Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-18
MRS. ST. JOHN.
The Romance of Our Boarding
House.

SuC was I1O DAAkLlSSNS tCttf0H
little thing when she came here, bride,
i've years ago this very month. They
took my choicest suite of apartments,
and at first her husband seemed to think
there was nothing quite good enough for
her. AS for her, bless her! she was so in
love with her handsome, fascinating hus-
band that / really think 1t was all the
same to her if she dined off roast beet or
rose leaves; if she drank cafe noir or
ambrOsia.
''Such pet as she was in the house.
: Old Mrs. Mobberly and her two spinster
daughters were loud in tneir praises OF
her, and often haa seat in her cosy
little coupe Tor morning shopping or
an afterr oon's drive through the Park.
Young Hammond and his wife we're oft
en- in their apartment OF an evening help
ing Mr.. st. John drink his sparkling
Moselle, and praising IN no stlnted terms
Mrs. st. Johns rich contralto voice and
brilliant execution. Even the general,
who held his head 50 high and hapghty,
who never left his own elegant apart
ments to join the Others in the parlor
common to all. came down and stood
guilty in the doorway on three or foar
different occasions when she had been in
duced to sing there.
II can see him now, standing there firm
and erect, but with far away look IN
his gray eyes, as though the song or the
voice recalled sad memories. But he
ulVer spoke to her. Indeed, as soon as
the sweet voice ceased, he would quietly
walk away, and these visits OF his we're
never observed by any one save myself
or there were three doors opening from
the hall into our long saloon parlOrs, and
It was at the centre door the general
5rsk up his station, and between that
door and the piano there stood large
~rerage which screened him completely.
There was one other who protested to
admire Mrs. st. John. A widow-Mrs
Burbank. Tall, magnifccntly formed,
dark handsome face, everything so
far as looks went, in her favor: and yet
never liked her. That beautiful gliding
step was too cat-lise; that sweet voice
TO caressingly sweet to all alike, be it
friend, or shock-headed beggar to whom
she refused the pittance craved, and. by
the way she always refused
''But there was one WHO admired Mrs.
Burbank, and that one was Mrs. st. John s
husband. first began TO notice 1t v hen
they had been with HE year or little
over. There were two bouquets brought
home nightly now, one tor the wife, and
one for Mrs. Burbank; and once l sa~
the widow deity remove letter from the
innocent flowers. Now they were always
accompanied to opera OF theatre by the
widow. In fact she was always with
them. l do not think Mrs. st. John
ever really tancieu her, but she knew it
pleased her husband to have Mrs. Bur-
bank with them. and that vas enough.
She was such child, this little wife
tell you of-only eighteen, and as inno-
cent of evil as though it had no existence
in this world of ours.
s'At last Mrs. Burbank came one dav
and told me she was going away On d
visit; that she would be gone some time,
and would, therefore give up her apart
ment. Well, go she did, and could not
say was sorry.
"For time after that every thing went
on all smooth and even, and then the little
wife's face grew sad and pale, dark shad-
ows grew under the violet-blue eyes, and
could have boxed the ears of her hand
some husband, for l knew he was the
cause OF it. He was never actively un.
kind, only careless, neglecttul.
The nightly bouquet was forgotten now
and sometimes he would forget to come
home till the wee sma hours. And one
dismal winters morning, before the sur
was up, Mrs st. John came to me, where
lax1 In, Rod on1 Is,
very cold and white and still, her dea
little face close to mine, her arm arounC
my neck. l dreaded knew not what
and for time neither of US spoke. A
last said:
"Wbat is it, my deara"
land the poor child pressed littl
closer, and said:
MRS. Raymond, have been sitting
up for him all night, and he never came.
could only smooth the little golde
head with trembling fingers as her moth
er might have done, and coax her to g
with me to her own room, where pu
her to bed, fer she v as really ill.
later in the day her symptoms bt
came alarming, physician was sent fo
who pronounced It BRAN tever. This
night letter came for her in her hui
bands handwriting. l took it to til
general, and asked him what should
about opening it. 1t was certainly in
portant he should know of his wife
condition, and we knew not where to fin
him.
The general opened the letter.
"Thank God! the wife never saw 1t.
"Hs had eIOptd loith Mrs. Burbank.
.'Such a weak, pitiful, cowaldly lett
never, and hope never s0:lL read agai
He had made sad mistake in marryin
They were not suited to each other, MI
Burbank was his destiny, his affinity
and much more to the same purpose.
"The general and I looked at eaC
other through mist of tears. At last
BOUNDS! madam said the gencrs
drawing his hand hastily across his eye
was there ever such villain2 But tn
must be stopped; something must
done
''Andswe finally decided that it mu
be kept from the others in the house, ar
the general was. to start out early Il
next morning, track them if possible, tt
the husband his wife's pitiable conditio
and If possible reclaim him before an
thing should be known. But in Il
morning the papers contained an accou
of terrible railroad disaster, and amor
the names of the dead was Oscar
John. We never heard of Mrs. Burbal
then or later, whether she was with hi
when he met his death, or If he was
Mia Gro n Tn isli1a hor