Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-11-04


formed the latter had been sent to the
city hospital. I proceeded thither ac-
cordingly. The employees had no trouble
to remember the case, and was directed
to bed No. 800. A young doctor accom-
panied me.
"What is the matter with the mang" !
asked on the way.
"Appears to be softening of the BRAIN
was the answer; sis not likely to live
long; curious case, though"
We had by this tine reached the room
in which 800 lay, and approached the
bed. The patient was lying closely
wrapped up in his blanket, his face
turned toward the wall, either sleeping
or insensible.
"Do you want to see his iaces" asked
the doctor, and before was able to mo-
ton him not to disturb the patient, the
latter turned suddenly and, with blank
stare, exclaimed:
"Who is there9 Stellaa"
His whole figure, as he leant heavily
on his elbow, appeared emaciated and
worn to skeleton; his hair had been
cut short, showing out painfully every
protruding eminence of the skull; his
long beard was gray and wild, the vacant
stare of his large, deeply-sunken gray
| eyes gave to the whole face an express
sion Of idlocy which rendered the fea-
lures nearly unacceptable, and yet,
Notwithstanding this dreadful change,
| knew the man inatantly.
'Nordhoffr' I cried, bending over
him and looking HIM straight in the
face, "do you know mef'
| A CLEAN of intelligence seemed for a
moment to pass over his face, but only
for a moment. Then again the same
vacant expression settled on it, and he
again muttered:
ssWho is there9 Is it Stella2"
There was no hope. Love, the truest,
most ardent, most passionate love man
is capable OF, had done its work here to
the end.
II.
By degrees, by questioning the rag
man in whose miserable dwelling Nerd
hoff had found shelter, the neighbors
and SEINE of the associates of his former
life, succeeded IN tracing the history
of the unhappy man back to the time
when he had landed at New York with
his wife-for he had, before starting,
married that French girl.
He had always been lucky man, and
it seemed at first that his good fortune
had accompanied him over the ocean
He found lucrative employment at the
Office of rich broker, Polish Jew, who
had formerly been a small business
agent of Nordhof's father, and was now
proud and happy to give a lift to the
son. All went on rather smoothly tor a
year, until French opera bouffe com
pany visited New York. Among the
singers belonging to the latter, Stells
found some former acquaintance. Sht
went to see them, and the demon of the
stage seized again on her. Despite the
earnest entreaties of her husband, sht
passed all of her evenings, and part o.
her nights, at the theater, and in com
pany with some OF the widest Bohemi
7 ans of the troupe. Among these thu
+ women were all very elegant, and GOV
] cred with jewels they were proud OF, anG
. which they boastingly showed to Stella
q "What is the use of you having mar
ried that fellow one of those plain
: spoken "ladies'' exclaimed, ''if he is I'm
able even to give ysu decent outit7"
= This naughty word was not forgotten
: by Stella. She loved Nordhoff in he
+ way, but from this moment the MOTTO
settled in her mind that he somehow di
= not treat her as he ought and as she ha
I a right to expect.
~ have given up for him all my pros
: pects,'' she thought, "and now I mus
= cook for him his dinner. It's shameful.
For all he had given up for her sh
+ seemed utterly blind.
! At last the day came when the woma
: openly accused her husband of neglect
. "You make lots of money!" she criec
! bursting into tears, land have no dc
e cent dress to put on. see it all, you d
r not love me any morep'
Il Poor Nor1hott tried hard to satisfy hi
wife's most extravagant wishes. IL ad
4 dition to his Office work he succeeded
!. getting night employment on one of tn
n great newspapers in the great city. Dul
8 ing a year he worked like galley slav'
g earning about five thousand dollars. BIZ
% what was this sum for a woman used
: the extravagances of Partisan fast life
q Scenes of peevish, worrying complain
v became on her part daily more fir
quent. Nordhoff was comparative
. happy only while at work an
he actually came to dread the momel
h he had to go home. And still he love
d her with mad cllnging passion again
+ which all the dictates OF reason RENAME
l. powerless.
n One summer evening after dark
took her out for walk on Broadwa
: AS they passed the door of the Fifth Ave
ne Hotel the throng separated them for
~ instant, Nordhoff remained few PAGES b
At hind. At that moment an elegant
=. dressed man who stood at the entrance
@ the hotel hall accosted his wife in far
iliar voice:
h "Halloo, Stellal Be there tonight
70 Nordhof sprangT forward and seizil
h the man by the arm exclaimed; 'this |
q dy is my wife, sirl Who are you9"
20 The man thus accosted seemed at fir
~ inclined to resent the action as well
. the words. He was much taller and oil
~ er than Nordhoff, and as he looked dov
~ on his enraged adversary his expressi'
* suddenly changed. He cast one mo
~ glance at Stella and then bowling court
4 ously to Nordhof. said:
b. "Excuse me. I regret my m1stal
lie most sincerely. / am short-sighted al
ne have mistaken your wife for "a wom
D. whose name I dare not even mention
il the presence of lady whose husband
r a gentleman. Once more, excuse me-"
It. The stranger walked away, leavin
"a. Nordhoff in fearful state of excitemer
Il. uncertainty and dread of something t
n horror of which he could scarcely fat
" ON. Selzing his wife's arm with
m iron grip, he led her home without utt'
d. ing word or needing her lamentatio
n: about his brutality Neither did
II. ask her any questions when they reach
home. He was trembling from head
ne foot as if with terror. At length, m,
d. tering his emotion, he exclaimed il
q hoarse whisper:
WTell me where voH have seen I'll