St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-27
EAST SIDE ROMANCE.
How the Sunlight Broke in on a Mime
apolis Mans Life When Least
Expected.
An Der True Tale of the Old Story Of
Mans Faith and Woman's
Frailty.
A Wife Who Repented and Ended Her
Search For Her Husband III
Happy Life.

A Wife Who Repented and Ended Her
Search For Her Husband III
a Happy Life.
| 1t was hot. dusty day in Auugst, and
the sun beat down upon the almost track
less waste of Nebraska prairie land with a
heat that was terrific in it's intensity. A
small party of men was gathered in little
ravine, through which narrow stream of
water moved sluggishly on. In the West a
few dark clouds had gathered and were
slowly increasing in size.
i''Looks as though we might have a
storm, boys.'' remarked one of the men
whom the boys called ''Rube." Il don't
like the looks of that sky very much, so we
had better make ready for storm" The
speakers words were listened to with re-
spect, for the men employed by Sam
Adams, the wealthy ranchman, had learned
to know Rube Woodward, as he called him
self, for man who never said thing I'M
less he meant it, and who was a gentleman
under all circumstances. The horses of the
party were picketed nearer the group. and
everything put in readiness for instant use
in case of a storm before another word was
| spoken. A fter the men had gathered
around the small tree, which protected
them to some slight extent from the sun, a
deep silence reigned for some moments,
broken only by the faint lowing of cattle
in the distance and the impatient stamp OF
the horses as they strained their neckS to
reach choice morsel of grass just beyond
the confines of The picket ropes.
Boys" said RUDE, at length, as he
changed his position and stretched himself
at full length upon the ground; boys. L
feel odd this afternoon. Only once in my
| life have l felt the same way, and the feel
ing now impresses me i'll strange
| manner"
''Oh,. pshaw," broke in one of the men,
you have been out in this country too
long to talk that way, Rube. If you had
| spoken that way when you had first come
| it would have been all right, for then you
were only green young fellow, with no
| training to speak of, and as sad face as
ever saw on anyone. But now, 1t sounds
strange to hear you say anything like that.
Come brace up, old fellow, and look pleas
ant"
For moment Woodward gazed at the
speaker as though sad memories had been
revived. A fine looking man of about 80 OF
81 years was this man Woodward, despite
| the brown tan the sun had placed upon his
| face and his rough dress. Dark brown hair
just peeped from under his sombrero and
| thick dark whiskerS half hid pair of
kindly eyes and pleasant, yet determined
mouth. Once or twice his lips moved as
| though he were about to speak, but no
sound came from them. At last he arose
| from his position, and, drawing near the
men. said in a low voice:
| ''BoyS, you have known me for a long
time, and there's not one of you who can
say you saw me do wrong act. l tried to
do my best, and you know how we'll have
succeeded. Now, want to tell you a
secret of mine. "You know, Tom" turn
ing to one of the men, well advanced in
years, ''when first came to work for Sam
Adams. AS you have said, l was young
man then and looked somewhat sad. You
never knew how near you came to telling
the truth when you made that remark.
had reasons to look sad, and if you want to
hear my story, all right"
Lets have it, Rube," said the man adj
dressed as Tom, land if we can help you
any, you just bet we will. We all know
| you have been good to us as our foreman,
and we don't soon forget our friends" AS
| these words were said the men all settled
back and looked at Woodward, who began
| his story.
| na''Well, to begin WITH" said he. looking
from one to another, ''my name is not
RUDE Woodward, as you have all thought.
1t is Fred Allen. Now, don't think any
the worse of me because once changed my
name. 1t was done for my own good, as
| you will see when my story is ended.
was born in Chicago and at an early age
removed with my parents to Minneapolis,
MINI. The place was then small and
could not boast of the advantages possessed
by many smaller cities further west. When
[ was about 10 years old began keeping
books for my father, who was one of the
| largest manufacturers in the city. My
salary, while not particularly large, was
big enough to enable me to dress nicely and
lay up handsome little sum beside. Here
| in my fathers office l remained until / was
nearly "a. when an event occurred which
robbed life of nearly all its joys and made
me almost hate woman.
'ln the office, as copying clerk, was a
young lady, Mamie Stanley by name. She
was only II. and just as pretty as mortal
could be. Her parents were poor and the
| girl, after leaving school, had started out
to earn her own living. She had numer-
Gus admirers, myself among the num-
Der, and none of you will ever know how
happy | was when one evening, during a
|
wife. Words cannot express my joy, but /
have found since then that the fairest rose
may contain thorn, and a sharp one, too.
Inside of six months we were married and
began housekeeping in cosy little
| house close to my parents resi-
dence. No dark cloud crossed the
brightness of our life until nearly a
year and half after our marriage. Then
| | began to hear gossip about my wife. AT
| first paid no attention to it, deeming it
but the senseless talk of malicious and idle
persons. At last l became convinced that
| there was more to the rumOrS than [ cared
to admit. One evening 1 found note to
Mamie from supposed friend of mine,
asking my wife to meet him, and pouring
out words of burning love. 1t was terri-
| BILE shock to me, and my wife must have
seensthat her secret was discovered, for the
next day she fled with this man.
81 was nearly crazy with anger and grief
and at first thought to follow the couple
and kill one or both. Later on l regained
my senses and resolved to leave Minneapo-
| lis forever. l sold off all my things and
closed up the house. A week later 1 ap-
piled to Mr.. Adams for work on his ranch,
and you have known my life ever since.
At times it has seemed that could stand
| it no longer; then calmer thoughts would
| come and the way would seem brighter
once more. Now you know my story,
boys, and some day we will go back to my
old home and see old friends"
AS Woodward, or rather Allen, as he
shall now be called, finished and sat down,
not word was said. The black clouds
which had been gathering now loomed up
dark and sullen. Now and then flashes of
| lightning shot athwart the sky, and the low
rumble of thunder was heard. In a few
moments came rush of wind and with it
the thunder overhead. ''Get your horses
and look to the cattle, boys" shouted
| Allen, as he swung himself into
the saddle and was off after
the stampeding herd. In a short time the
sky was black almost as night, and the rain
| fell in torrents In an hour the
storm had passed, and off across the prairie
could be seen a dark mass, moving slowly
| along TT was the cattle which had been