband, in my humble way, that |
may make you not only forget your
sullerings, but also see you happy
little wife.
" Happy, happy who is more sou