Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-06-19
A BROOKLYN SKELETON.

"O'N<S NCUVcSs
Vel!e cheaDeer'
A BROOKLYN SKELETON.
~ >.-:> Enoch Arden as Tramp.
In a suit not long ago before tho Su
preme Court of Brooklyn, facts were
brought to view about some persons
named in it Of a most strange manner.
Close on thirty years ago comedy young
lady Of that city as welded to we'll
TODD young man, whose business was in
New York. They lived happily together
for some years, and had three or four
children. At length the husband died,
having first made will, by which he
bequeathed some 100000 to his wife,
without laying any charge up not to mar
ry again. Mrs. B., as she may be called,
sold out her dead husbands business, and
still made her home in that city,. She
was very handsome widow, her weeds
becoming her we'll. 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 dashing young fel-
low made his bow in Brooklyn society,
among the set to which Mrs. B. belonged.
He was we'll made, had handsome face,
dressed in style, and seemed to know
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 enslaved. They flirt
ed 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 fol-
lowed.
Then the honeymoon and the widows
dream of happiness ended together. The
man whom she had taken to her heart
turned out drunkard and idler, and
spent every cent he could lay hold of for
rum He ran up bills at all the grog-
shops around, and once and again his
wife paid the score. Then she put her
foot down and vowed she would do 50 no
more. The husband stole her watch, her
jewelry, her clothes, her furniture, and
pawned them for liquor. He became a
pest and all eyesore to his wife and the
neighbo1s. At last, when he found that
his wife would 6 i've him no more money
and pay no more bills, he raised shame
full uproar and struck her. She was go
ing to have him Gagged, but forborc on his
pledging himself to decamp. She gave
him $500, and lodged $500 more to be
paid to him after he had lived for three
months in San Francisco. Thither he
went, and drew the money after he had
given proof 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 re-
celved letters from him in various parts
of the United States, asking for money
which she sent him in sums of $40 and
$40. She wrote to trustworthy persons,
and found that her husband was 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 Of the husband, though she
had letters from him, as already said, a
good many times. In the meantime she
had joined an uptown Methodist Episco-
pal Church, and was one OF its strong
pillars. In the church was wealthy
w1dower in a large way of business on
ono of the chief thoroughfares in the city,
and dwelling in costly home on the
Hill. A warm friendship sprang up be-
tween the two, and before long the
records ola New York court showed that
the lady had got 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
defendant 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 thereupon
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 way 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 the, writer's barn such
time, and that he had buried him at an
expense of$150. The stranger asked that
the sum be sent to him, and it was.
Then had the mind of the woman rest.
She was found of beautiful flowers,
and the garden In front of her home was
always kept with much care. One Sun
day morning in the early summer she
was up betimes gathering the lovely
roses and the sweet violets for bouquet
Ito place by the side of her husband 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 man standing
on the sidewalk, grasping the railing,
and looking at her almost iercely. She
gave start, almost a scream, and STEP
ped back. The figure moved not. It
was frightful object that stood there
The hair was coarse, long and 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 3foul, andth hands like
wild beasts claws. But in spite of the
bleod-shot eye ans the dirt, and the
claws and the rags, the half-fainting
woman knew that the, hideous being was
her husband. y 5, - - - ~ E@,,5
"Ah, you know me, see,' he said,
"You're we'll 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
Ihave"
The wretched woman was about to
rush: INTO the house, but the tramp shook
the ratings savagefy, and cried:
"Oh, I'll follow you in. I'll follow
you, and let 'em know I'm alive and we'll.
Look l,o.a y ho oddad 10 aha na,,aal