The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-14
a Brooklyn Skeleton.

drcn. At length the husband died, having
first made will, by which he bcqucnthcd
some 800, 600 to his wife, without laying
any charge on her not to marry again. MIS-.
Is. us she may be called, sold out her dead
husbands business, and still made her home
In Brooklyn. She was II very handsome
widow, her weeds becoming her well. Two
or three years wont by, and, though many
lovers sought her side, she was deaf to their
whispers and not to be won by their pro-
misses.
About this time dashing young fellow
made his bow in Brooklyn society, among
the set to which Mrs. B. belonged. lie
was well made, had II handsome face,
dressed IN style, and seemed to know almost
everybody and everything. lie and the
widow met. 1t was n fatal meeting, for
she took Il fnncy to tire stranger, and hc
was not lonthc to be cnsnvcd. They Ilirlcd
and made love to each other for u few weeks
and then the widow married the man, of
whom she knew really nothing, and install
ed him ns master of herself and home.
Three weeks Of delight followed.
Then tho honeymoon AMI tho wid>w's
dream Of happiness ended together. The
man whom she had taken to her heart turned
out to be drunkali and an idlcr, and
spent every cent he could lay hold Of for
rum. lie run up bills ut Ill the grog shops
around, and once and again his wife paid
the score. Then she put her foot down and
vowed she would do SO no more. The l,ls
bnnd stole her watch, her jcwclry, her
clothes, her furniture, and pnwncd them for
liquor. lie became pest and IN eyc-sorc
to his wife and the ncighbors At Inst.
when he found TINT his wife would give
him no more money and pay no more bills
he raised shameful nproar and struck her.
She was going to have him Gagged, but for
bore on his pIcdging himself to dccnmp.
She gave him $500, and lodged 5000 more
10 be paid to him after he hud lived for
three months In Snn Francisco. Thithcr hr
went, and drew the money after he Ind
given proof lhnt he hnd been there for the
time named. But not forever, for from
time to time his wife in Brooklyn received
letters from him IN various pnrts of the
United States, asking for money, which
she sent In sums Of $40 md $40. She
wrote 10 trustworthy persons, and found
that her husband was II dirty, drunken,
hidcoIs tramp, passing from one plucc to
another with horde OF out casts of the same
kind.
Five years passed thus and the wife snw
nothing of the husband, though shc had
letters from him, ~ already said Il good
many times. In the meantime she Joined
III uptown Methodist Episcopal church,
nnd was ono of It's strong pillnrs. In the
church was n wealthy widower in lnrgc
way Of business on one Of the chief thor
oughlnrcs in the city. and dwelling III u
costly home on the llill 4 warm friend
ship sprang up between the two, and before
long the records Of New York court
showed TINT the lady had got divorce Of
some kind from her husband The papers
were snid to hc all regular, and on, an an-
davit made by the plaintiff tina, she had not
seen defendant for over four years, or heard
anything of his Whereabouts. How the
thing was fixed cannot he known, hut the
woman was made free and thcrcupon mar
rlcd the widowcr already spoken of. The
couple lived together in fine style, aud
everything was as lovely rs ii cnuld he.
For a time, Il may he safe to add. Months
ana years rollca NY. inc new n,ls,una, OF
course, thought the old husband wns out Of
the way forever. Tho wife, perhaps hu,i
her fears about It. at length, to her great
JOY, she got letter from stranger, who
wrote that her husband had died in the
writer's barn at such time, and that he
had buried him at IN expense Of SlaO
him, and It was. Then had tho mind of
tho woman rest, and she prayed n, meet
ing with strange frrvor and sang the ,oxol-
ogy so that nll could hear her voice away
top Of all the others.
She was fond of beautiful flowers, and
tho garden in front Of her homo was ALWAYS
kept With much care. One Sunday morn
ing In early summer she was up bctimcS
gathering tho lovely roses and the sweet
Vlolcts for bouquet to place hy the side
OF her husband on the breakfast table. As
she stood She became aware that u shadow
had passed between her and the bright sun
shine, She glanced up and saw man
standing on the sidewalk, graSping the rail
Ing and looking at her almost ticrce,y She
gave u start, almost u scream, and stepped
back. Tho figure moved not. II was u
frightfu object that stood there. The hair
was COARSE long, and matted, and covered
with n greasy straw hat. The beard was
shaggy and nnkempt. The eyes were rcd
and blcnrcd. Patches of dirt were on the
face. The clothes were ragged and FOUL
and the hands were like beasts claws. But
IN spite of tho bloo,l-shot eyes and the dirt
and tho claws and the rags, the half -faining
woman knew that the hidcous being was
her husband
"Ah, You know mo, sce" he sad
"ion're wcll fixed, aint youl n fine house
and pretty garden, and q - a husband
that's respectable and don't drink. lla ha,
you've done better than | have"
Tho wretchcd woman was about To rush
into tho house, but the tramp shook the
ratings savagoly, and cried:
ooh, Pll follow you in. III follow you,
and let em know Pm alive and wcll. Look
here, " no added, rs she paused, "hring me
handful of grecnbacks and III CO."
She felt In hor pocket, but her purse not
being there sho turned toward tho house.
lie seemed to know her object, and said:
"Rc quick. III wait two minutes; not
more
In less time than that sho was back. and
laid roll Of bills on the stone, between tho
railings Then she withdrew to the house,
4 week after this tho tramp was back again.
This time no came by night, and asked at
the basement door for tho mistress. Again
she had to give him money. Thcn sho 70.
fused to sec him, and no hung around thc
spot for three days, peering into tho garden