The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-11-04

1 i AoO AAOVC0 AO 4uOSG1OuS W ttSke III
face was answer enough to all. / got u,
and we went together to Zone of thos,
benetactors of the human race TO
whom there is no difference between da,
and night. when service can be rendered
lat 100 per cent. On leaving the money
lender, Nordhof positively refused t.
let me accompany him further. We tool
leave Of each other ON the street.
Since then never heard any more O.
Nordhotf. His disappearance produced
something Of sensation, and was spoken
OF and commented upon, a good deal. II
due time, however, the whole story was
fargotten, and even I, it must be owped
scarcely thought of Nordhoff and his
miserable love, until the name of Stella
! which ] found in the story of the pool
maniac, revived in me old recollections
| Could it be possible, thought, that il
had come to this?
At all events I resolved to investigate
the matter. At the station house the
maniac was first conveyed to, was in.
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 man2n ]
asked on the way.
"Appears to be softening of the brain, y
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.
sDo you want to see his tace?" asked
the doctor, and before I was able to mo-
ton him not to disturb the patient, the
latter turned suddenly and, with blank
stare, exclaimed:
'sWho is there2 Stellar
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 unrecognizable, and vet,
notwithstanding this dreadful change,
| knew the man inatantly.
'sNordhoffr' I cried, bending over
him and looking HIM straight in the
face, "do you know mes''
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:
"Who is there2 Is it Stella?"
There was no hope. Love, the truest,
most ardent, most passionate love man
is capable of, had done its work here to
the end.
By degrees, by questioning the rag
man in whose miserable dwelling Nerd-
hoff had found a shelter, the neighbors
and some 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, a Polish Jew, who
had formerly been small business
agent Of Nordhoffs father, and was now
proud and happy to give lift to the
son. All went on rather smoothly Tor
year, until French opera bouffe COM
pany visited New Y..lk. Among the
singers belonging to the latter, Stella
found some former acquaintance. She
went to see them, and the demon of the
stage seized again on her. Despite. the
earnest entreaties Of her husband, she
passed all of her evenings, and part of
her nights, at the theater, and in COM
pany with some OF the widest Bohemi-
ans OF the troupe. Among these the
women were all very elegant, and Gov
cred with jewels they were proud Of, and
which they boastingly showed to Stella.
''What is the use of you having mar
ried that fellow one of those plain
spoken ''ladies'' exclaimed. ''if he is un-
able even to give you decent outfit?n
This naughty word was not forgotten
by Stella. She loved Nordhoff in her
way, but from this moment the notion
settled in her mind that he somehow did
not treat her as he ought and as she had
right to expect.
II have given up for him all my pros
poets, she thought, "and now / must
cook for him his dinner. It's Shameful
For all he had given up for her she
seemed utterly blind.
At last the day came when the woman
openly accused her husband of neglect
ing her.
"You make lots Of money! she cried,
bursting into tears, .and l have no de,
cent dress to put on. see it all, you do
not love me any morep
Poor Nordhott tried hard to satisfy his
wlte's most extrayagant wishes. Ir adj
dition to his Office work he succeeded in
getting night employment on one of the
great newspapers in the great city. Dur
ing year he worked like galley slave,
earning about five thousand dollars. But
what was this sum for woman used to
the extravagances of Partisan fast life?
Scenes.of peevish, worrying complaints
became on her part daily more fire.