The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-11-06


Nordhotf in fearful state of excitement,
uncertainty and dread of something the
horror OF which he could scarcely faith.
ON. Sclzing his wife's arm with an
IRON grip, he led her home without utter
ing word or needing her lamentations
about his brutality Neither did he
ask her any questions when they reached
home. He was trembling from head to
foot as if with terror. At length, mas
tering his emotion, he exclaimed in a
hoarse whisper:
"Tell me where you have seen that
man.
"Did he not tell you himself he hal
MADE mistaken was the indignant
reply.
But Nordhoffs suspicion, once aroused,
was not so easily to be disposed of. He
pressed Stella with questions, and there
was an expression in his eyes, riveted on
her, that somehow awed her into q par
tial avowal. She told him she had met
that gentleman at a cate Oh Sixth avenue,
"a very decent place., she averred, where
she had been but once to eat some ice
cream. Nordhof pressed her no further,
but resolved to watch her. One night,
about week later, instead of going to
the office Of his journal, he remained con-
cealed behind corner Of the street he
dwelt in, whence he could have a full
view of his house. He had been waiting
scarcely half an hour when he saw his
wife come out of the house, and, after
looking about her carefully, hail car
and drive away. Resolved to have done
with his suspicious, once for all, Nord-
hof followed the car on foot. He ran
thus over one mile, painting for breath,
the persplration rolling in thick drops
from his forehead. At length the car
stopped and Stella alighted. She crossed
the street rapidly and entered an "estab-
lishment,' over the entrance of which
Nordhof read the words: "Concert Hall
Entrance Beautiful Barmaids in
Attendance"
Halt mad with rage and misery he
pushed the door open, entered, walked
straight to the table at which he saw
Stella sitting and took chair. The wo-
man became pale as death end was about
to run away, but Nordhoff held her fast.
"You need not fear me- he said in an
apparently calm tone. 81 will not inter-
tere with you any longer. Good bye
Saying which, ha-rose and walked out
of the room. Whittier he went that
night no one knows. He simply disap-
peare in our great metropolis. His name
was added to that list OF the missing :
and few days latter he was forgotten.
A week after the meeting at the con-
cert hall policeman picked up in one
OF the most disreputable by-streets Of
the west side man lying in the gutter,
apparently in state OF drunken insensi-
bility. Before the judge the man was
unable to give any name, and SO was
sent for ninety days lncognito to the is-
land. He must have been very drunk
indeed, ter during these ninety days he
did not recover his senses and remained
! in state of physical and moral lethargy
utterly Indifferent to all surroundings. In
due time he was released and came back
to New York. Wandering listlessly
through the streets in his absent, uncon
scious way, he came upon An old ragman
who was bending under the load OF bag
by tar exceeding his forces. The re-
leased prisoner offered to help him. took
the bag on his shoulders, carried 1t to
i the old mans home, and after
depositipg his load in the
middle of the dingy basement room, sat
down on it and smiled blandly into the
old mans face. Wise political econo-
mists call poor men dangerous and i'll
natured.' Perhaps this was the reason
that the old ragman, who certainly had
always belonged to the poorest OF the
poor, had pity on this miserable speci
men of humanity which had followed
him into his den and lett him remain
where he was During the day the poor
harmless idiot helped the old man In hi
work. At night he lay down on the rags
he had gathered during the day.
SO this strange pair lived on tor nearl.
wear. Suddenly the sick man seemed
TO grow worse. He became restless, re
fused resolutely to leave his couch ane
at night screamed and cried and talked
all sorts of nonsense. A few days later
precisely on tie anniversary Of Nordhott
nartlne from Stella, the ragman's weak
minded comrade executed that eXtraor
, dipary freak which again brought hln
into collision with the police authoute
3 and then 70 the city hospital
I There he lay now "a miserable, wretch
ed wreck o1 the brilliant Nordhoit
visited him daily and watched the dali
progress ef the sickness which was
9 give 8 his death stroke te his ruined MN
!, ! and body. On the tenth day he died
few minutes before closing forever, u
Il ewes suddenly recovered part OF tnel
I tsrmer lustre, smile crept over his 'lps
/ he whispered, stella ana ieiA pasN =
n to the pillows--dead uh
n And Stellag What became oi bert 2
g knows and who cares e kno"
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