The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-06-19


was very grave. After dinner, be and
his wife-let her go ut that for the pres
ent-had . long and secret; talk. This
was what he hxd to tell her: "
That afternoon, while in his store. a
wretched- looking tramp came in and
forced his way up to the desk.
':."You are Mr. Dash, I believe." said
the tramp, adding, without a pause for
an answer, land I'm b. .,.lt -
II don't see what that has to do With
me-" said Mr.. Dash, not for the momen:
mindful that B. VAS the name of the
woman whom he had married.
= "Well, not much" the tramp answered,
'sonly 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 l have my rights.
My wife is my wife still, for the divorce
she got was all sham,. and she swore
to lie. when she s~ore that she did
not know where / was. have her let
tiers, written to me within six months
Of the time she says she got her d.
vOrcc."
The face Of the man to whom the
tramp WAS speaA ing was white. His
tongue was 80 dry that he could not
spea<. His knees were sha. ING, and
his feet dancing up and down, up and
down, up to his brain and down again, a
thousand times in a second.
'Give me some money!" said the tramp,
land I'll 60 away"
Mr.. Dash lifted his desk. grasped some
notes and handed them to the tramp
He put them into his pocket and sncakcd
past the clerks and customers into the
open air.
When Mr.. Dash told his wife all this,
she told him in return what had hap
Hned to herself. Strange enough no
plan was agreed upon by which to curb
the wretched man, or get rid Of the
cause of fear. Time and again the
tramp called at Mr.. Dash's Office, and
got 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 himself
look even clean. He was never with
out WHISKY except when he was with
out money, and he was never without
money except when he was coming
out Of a long debauch. At length,
hos ever, even Mr.. Dash's grace failed,
and he spurned the hateful drunkard
Then he haunted the house again up
toA n, but big, strong man was placed
on guard with a club, and the tramp
could only swear, and rave, and stamp
at a distance. He took to another
| way, uglier, and more dramatic. On
Sunday night when Mrs. Dash was
quitting church he stepped up and
ask her for money, using a threat to
show her up on the spot If she did moi
give him what he wished. Her trem.
bling hand sought her purse, which she
thrust out at him. At the door of the
concert-hall, the tramp watched for her
and always with dreadful threat upon
his lips.
When the grand Methodist reunion
took place at the Academy Of Music, not
long ago, Mrs. Dash went thither IN hel
carriage with her husband. As she
passed up the steps amid the pious
throng, man in slouchcd hat and 9
shabby coat thrust his head alongside
hers and Missed out the threat, "Give mt
the diamond ring on your finger, or Ill
follow you and introduce you"
The affrightened woman had nothing t.
do but tear off the ring apd pass it to tn.
footpad. And so this same dreaded peri
the unearthing Of sham and fraud in .
divorce-haun.s this woman at all times
To this day the husband is around as ,
tramp, drawing money by threats, ant
Boosting in gin-mills Of his power to hau
a big man doAn and ruin his wifi
whenever he chooses. The victim ha
been told what to do to ease herself of tn
burden, but she is afraid to act, lest tn
story nov written should be told witt
the real name put in.-Chtenyo Tribune