Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-05-07

Ell at meeting with strange fervOr and
sang the doxologv so that all could hare
her voice away above all the others.
She was fond of beautiful flowers,
and the garden in front of her home
was always kept with much care. One
Sunday morning in the early summer
she was up betimes gathering the love-
" roses and the sweet violets for boz
quet to place by the side of her hus-
band on the breakfast table. As she
stopped she became aware that shadow
had passed between her and the bright
sunshine. She glanced up and saw a
man standing on the sidewalk grasping
the railing, and looking at her almost
hercely. She gave start, almost
scream, and stepped back. The figure
moved not. 1t was frightful object
that stood there. The HAIR was course.
long, ana matted, and covered with
greasy straw hat. The beard was
shaggy and unkempt. The eyes were
red and bleared Patches of dirt were
on the face. The clothes were ragged
and foul, and the hands like wild
beasts claws. But in spite of the blood
shot eye and the dirt, and the claws,
and the rags, the half fainting woman
knew that the hideous being was her
husband.
"Ah, you know me, see" he said.
you're well fixed, amt you? A fine
house, and pretty garden, and "a
husband that's respectable and don't
drink. Ha, ha, you've done better than
have"
The wretched woman was about to
rush into the house, but the tramp
shook the ratings savagely, and cried:
cob, I'll follow you in. I'll follow
you and let 'em know I'm alive and
we'll Look here" he added, as she
paused, bring me a handful of green
backs and III 90"
She felt in her pocket, but her purse
not being there she turned towards the
house. He seemed to know her object,
and said:
"Be quick. I'll wait two minutes;
not more"
In less time than that she was back,
and laid roll of bills on the stone, be-
tween the ratings. Then she withdrew
to the house. A week after this the
tramp was back again. This time he
came by night, and asked at the base
ment door for the mistress. Again she
had to give him money. Then she re-
fused TO see him, and ne hung around
the spot for three days, peering into
the garden, and even going close TO the
lower windows and putting his face to
the glass to gaze in. Then he sudden
" vanished, and the woman inside, who
I Il
hours, felt weight pass from her
heart.
When her husband-well, be it so for
this story-came home that evering he
was very grave. After dinner, he and
his wife-let her go at that for the pres
ent-had a long and secret talk. This
is what he mad to tell her:
That afternoon, while in his store, a
fredericksburg tramp came IN and
forced his way up to the desk.
"You are Mr.. Dash, | believe" said
the tramp, adding without a pause for
an answer, land | am B.
81 don't Gee what that has got to do
with me-" said Mr.. Dash, not for the
moment mindful that b. was the
name Of the woman he had mar
ried
"Well, not much" the tramp answer
ed. only you married my wife"
Dash was thunderstruck. The tramp
saw it, and enjoyed it.
I'm not going to be troublesome
the tramp SAID, but have my rights.
Nv wife is my wife still. for the divorce
she got was all sham, and she swore to
II lie when she swore that she did not
know where | was. have her letters,
written to me within six months OF the
time she says she got her divorce"
The face of the man to whom the
tramp was speaking was white. His
tongue was SO dry that he could not
speak. His knees were shaking, and
his feet dancing up and down, up to his
brain and down again, thousand times
in a second.
Give me some money" said the
tramp, "and Til go away"
Mr.. Dash lifted his desk, grasped
some notes and handed them to the
tramp. He put them into his pocket
and sided past the clerks and Gus
toners into the open air.
When Mr.. Dash told his wife all this,
she told him in return what had hap
pened to herself. Strange enough, no
plan was agreed on by which to curb
the wretched man or get rid ofthe cause
of fear. Time and again the tramp
called at Mr.. Dash's office and received
money. He was the same filthy sot, no
matter how much money went into his
hands. He never bought new clothes,
or took pains to make himselflook even
clean. He was never without whiskey
except when he was without money,
and he never was without money
except when he was coming out of a