The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-18
ANOTHER ENOCH ARDEN.
HE APPEARS This TIME IN THE HOLE
OF A COMMON TRAMP.
The skeleton that Haunts mn Arist0-
cratic Household In Brooklyn.

i
/ In a suit not long ago before the Supreme
Court of Brooklyn, facts were brought to
view about some persons named iii 1t, of d
most strange kind. Close On thirty years
ago n comeIy young lady Of this city was
welded to wellto-do young man, whose
business was in New York. They lived hap
PLY together for some years, and had three
or four children. At length the husband died.
having first made will by which he be-
nneathed some 100000 10 his wife, without
LAYING any charge upon her not to marry
again. Mrs B, as che may be called sold
out her dead husbands business, and still
made her home In this city. She was very
| handsome widow her weeds becoming her
| wall Two or three years went by, and,
though many lovers sought her side, she was
deaf to their whispers and not to be won by
| their promises.
About this time dashing young fellow
| made his bow In Brooklyn society, among
the set to which Mrs. B. belonged. He was
i well made, had a handsome face, dressed In
style, and seemed 70 know almost everybody
and everything. He and the widow met. II
was a fatal meeting, for she took fancy to
the stranger, and he was not loath to be en-
shaved. They tlirted and made love to each
| other for few weeks. and then the widow
married the man, Of whom she knew really
nothing. and installed him rs master of her
lowed.
Then the honeymoon and the widows
dream Of happiness ended together. The
man whom she had taken To her heart turned
out dlunkard and an idler, and spent every
cent be could lay hold Of for rum. He ran
UP bills at all the grogshopa around, and
once ard again his wife paid the score. Then
she put h foot down and vowed she would
do 50 no more. The husband stole her watch,
her jewelry, her clothes, her furniture and
pawned them for liquor. He became a pest
and an ey, sore to his wife and the neig hbors
At last, when he found that his wife would
give him no more money and pay no more
bills he raised a shameful uproar and struck
forbore On his pledglng himself to decamp.
She gave him $500, aud lodged $500 more to
be paid to him after he had lived for three
months In San Francisco, Thither he went,
and drew the money after he had given proof
that he had been there for the time named.
Then he passed out of sight for months; but
not forever, for from time to time bis wife in
Brooklyn recei, cd letters from him la various
parts ut the United States, asking for money,
which she sent III sums OF $40 and $40 She
wrote to trustworthy persons, and found that
her husband vas dirty, drunken, hideous
tramp, passing from one place to another
with u horde Vi Outcasts of the same kind
Five years passed thus, and tho wife saw
nothing Of the husband though che had let
tiers from him, as already said, a good many
times. In the meantime she had joined an
uptown Methodist Episcopal church, and
was one of its strongest pillars. In the
church was wealthy widower In u large way
of business ono of the chief thoroug hfares
in the city, and dwelling In a costly home on
the hill warm friendship sprang up be-
tween the two, and before long the records Of
q New York court showed that the lady had
got divorce of some kind from her husband
The papers were said to be all regular, and an
affidavit stated that the plaintiff had not seen
the defendant for over four years. or heard
e ,hnt1tn h.,Irf H,,yr,f
was fixed cannot be kown, but the woman
was made free, and thereupon married the
widower already spoken Of. The couple lived
together In fine style, and everything was as
u lovely as tt could be.
4 For time IL may be safe to add. Months
and years rolled by. The new husband, Of
course, thought the old husband was out d
the way forever. The wife, perhaps, had her
fears about i. At length, to her great Joy,
site got a letter from u stranger. who wrote
that her husband had died In the writers
barn at such a time and that he had buried
!, him at an expense of $780, The stranger
asked that the sum be SCI t tn hun, and 1t was
Then had the mind OF tire woman rest. and
she prayed at meeting v th strange fervor
and sang the doxologs 80 that all could hear
! her voice away top Of all tie others.
She was fond Of beautiful flowers, and the
] garden iii front Or her homtt was always kept
with much care. One SUMMER morning til thu
! early summer she was up y times gathering
: the lovely roses and the Nret viUl, tn for d
. bouquet to place by the side u her husband OF
, the breakfast table. As sha stopped she be
: came aware that a shadow had passed be-
t tween her and the bright sunshine. She
, glanced up and saw man standing on the
sidewalk, grasping the rail- " and looking al
her almost iiercey. She gave u start, almost
q scream, and stepped back. The figure
moved not II was y trightful object that
stood there. The hair was coarse, long anC
matted, and covered with greasy straw ha
The beard was shaggy and unkempt. The
were on the face. The clothes were ragged
and foul, and the hands like u wild beasts
claws But in spite of the bloodshot eye ant
the dirt, and the claws aud the rags. the half
: fainting woman knew that the hideous beins
was her husband.
"Ah, you know me. | see, he said. You're
we'll fixed, amt you2 A fine house, and {
, pretty garden, and IA husband that's re-
; spectacle and don't drink. Ha, ha, you've
done better than have"
The wretched woman was about to rush int
the house, but the tramp shook the railings
= savagely. and said:
"Oh, I'll follow you In. I'll follow you, ant
; let 'em know I'm alive and we'll. Look here,
he added, as she paused, bring me a handful
of greenbacks and I'll go"
She felt In her pocket, but her purse no
being there she turned towards the house. HI
seemed to know her object, and said:
BE quick. I'll wait two minutes; no
more"
In less time than that she was back ant
laid roll OF bills on the stone between thu
ratings. Then she withdrew to the house.
week after this the. tramp was back again
! This time he came by night and asked at tn,
basement door for the mistress. Again sh,
had to give him money. Then she refused tt
SEE him. and he hung around the spot fo
three days, peering into the garden. and ever
going close to the lower windows and putting
his face to the glass to gaze in. Then he sud
J denly vanished, aud the woman inside, wht
, had been in dread SO many long weary hours
felt weight pass from her heart.
9 When her husband well, be it SO for THU
story-came home that evening he was yer.
grave. After dinner he and his wife-let he
$ go at that for the present-had long ant
: secret talk. This is what he had to tell her:
S That afternoon while In his store a wretch
9 ed looking tramp came in and forced his wa!
b up to the desk.
: You are Mr.. Dash l believe" said thu
tramp, adding, without pause for an an
t swer, land I'm b."
q u don't see what that has to do with me,