St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-23
LOVE AND LUCRE.

How would his brilliant wife bear the
news of his ruin? Malcomb Boyd asked
himself as he entered the door of his
home. How would she bear it? She
who had been accustomed to every lux
ury, covered with jewels, clothed Ike a
queen. He repeated the question over
to himself with groan as he closed the
street door behind him. A light step
and she stood at his side in all her royal
beauty. DaintiIy clad, with simmer
ing diamonds on her breast and arms.
The sight of the flashing stones
seemed to madden him. Hear me-"
he cried. 'When you offered 10 marry
me to save your father from ruin, you
honestly said that it was for my wealth
alone, and that you could never love
me. Am rIght?:"
Eyes, but"
swell. you must know the worst. We
are beggarS. You can return to your
father, if you will. l tried to win your
love; but l have failed. l will not bind
You to an unloved, beggared husband.
You are freei freer'
And before the startled girl could re-
cover her senses he had staggered from
the room.
With only a vague idea why she did
s May replaced her ruby velvet with
the plaineSt black silk in her wardrobe,
put away every trace of the evenings
prospective pleasure, and then. as if
her heart had only just reached the
solution of its misery, she sank down IN
her chair With n SODDlnp moan.
ION, MalcOlml Malcolm! it was all
true, but it isn't now. love you. Oh,
l do! dO!7
Trying to gain strength and see what
to do, she lay there until the gilded
clock chimed 10, and then she stood up.
In two hours she had undergone many
changes. Underneath all her love of
gayety and eOquettiShneSS lay wonder
full strength of character. She had
married to save her father, and for two
years had received the devOtiOn-quiet,
but never-ceasing of her husband.
without thought as to any changes that
might be going on in her own heart.
Now shock had revealed it all to her;
and feeling, with wild thrill of joy,
that he still loved her, her first thought
love and help him bear the blow?
Even as she stood there. wondering
where he had gone and what she would
say when he returned, she heard move
ment in the room bel0W--hiS library
and then the street door shut.
"0h, he is just going out; he may be
desperate, l Will follow him and take
back all the cruel words | said"
And. snatching long, block cloak she
flew down stairs and out of the trent
door.
He was just going down the street
with a sort of fierce SwiftneSs that
obliged her to almost run to keep up.
He glanced back once. but wat con-
nection was there in his mind between
the creature in black and his beautiful,
velveted, diam0nded wife, whom he
now supposed enjoying the opera re-
CARELESS of him, save that he was beg
gar and of no further use to her.
On he went, up, down and around as,
if determined to walk until exhaustion
overlook him. And. keeping him still
in sight, tireleSSly she followed. 1t was
in a narrow street that he at last paused,
and-his heart almost stood still
at { the sight before grog
shop which he entered. On run she
reached the place, looked in. and there
he sat in a little ugly, low-ceiling room.
before a table, with his face in his
hands. The next instant she swung the
door nOiSeleSSly open, entered and sat
down at the same table.
No one else was in the room, but his
order was being prepared in the room
beyond, where she heard voices. She
tried. but could not speak; but as she
pushed back the head of her cloak, Nal
colin Boyd raised his head with an angry
Jerk and looked into the beautiful white
face of his wife.
MAY? May he muttered, staring at
her like q man bereft of his senses.
May is it you-you here"
YES Malcolm: | am going to share
your trouble with You: and if you take
it so why, l will too" she said, trying
to smile.
But excitement and fatigue mastered
her. The quivering smile turned into
great, sad tears; she slipped right down
OH the dirty floor beside her stupefied
husband. put her arms about him and
sobbingly cried:
"Oh, Malcolm. Malcolm, come home
What you said to me was all true. L
did not love you, but DO. oh, | don't
care how poor you are we can get along
some way. Don't drink. Come home
with me. and if we love each other it
will not be SO hard"
MAY, May"' he cried again. but now
she was in his arms.
In delirium of wild, incredulous Joy
he clasped her to his heart and kissed
her eyes, lips and ha,r.
You love men' he murmered. sob.
my da Ring, may darling, say it againI''
Eyes, l love you. love you," she an
swered. "Only let me prove to you
how much. And will we go home
now?"
Yes, at once. Draw your hood-so.
| Here, waiter-here," exclaimed NAL
C I'm: then throwing down some change
| to the boy who entered. Il shall not
want the drink; there's the price,"
Then. together, they went out and
went home.
The world marveled at them, because
they gave up everything and seemed so
| happy in so doing. A modest little
| home in a quiet street they costly fur
| niShed with what was left to them: then
with a will and fergOr that would sOOn
win back much that he had lost. Nal
com Boyd resumed bis law practice,
and May, with one servant, merrily
| took up the cares OF house.
Missouri's Decadence.