Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-05-10
A BROOKLYN SKELETON.
The Secret of an AristOcratic House
hOId-EnOch Arden as "a Tramp.

/ brough. 10 view about some persons
named in it of most strange kind
Close on thirty years ago, comely
young lady OF this city was welded TO a
well-to. do young man whose business
was in New York. They lived happily
together for some years and had three or
four children. Al length the husband
died, having first made a will, by which
he bequeathed some $780, to his wife.
without laying any charge upon her not
to marry again. Mrs. b., as she may be
called, sold out her dead husbands bust,
ness, and still made her home in this
city. She was very handsome widow,
her weeds becoming her well. 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 a dashing young fell
low made his bow in Brooklyn society,
among the set to which Mrs. b :, belong
ed. He was well made, had handsome
face, dressed in style, and seemed to
know almost everybody and everything.
| He and the widow met. 1t was fatal
meeting, for she took fancy to the
stranger, and he was not 10th to be en-
shaved. They Airted 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
as master Of herself and home. Three
weeks Of delight followed.
Then the honeymoon and the widow's
dream of happiness ended together. -
The man whom she had taken to her
heart turned out drunltard and an ider,
and spent every cent he could lsy hold of
for rum. He ran up bills at all the grog-
shops around, and once and again his
wife paid .he score. Then she put her
foot down and viewed she would do so no
more. The husband stole her watch, her
jewelry, her clothes, her furniture, and
pawned them for liquor. He became n
pest and an eyesore To his wife and the
neighbors. AT last, when lie found that
his wife would give him no more money
and pay 10 more bills, he raised shame
! fui uproar and struck her. She was go
ing TO have him Gagged, but forebore on
his pledging himself to decamp. She
gave him $500, and lodged $500 more to
be paid to him after he had lived three
months in San Francisco. Thither he
went and drew the money after be had
given Preef 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 his wife in Brooklyn
received letters from him in various part
of the United States, asking for money,
which she sent in sums OF $40 and $40.
She wrote to Trustworthy persons, and
found that her husband was a dirty.
drunken, hideous tramp, passing from
one place to another with horde Of out
casts Of the same kind.
Five years passed thus, and the wife
saw nothing ef the husband, though she
had letters from him. as already said
good many times. In the mean time
she had Joined an uptown Methodist,
| church and was one Of its strong pillars.
In tho church was wealthy widower in
large way Of business on ore OF the
chief thorou ehfsres in the city, and dwell
ling in costly home on the IIil. A
warm friendship sprang up between the
two, and before long the records Of n
New York court showed that the lady
had got a 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 de
fendant for over four years, or heard
anything of his whereabouts How the
thing was fixed cannot be known, but
the woman was made free, and there
upon married the widower already spoken
Of The couple lived together in fine
style, and everything was as lovely as
it could be.
For time, it may be safe to add.
Months and years rolled by. The new
husband, Of course, thought the old hus
band was out of the wFy forever. The
wife, perhaps, had her fears about it. At
length, to her great joy, she got letter
from stranger, who wrote that her hus-
band had died in tie writer's barn at such
time, and that he had buried him at an
expense of $3.50. The stranger asked
that the sum be sent to him, and it was.
Then had the mind Of the woman resi-.
ana she prayed at meeting with strange
tervor and sang the doxology so that all
could hear her voice away top of all the
others.
She was fond of beautiful flowers, and
the garden in font of her home was al
ways kept with much care. One Sunday
morning in the early summer she was up
oetlmes gathering the lovely roses and
the sweet yiolets for DO uQuet to place
by the side of her husband on the break
fast table. As she stopped she became
aware that shadow had passed between
her and the bright sunshine. She glane
cd up and saw man standing on the
sidewalk, grasping the railing, and look
ing at her almost fercely. She gave IL
STAR, almost scream, and stepped back.
The figure moved not. 1t was a frightful
object tina: stood there. The hair was
coarse, long, and matted, and covered
with greasy stray 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 a wild beasts
claws. But in spite of the blood shot eve
and the dirt, and the claws, and the ra Is.