Daily Republican., 1888-12-28
Was rms M RAJ On A FA1IUnE,
From the Baltimore America

From the Baltimore American.
Several naval officers were to-day dls-
eusslnR In the Navy Department the
question whether marriage IL a failure or
not. After various expressions of opInion
had been made, very Intelligent officer
who had quietly listened, remarked; ~
believe that common o. ery-dAy Hlustra-
ton OF domestic lie is better Argument
10 use than all the brain theorizID0 Won
can command. ! VIII tell you a true
story, geeutmep, and when I am through
There viii he little do bt left amoi q you
whether the parties | will speak of were
not better OIL by the marriage tie. You
All Know that l went to England on a
secret mission for the Government.
when l reached Portsmouth / was a
stranger, but my pockets were full Of
hard cash, and this fact encouraged me
greatly, as | knew very we'll IL would
make Tor me all the friends | wanted
Amer stay there for some time, 1 made
the acquaintance Of many people, and A
! had purpose In view, &c was my first
motive to get into such circles rs would
be Of service to me
Il wanted to know something of the
English Navy and 10 get mold OF the
teeret involved in the building of their
ships found plenty of men who
claimed TO know everything and offered
1l kinda OF services, but 1t did not take
me long to pick out the men thought
would DO me the most good. never
thought that an officer holding subordi.
nate place would prove to be my best
friend. An intimatiou was given me that
the ofneer had come valuable Information
which, II be would give, would be worth
tIa WniUhN in oVnl1 Il - -. m
mouse one evening, and was kindly re-
ceiV,d. did not make any bones OF tell
ing him who l was, what / wanted, and
what money would give him for the in.
formation he possessed. Luckily. h,s
wife was present At the interview, and
che intended At hrst TO withdraw from
the 70 m when the conversation began 10
assume a confidential tone, but at nv
solicitation che remained, and II was well
mat she DID, as 1t moved to my adyan
taRe.
After l had almost talked the young
officer b ind and, as thought, got him 10
point where he would give me tine de
sired promise, be surprised me by reply |
ing that his honor was at stake, and his |
position as an ofiioer In Her MsIesty's |
service would not permit him To grant |
my request. thought It was all up. aud |
ae rose to leave / said: Make up your
mind quickly as leave here in a day or |
80. The offer make you will We your
home happiness for mar day, and the |
secrets on revealw will never be divulged.' |
This did not move him, and left the |
house, never expecting to hear from |
them. The next day, as l was getting |
ready to leave my room at the hotel, / |
heard gentle knock at my door. Come |
in said l; and who should my visitor be |
but the otiicer's wife. She walked to the |
desk in my loom and laid down a pack |
age
II knew that It contained whatI want. |
ed. Without saying q word, she quietly |
Withdrew. Her presence In the room |
was not over a minute, but, Gs my hopes
and ambitions were centred In that pack
age, IL was an angels visit TO me. The
package eontsi' ed everything l wanted,
down to the miuutest detail. That night |
a trusted messenger carried to the lady
box In Whieh, gentlemen, was money
enough 10 keep any one of US in good
style for at least four or five yesrs. was
glad that the woman helped me in the
undertaking for her own sake, for while
everything 10 the house was neat and
nice, yet l saw, and In fact knew, that
she and her husband did not have any
thing more than bare subsistence, and
also knew that the amount she received
from me was looked upon rs fortune.
do you think that man made
a mistake 10 marrying that woman" AS
the listeners were all married men,
smiles stole across their faces, and as the
-r-rAa--s4-- - 49, a.. tHurs
than one question, they silently stole out
Of the room, probably TO think how q do
nestle affair Of that kind could be best
discussed In public without involving too
much OF the household IN 1t.