The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-06-12


read her articles. But he was at the law
school all day long, and when he came
home at night he liked to talk of pleas
ant things, particularly to expatiate
upon the brilliancy of his prospects 1t
was, indeed, delightful to listen to him,
and she could never forgive herself for
having once fallen asleep during his dis
course. But then she had been so very
tiredi He had been mortallY offended,
and no wonder He had not spoken to
her for three days afterward, and she
had cried and upbraided herself until
he finally took pity upon her, and gave
her his views upon the complication in
European politics.
The day when Halstead came home
with his diploma as Bachelor of Laws
was great day in the annals of the
family. Rose sat at the window and
cried for very Joy. She had grown so
pale and haggard and red-eyed of late
that it was not to be expected that he
should come up and kiss her, as he
so absorbed in the weighty affairs of
life now that it would be absurd to ex-
pect of him that he should think of such
trifes as kissing his wife. And yet if
he had happened to think of it, it
seemed to Rose that her cup of happi-
ness would have been full. Now Hal
stead was at last in his right niche and
their trials would soon be over
He hired an Office downtown and had
his name inscribed upon his window
pane in neat gilt letters Rose and
baby took trip across in the ferry to
see how it looked from the street. She
was a little surprised when she found
her husband alone in the office. She
had expected to walk proudly through
throng of clamorous clients. He ex-
had his first chance to appear in court
he could scarcely expect any rush of
clients. She blushed at her own folly
and thought that Halstead was right,
as always When she got home she
had to sit down and cry, though she
could not for the world have told what
she cried for. She had, to be sure,
only twenty cents in her purse, and thsss
would be scarcely enough to get dinner
for Halstead when he should get home
She had given him the last dollar she
had to pay his office rent in advance
In sheer desperation she sat down and
scrlbbled oft story, which she mailed
to Well-known story paper in the city.
When Halstead came home at six
o'clock and found only bread and cheese
for dinner, he scolded like Turk.
Poor fellow, he did need something
al hon cL Lo1 1r- I<J !
to give him. The next day she pawned
her shawl for three dollars, and he ate
his beefsteak with relish, and rewarded
her with discourse on civil-service re-
form. 1t was a wonderfully fine dis
course she thought, and she only wish
ed all the world could have heard it. 1t
was, indeed, pity that man like
Halstead should be staying here and
wasting his genius on an ignorant Great
ure like herself. Of course she was hap
py to listen to him, but others, no
doubt, would have given much for this
privilege which she was daily enjoying.
She ventured to suggest this idea to
him, and he took it up eagerly.
"The fact is, Rose" said he, pacing
up and down the floor wish a cigar in
his mouth, "that | have often thought
that very thing myself. But, to be frank
with you, there is a great deal of ieal-
ousy in our profession, and when man
OF exceptional talent makes his appear
ance, the others combine to keep him
down. l should have had dozen cases
before now, and securely founded
my fame. if miserable clique of envi-
Gus intriguers had not conspired to keep
me out of court. Their only chance of
success, you see, depends upon their
making me invisible.
Rose could so perfectly well under
stand that! Human nature, she had
heard her pastor say, was envious and
desperately wicked. She learned pres
emily that it was Mr.. c., one of the
acknowledged leaders of the New York
bar, who, trembling for his own laurels,
had organized the clique against Hal
stead. She had always admired this
mans wit and eloquence, and was heart
lily sorry to hear anything so bad about
him. Yet she doubted not that Hal
Stead, with his indomitable energy and
power of speech, would in the end kpre-
vail.
1t was a week of miserable suspense
until she heard from her story. When
the manuscript was returned to her she
came near fainting. The editor wrote
her kind letter in which he told her
she had unquestionable talent if she
would only turn it to right account. He
could not use such quiet stories; but if
she would write something sensational
with murders and other crimes, he
thought she could be of use to him.
She went to work at once She wrote
out one narrowing scene after another,
half frightened at her own terrible fan
cies. She wrote about polished and
villainous deceivers and brilliant MUIR
derers. But through all the desperate
wickedness which she conjured up her
own innocent voice sounded, like that
OF canary that was trying to initiate
thunder. 1t was she who was in the
wrong niche, being compelled to sacri-
flee her conscience for bread. But there
was no help for it; this contemplate
plot against Halstead compelled her to
disregard her scruples -temporarily at
least-until he should have conquered.
Everything depended upon his being
able to keep his head above water until
he could get chance to appear in
court Her eyes swan and her head
was dizzy; strange pains shot through
her brain, But she wrote on desperate
ly, heaping horror upon horror When
she sheard Halstead's step upon the
stairs she hid away the manuscript and
rose to meet him. But her feet suddenly
refused TO support her; she reeled across
the floor, stumbled over a chair and
struck her head against the edge of the
door. AS Halstead entered he found
her unconscious. Blood was flowing
from an ugly wound in her temple
''Now, no capers, my DEAR" he
drawled, as he stopped over her. 81
am too old bird to be deceived by
those fainting tricks. 1t is what women
always resort to when they want to ex-
cite sympathy
She opened her eyes, after awhile,
YEARLY. Perhaps it would have been
better for her if she had never opened
them.