St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-30

VISION. She had always been regarded [
as her fathers favorite daughter, and, I
as she herself afterwards told me,
looked forward to being left more than
half the property.
"She wont have it all her own way,
anyhow" she remarked, with spiteful |
of her rosy mouth.
This was when one of the two months |
had elapsed since the fathers death, |
and there was no longer any reason |
why she should not speak openly to me |
then. The whole scheme of trea cherry |
had been discussed between US and re-
solved on. Her money Was at her own
1t was already banked, and
she had her own check book and could
IS, 900 at short notice. | had not as
many pence, when all my debts were
paid, and OF that l made no secret to
her. But she made light of the matter.
A man of my talent, with thousand
pounds or so to back him, she said,
could do we'll anywhere. And l suppose
she must have loved me little. 1t
could not have been unSiSterly spite ell
tirelv that induced her, with her hand
some face and her $4,000, to engage in
runaway match with a man who. draw
ing his months salary up to date, was
required to give receipt for no more
than seven pounds ten.
We arranged our plans so cleverly
that when the day came for us to take
our departure Alice and l were being
married at BournemOuth, while "old
Deb" as my beautiful young wife
laughingly called her, was probably
looking out from the parlOr window at
Greythorns, and wondering how much
longer Alice would keep the dinner
waiting. Next day wrote Miss PAY a
letter, in which L expressed my deep
regret for the annoyance and dNsap-
pointment she would naturally feel at
what had happened, at the same time
begging her to try and think it was all
for the best. | admitted that my be
havior toward her was in the high&St
degree reprehensible, and added, with
wanton mockery my wife was looking
apprOvngly over my shoulder as
wrote) that l was deserving
of severe punishment and should
probably receive my due at the hands of
a just Providence, III shape of agonieS
of anxiety and jealousy that is newt
ably the portion of man who in rash
haste marrieS an exceptionally beauti-
full woman. My wife added postscript.
imploring her sisters forgiveness, but
we received no reply, and after while
we went on to the continent and were
happy.
But [ very soon discovered that the
words | had written to my wife'S sister
in muckery were likely to be verified.
had no fault to find with her as regards
her control of the money, which was set
tied on herself. 1t was mine as freely
as il was hers, but she had no
idea OF putting any portion of
our little fortune to profitable ac-
count. Before our marriage we
huI nf of
the $4,000 being applied to starting me
in the business | mad followed with my
father, but that now was all forgotten.
She liked brilliant company and the
society of those who praised her beauty
and were captivated by her wit and gay
ETY.. She was frivolous, eXacting and
capricious. and her extravaganza was
such that in less than year our So, 900
were reduced to three. Still she would
not hear OF settling down quietly and
giving me chance of earning an in
come sufficient for our reasonable re-
quirements. She was all for pleasure,
Tor costly dresses and jewelry that set
off her beauty to the best advantage
! and enabled her to figure with advan-
tage among those with whom she be-
came acquainted.
The latter were not all to my liking.
| The women, highly fashionable though
/ they were, and scOrning all other than
| the best society, were some of them not
MT companions for such a gIddy butter
fly creature as my young wife, and she
had smiles and winSOme ways for men
who were rich and handsome and no.
| toriously INSCRIPTIONS. | should, you
will say, have exercised husbands au
thOrlty and withdrawn her from the
threatening peril. But il was she, after
all, who held the purse strings and a
year OF SO of luxurious idleneSS had con-
siderably blunted my anxiety to return
to the drudgery of the work-day world
SO | contented myself with an occa-
slonal remOnstrance, and we kept gaily
floating with the stream.
We went to Italy and to Germany,
and made stay at Baden-Baden, where
my wife found the fascination of the
gaming table irresistible, and we there
made the acquaintance of young man,
whose father was wealthy banker.
He was reckless profiigate, ana with
what appeared to be unlimited means at
his command lived in magnificent style,
and gave balls and parties that must
have cost hundreds of pounds. He, too,
had passion for gambling, and his
amazing luck was the envy of all the
other players. L never played myself,
but my wife could not resist the tempta-
|
almost invariably sat next to the bank
er'S son. Before the end of the season
she had lost all her money. / was una
ware Oft. for she kept the fact from me,
and kept Oh playing, and was as light
hearted as ever, and as gay and eXtrav-
agaut, when one dav it came to my
knowledge, quite by accident, that she
was indebted TO young Wilbraham, as
will name him, to the extent of 91,500;
not in the way of gambling debt, but
as money borrowed. 1t was not until
could call TO mind many instances OF
familiarity between them passing the
bounds of ordinary friendship. But il
never entered my mind to suspect him
Had he been snowy, handsome fellow
l might have done so. But Mr.. Wilbra
ham was an understood. mean.
looking person with weak eyes
that made it necessary fol-
him to wear green spectacles. He
was lame, too, and walked with stick
| accused her OF the uncompromising
indiscretion of concealing the debt, and
she at first fatty denied it Il had never
before known her to tell me an un-
. TRUTH, and afterwards on her knees
confessed it. At the same time she
most sOlemnIy declared that it was al
act of pure and disintereSted friend.
ship on Wilbraham's part, and that he
had never behaved towards her other
wise than as a gentleman. l had no
+ proof to the contrary, and knew not
what to do. To make the matter COM
monty known would have been
to expose my handsome young
, wife's conduct to scandalous com
ment, but it was impossible fol
Inc, as an honorable man, to remain
: silent and take no action. Had we pos
, sessed the means, the easiest way out
of it, of course, would have been to re-
pay the borrowed money and quietly
take our departure; but my wife was
compelled to own that of the borrowed
e1,5O0 the gambling table had absorbed
| oil hut less than H0S0 On one fhinU