Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-05-07


fiercely. She gave start, almost a
scream, and stepped back. The figure
moved not. 1t was n frightful object
that stood there. The hair was course.
long, and matted, and covered with a
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. 81. -
"Ah, you know me, see," he said.
you're we'll fixed, amt you? A fine
house, and pretty garden, and IA
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. III follow
you and let 'em know Pm alive and
well. Look here" he added, as she
paused, bring me handful of green
backs and I'll CO." -sG-
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 he 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
ly vanished, and the woman inside, who
had been in dread so many long weary
hours, felt a 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 60 at that for the pres
ent-had long and secret talk. This
is what he had to tell her:
That afternoon, while in his store,
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, "and | am b.
81 don't see 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.
"Im 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 a sham, and she swore to
a 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, a thousand times
IN a second.
s'Give me some money" said the
tramp, "and I'll 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
long debauch. At length, however,
even Mr.. Dash's grace failed, and he
spurned the hateful drunkard. Then
ne haunted the house again uptown,
but a big, strong man was placed on
guard with club, and the tramp could
only swear, and rave, and stamp at
distance. He took to another way.
uglier, and more dramatic. One Sun
day night when Mrs. Dash was quitting
church, he stepped up and asked her
for money, using a threat to show her
up on the spot if she did not give him
what he wished. Her trembling hand
south her purse, which she thrust out
at him. At the door of the concert
hall, the tramp watched for her, and
always with a dreadful threat upon his
lips. ..r w
When the grand Methodist reunion
took place at the Academy of Music,
not long ago, Mrs. Dash went thither in
her carriage with her husband. AS
she passed up the steps amid the pious
throng. man III a slouched hat and
shabby coat thrust his head alongside
hers and Kissed out the threat, "Give
me the diamond ring on your finger, Or
I'll follow you and introduce YOU"
III q 4r;obtod u,opnop had DOthino