The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-06-15
A SHYLOCK'S VICTIM.
= Queer story From London Truth.

Mr.. Theophilus Brickmann was in a large way
of business-accordin TO his friends "some-
thing in the CITY," What that something was,
no one could exactly say, but every one knew
that he devoted himself heart and soul to the
accumulation of money, and had neither care
nor thought for anything besides. Like all
such persons he was very secret about his
affairs and though he was commonly rumored
to be worth fabulous sums no one, except, per
haps, his bankers, could form any accurate sur
mise Of what he really possessed.
Up to the age of tifty-tive he lived
bachelor. Then, to the no small surprise of all
who knew him, he maf+ied The lady of his
choice widow, ten years or so younger
than himself. She had once been pretty, but
was now decidedly faded and pdSSe. Mr. Brick
manu-, however, was not man to bother his
head about looks His wife had nice little
fortune of twenty thousand pounds, which was
her own absolutely: and she had, moreover, the
further advantage from his point Of view of
being weak minded sort of woman, whom he
could twist round his little finger. But after
marriage he found her much more obstinate
than he had expected.
She was one of those women who having once
been pretty and fascinating can never believe
that they have ceased to be so, and she expected
Mr.. Brickmann to show her all the endearng
attentions which she had received in her girl
hood from her former husband. This was not at
ali in her new spouse's line. Even during the
short period Of courtship which he permitted
himself he had found it hard enough to assume
the demeanor and language of lover, and after
he was married he fatty declined to do so any
longer The consequence was that Mrs Brick
mann jumped at the unreasonable conclusion
that had he married her solely for her money
And when, after few months of married life,
he mildly limited that she had better invest her
capital in his business, and thereby obtain a
greatly increased return, she angrily refused,
upbraided him with his GOODNESS and neglect
and openly expressed her conviction that he
cared for nothing about her except her gold.
The effect of such conduct on Mr.. Theophilus
was the very opposite of what his wife expected
and hoped. Instead of bringing him to her
feet and making him VOW that she was the only
woman in the world for him, it drove him to
treat her with still greater coldness and indif-
ference, lie absented himself from home as
much as possible, very often not showing his
face inside it from early in the morning till late
at night. The fact was he could not stand his
wife's unreasonable, jealous reproaches and on
that account kept out of her way and devoted
his energies entirely to his business.
1t was while matters were in this state be
tween the couple that the lady chanced to make
the acquaintance of Lord Algernon Parke
younger son of the Marquis of Rodden. Sh
met him at the reception of city magnate'
wife, TO which she was invited on account 0
her husbands financial standing, and was a
once fascinated by his handsome face and en-
gagng conversation, as well as by his high posi-
tion and title. To tell the truth, this silly
weak minded woman had come little in the wa
of "smart' people, and the mere fact of a ma
being lord was enough by itself to turn he
head. But when to this he added youth an
great personal attractions, she found him IRE
sistble. If she had been better acquainte
with the tittle-tattle of the society in which h
Iordship moved she would have known that h
reputation was very shady indeed. AS it wa
she had only heard of him as being ''rathC
fasp'-a circumstance which rendered him,
anything, more interesting in her eyes.
Lord Algernon easily saw the impression /
had made on Mrs. Brickmann, and he dete
mined that he would-to use his lordship's ow
EXPRESSION a little fun with Il
woman" So he exercised all his powers
fascinate and enchant her, with the result tn
at the end of their first evenings acquaintan
she had fallen seriously in love with him II
young nobleman followed up this, his first ste
by calling upon Mrs. Theophilus at her HON
And his visits at her residence soon became d
cidedly frequent Her head was quite turn'
by his attentions. She never for nome
DOUBTED that his passion was genuine or thoug
ituuikely that he should be really in love wi
woman of her age. Indeed, what member
the fair sex was ever known to consider hersC
too old to be fascinating?
AS the lady's husband was away from home
day, Lord Algernon had plenty of opportuni
of improving his acquaintance with the vii
And he succeeded with her SO well that with
few weeks of the time when he was first intI
duced to her he had openly ayowed TO her l
consuming passion and drawn from her lips t
confession that she loved him.
It was about a fortnight after the day on viii
he had first openly declared his graadc pas8i
that Lord Algenon came to see Mrs. Bricima
with a troubled, preoccupied expression on
usually gay countenance. 1t did not check
attentions to his lady-loye-nay he was ey
more tender to her than usual, but as he sat
side her on the sofa, with herhead resting on