The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-05-11
JOB DEPARTMENT..
Real Rornances In Life,

London Correspondence Toronto Week.
Iwant to tell you something heard
as I came from Partners" the other
night. About forty years ago Mrs.
Monroe, a childless widow with a large
fortune, took house in Curzon
street for the season, and wantin. q
companion. bethought her OF her
neice Jessie. the eldest daughter OF q
clergyman in Scotland, a young lady
only just out. The girl was written
for, came and proved great su :cess.
for she was an excellent dancer. ex-
ceedinsly pretty and blessed with q
good digestion and consequently with
good temper. 1t was after the May
drawing room, at which she had
been presented, and at the ball at S.
House, that captain-shall we call
him Nemo?-meeting her for the frs.
time, fell desperately in love before
the end OF the evening. A few rides in
the early morning by the Serpentine,
a few ''drums" in the Arlington street
or Park lane, the opera twice, the
theatre once. endless dinners, routs
and balls, and then just at the end of
the season, he proposed and was &C.
cepted. The lover having little
money, Mrs. Monroe generously
agreed to give her niece an allowance.
and insisted on the marriags taking
place IN town, instead ofupsetting the
quiet little mause close to the loch on
the west coast. So st. James's, Picca.
dilly, was filled with the elite to view
the ceremony one early autumn
morning, and Miss Jessie in orange
blossoms and Brussels lace sat in the
old bnrbaric fashion through the long
wedding breakfast. afterwards, in
tlounced gown and round curt aimed
bonnet, going with her bridegroom for
their honeymoon to the Italian lakes.
Captain Memo was u sailor, aud soon
had to start with his shipfora cruiseof
fifteen months. Think there was a talk
OF his wife joining him. but the station
selected was an unhealthy one so aft
er all she remained in England with
her aunt to look after her. Letters
were to bc very regular, and the time
would soon pass. When the letters
were all written and received, aud the
very last OF the fifteen months had
dragged itself away. the day arrived
on which Jessie WAS to meet her hns-
band at the railway station No ono
was on the platform but Mrs. Mon
roe. looking white and strange. who
gave him Il note to read. and then
TOOK i.:n. to his pretty little empty
house from which, the inmate had
flown only that morning 20 Paris.
The poor lady wept. and asked that
her carelessness might he forgiven;
she had been dupel, deceived and
would never see the wretchetl girl
a.aln. Captain Memo was quite gem
Tie. res, he would try to dine with
her that night and they would talk
what WAS best to be done. Then lie
Went into tho morbin. room, where
.I"ssic's miniature still hung on the
wall. aud an hour afterwards, when
they went to call him, he was found
dead with u bullet through his
heart. claspin. her portrait aud her
cruel letter in his cold fingers. There
beii. no World or Truth in those days,
the scandal was quietly hushed up.
After u time Mrs. Memo appeared
again III London, but none OF her
old friends noticed her; her own peo.
pie sternly cast her Off. Mrs. Monroe
answered no appeal and formally re-
fused amy communication, and finally
when she died LETT not IL penny cf her
fortune to her errny niece who
rad so grossly deceived her. So
year after year came aud went.
and matters grew from bad to worse
A woman educated so long ago was
not so likely to be able to help herself
us is the Girtontrained girl OF the
day, with her practical common sense,
and 1t became more difficult for her
to keep her head above water. With.
III the last ten years she has found
occupation, however; and if you like
to come with me some afternoon |
can show you a small spare woman
in neat bonnet and shawl, with fine
thina-bue eyes and lnt-white hair,
diligently sweeps u crossing in the
very heart OF her old neighborhood;
which small woman is Mrs. Monroe's
niece. the girl who was presented to
the Queen, who danced at S. House,
who was married at st. James's, Plcca.
a:lly. and had an Italian honeymoon.
She refuses help now from any one.