Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-22
A POOR GIRLS ROMANCE.
Fortune Began smiling on Her When Her
Veil Was Pawned.
LChicago Daily Tribune. ]

"A young woman was married last week
to a man who is known favorably all over
this country and who has something of a
fortune and two homes and who is in all
respects man of the world" said another
man of the world to the writer after a
general talk about the pranks OF the whirli-
gig OF time. ar
will venture TO say that there was q time
in her life when the flicker of the flame of
hope was as sickly and fitful as any that
ever threw ghostly shadows on the wall
Not TO go into details which would make
her known, her mother had separated from
her husband. The mother and daughter
were left not only homeless, but practical
ly penniless. Their prior station had been
such as TO enable them to enjoy some So
cial privileges When the separation came
tho mother moved out of the fashionable
quarters where she had lived. and
with her daughter took lodging in one OF
the cheapest boarding houses on an unfre-
quented street. In spite of effort to gain
some livelihood none came. Theh they
had to give up the back room In the back
street clearinghouse and obtained a
smaller room in a squalid section of Chi
cago. do not know that the word squalid
is the one TO be used. The section Is one
even now where few men or women who
have any self-respect care TO be seen. 10
the credit of the mother in this story l
will say that she did not know this. They
bought their own food. They did not
go out 10 any restaurant or CAFE.
Their means did not permit this. One day
the mother, heavily yelled, would go to
some little grocery store with a tin-pal
and purchase ten cents worth OF oysters,
few cents worth OF crackers, and bit
of cheese. The next day the daughter.
heavily veiled. would do the marketing at
some other grocery. Several times gar
ment of other DAYS was taken to pawn
shop, and thus the sickly flame OF hope
was replenished-I had almost said with
blood-money. The little rent was paid
and enough food obtained to keep up ex-
istence.
lone day. have this story from the
mother herself-they pawned the veil Tor
meal. That removed the mask, and few
davs after, when the daughter went for
another supply. the beauty OF her face, the
refined touches, and her manner attracted
the attention of a man who was IN the gro
Gerry to which the girl came. without her
knowledge he followed her to her lodging.
Then he made some inquiries concerning
the mother and her daughter and eventu-
ally unravelled the story of Their lives:
would like to tell you some more. but
cannot, lest the identity of the two should
be established. | can say this much, L
think. without the world knowing any
more: The man who had interested HIM
self IN the case married the mother, and
the mating. so far as any one knows, has
been u success. The daughter was placed
in a line where she soon, bv her talent and
pluck and good looks, obtained recogni-
ton, and this put her in position where
she was sought and won by the man whom
she married few days ago.
There you have a story, without the
slightest coloring, absolutely correct. If
YOU came across il in q novel you would
probable accuse the author OF adding a
little paint to the picture. The day the
mother told me their story she had no
idea what was in store for her. Her heart
was full of that unspeakable trouble which
comes only to those who havelIved IN sun
bursts and then drifted into impenetrable
night. How true it is that with some the
depths of darkness hang upon the break
ing of the light"