St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-09

the same, although those who know my
husband well may compare me to Ii
tania, in love with the metamorphosed
boor. | am too proud to undeeeive peo-
pie. l wish to have them still consider
me happy wife. And am not with
out a measure OF happiness in my
music and my baby. My old gaities
only weary me.
CHAPTER III.
That night in my room at the hotel
I was awakened by the broad glare,
hparse cries, and hurrying feet which
are the accompaniment of a midnight
fire. The burning building was just
across the street, where l had noticed
earlier in the evening the sign alden
Ladd, Druggist" Throwing OH my
clothes, Joined the crowd on the side
walk beneath. The incendiary had
started the fire so skillfully, they were
SAYING, that when the blaze had been
first discovered the whole structure was
doomed. My attention was attracted
by a CONVEX sation, acrried on in under
TONES, little apart from the main
crowd.
E"You can bet" said hoarse voice.
that know as much as the next one
as to who set this fire. When he was
pretty full at Moll's, the other night, he
let out that he was tired of running a
drug store and hiring clerk, as blind
to the public. There was no cash in it.
He guessed he might as well have the
insurance money. He swore about
"Jo's fine lady ways too, and said
she cost too much. He allowed he'd
sell the furniture, stop renting a big
house, and travel. He has just won the
old sheep farm, down on the marshes.
He says that will do for her and the kid,
and she can get her spending money
without any help from him."
"That will take her down several
notcheS," pursued the second voice.
">he's high flyer, and no mistake. [
don't suppose she'd speak oyours truly
now, if she knew me for hubby'S best
friend"
Not much she wouldn't" replied the
first.'' She's too handsome. But she'll
come down. l wonder how she's going
to find out that hubby amt overly
choice of his company, and has never
made two bits to rub together out of his
drug store? That's one thing l never
could swallow-hubby' whim of the
drug store blind. He says 10 has no idea
he's the crack gambler of the town.
Now play the cards for money, and
any one is welcome to know it. But
ever since he's been in these diggings,
he wanted to keep his winning dark. eX-
cept from the select number of his dear
and particular friends, whose money he
won. He was willing to share his secret
with them"
And the two chuckled over the joke.
81 chaffed him once on his keeping
up appearance so long and spending so
much money at home,o went on the
first speaker. ''He said as he was set
ting out for druggist, he might as we'll
be swell. He got into richer company
that way. He liked it once in while.
But he was getting tired of the country
and tired of Jo. He guessed he'd pull
out and leave her to Seymour. He had
done all the love-making, and might
have her if he wanted her."
"Was Seymour ever much Of a crony
of his?' asked the companion.
mo. He's one of your high flyers.
too. But he lost every cent he had to
Ladd, just the same; and got some of it
back by doing his courting for him.
That W three years ago, when Ladd
had just come to MenlO from nobody
knew where. ! guess he's about ready
to start back again."
The speaker moved away and heard
no more. So this was what awaited the
/ high-spirited daughter of the Spanish
noble. Two hours before she told me
she wished people still to believe her
happy wife. Now she was about to
face the world as the deserted wife of
professional gambler.
After what | had heard from Jose
phfne'S own lips all that could do was
to 60 20 her at once. knew her great
pride, which would cause her to shrink
/ from putting herself under obligations
to'any, even the oldest friend. But |
could tell her enough Of what had over
heard to forewarn, and SO forearm her
against the fresh evils that threatened
her; and could at least beg her to use
my services in any way that our COM
bined ingenuity could devise. L was
early at e.CLadd residence the next
morning. The servant told me that Mrs.
Iadd had been much alarmed at the fire
during the night, had not slept at all,
and this morning could receive no one.
Thus baffled in my intention to see
her, | could only scribble the following
note which | inclosed in an envelope
and sent up to her:
My Dear Josephine: Your father esteemed
me as friend, and | knew you when you
were q child. Surely l may now have
friends privilege of helping you, in the new
trouble which l have CHANGED to learn is
about to fall upon you, and OF which you may
be ignorant. By commanding my services i'll
any capacity whatsoever, in which they can
be of the least value, you will be doing me
the greatest Kindness.
In few minutes her reply was given
to me:
My Dear Friend: I am far from being SO
ungrateful as l seem, in not thanking you in
person for your proffered assistance. Rest
assured will use it if ever need it. No one
can help me now. ] am not ignorant of the
trouble TO which you refer. | learned OF it
all last night from my husband.
CHAPTER ".
By the end of the following week
Josephine with little Lena was living
on the sheep ranch. Her husband. leav-
ing her pennileSs. had gone. she knew
not whittier, on what he had been
pleased to term to outsiders, little
prospecting trip. While to her, Oh the
night of the fire. he had completely un-
masked himself, it had not suited his
pleas ure to do so to the public. He had
represented that he was almost ruined
cusable careIesSness the insurance on
the building and stock had expired the
week before. He must have funds to
get another business start. Hence the
auction sale of furniture. For the pres
ent lie would leave Mrs. Ladd out on
the ranch, while he looked about little.
He should not start up his store again
in Menlo. He was confident he could
find better field.
But his specious falsehoods were not
generally credited. There were not
wanting rumors of the truth, with such
variations as rumOrs gain. to add to Jo-
sephine's bitter humiliation. She wrote
to her mother of the fire, and of her re-
moval to another house. She was silent
about the rest. Her new abode was
four miles out in the county, isolatsd
from neighbors. situated on the dreary,
marshy level that stretched down to
San Francisco bay. One stunted and
scraggy tree lent such comfort as it
could to the bare little, four-roomed cot
tage. The small shutterless windows