St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-27
"And our whist party?"
"Ilas been deferred. of course"


reunion. How ridiculous! Away with
such yapors! Was he becoming moral
ypochOndrlac?
81 never was so delighted to see any
one in all my lite!" he exclaimed, aud
trutfully. II feel az Dives would should
he leap from the gulf into Paradise"
"HuSh, DEAR" said Ella, fondly. You
are always so emotional, so excessive.
You are not looking at all well. You
haven't studied nights, have you. You
need my care, think, more than the
children do. Tell me, haven't the Re-
wells, the Munsons. the Robinsons. been
attentive? Your letters are always so
sweet, but so very, very unsatisfactory"
Most kind and thoughtful"
"And the DupOnts%'
"Oh, Pm sick of the Duponts. l only
want to think of you; that you are with
me, never to go away again."
The years rolled on, bringing happi-
ness and prosperity to the Minturn
household. Paul became renowned in
his calling, his methods being quoted as
authoritative. Besides this he had ac-
CURED a substantial literary fame. But
these successes, which might satisfy
the nostrils of ambition, were as MOTH
ing to him in comparison with domestic
affection. Day by day Ella ana he had
grown nearer and dearer until they
composed that ideal individuality whose
parent is love. That vague but potent
dread which once had haunted him had
long since disappeared and was forgot
ten. In world of scandalmongery their
name was spared, even the cynic quot
ing it merely as the exception which
tries the rule.
The Old-time intimacy with the Re-
wells, the Munsons, the Robinsons had
continued. As for the Duponts, Robert
mad died, confident i'll his wife and at
testing his faith by bequeathing a fort
une to her, and the widowed Edith
had returned to her childhood's home
at Aberdeen. Affairs were in this set
tied and satisfactory shape wheu one
morning Paul. as usual, went to the
library and, seated within his private
office, began to sort the mail. 1t was
voIuminous and official with single
exception. This letter. marked per
sonal," he tossed aside after he had
noted the city postmark and recognized
its superScriptiOn.
BLAST that fellow" he muttered. II
never did like him. What can he want
of me?"
Doubtless the question required to
naturalization, for, i'll the midst of his
correspondence, Paul threw down his
pen, tore apart the envelope, and read:
My dear old boy" C'Now, why should
he call me his dear old boy" growled
Paul, "when | don't sea him twice
year, and that's twice too often? Let
me see," and he read on, with lowering
browse I'VE are in the deuce of
scrape, and no mistake; so grit your
teeth, keep your cOpperS cool, and
listen"
Paul put down the sheet. his hand
trembled so. His face turned livld and
then crimson. Could it be that fault
long since ignored and forgotten and
buried beneath years of good con-
duct had sprung into lusty life and WIS
about TO throttle him? Would this mon
ster dare pull down the fair fabric Of
his home? Oh, it couldn't be; yet what
else could it be? Then, if so it was. let
him pray to be the only one crushed be-
meath the ruins. On he read, like con-
demned wretch marching to execution
to the music of farandOle:
"Our fair and, L may say, mutual
friend, Mrs. Dupont, returned to Aber-
deem to reside some two years SINCE
She is now involved in most notorious
eSclandre, which | fear she enjoys. for
she is thoroughly declassee and cOntem-
sin brief, she has caused a certain
Mrs. Manton to sue her husband for an
absolute divorce, and. not only this, but
the wrathful lady had also sued her for
the alienation of the husbands atfec-
ton. Mrs. Manton's attorney is ABEL
Burgess, man who knows no feeling
of dellcacy or restraint in the pursuit
of his clients interest. He has OBJ
tanned through an unfaithful maid
number of letters belonging to Mrs.
Dupont. Whether he could succeed in
introducing them in evidence OIL trial is
extremely doubtful, but to influence
public opinion they have been pub
lished in an obscure sheet obscure DO
longer.
'sAmong those excessively amatory
illusions are several from me and one
from you-hinc illse lachrym@! and they
have all been copied i'll the current
number of Town RuctiOns, which l
herewith mail to you.
sit is hard enough for both of US. but
for you, the moral married man, | can
only advise firm denial and an applica-
ton for an injunction, though it is
rather late to bar the barn door. With
considerations from your fellow mis-
cradle sinner. remain, ETC.,
u. ASHFORD"
The letter fell from Paul's grasp.
PauPs head sunk down upon his desk.
Oh, how ashamed he was! 10 think
that he, the upright. must endure such
vulgar community with one whom he
despised and not be able to resent it!
Where was that sincere respect which,
together with the public, he had paid to
himself? And yet he realized, and
there lay bitterness, that the man who
had yielded TO the facile temptation of
an idle moment, the man who had
penned such sentimental nonsense, was
not his own actual self.
No, that self was q man who loved his
home, his children, and, above all else,
his wife. Let casuists dispute and skep-
tics sneer, he knew! But would the
world believe him? All, little he cared !!
But would Ella? Alas! he dared not
seek forgiveness in her pure eyes. No,
an end had come. He had sinned, and
sin must be requited. What, then,
! would be its demand? The voice of the
| preacher reverberated through his soul.
The wages of sin is DEATH" Well, so
| be it, At least in the grave lie might
forget as he had forgot, but without tie
| possibility of a remembrance!
The day passed like dream. Paul
was dimly conscious of passing up and
down the floor, or tearing INTO tatJeTS
his beloved work, of fercely refusing
| admittance,to those in need OF his serv-
ices, of skulking down the private stair
way into the accusing glare of the
street, and of becoming even more daz-
zled. of hurrying through strange by
ways, of finding and entering an OBJ
scure little shop, and of making all un-
accustomed purchase so uneasily thai
! the vender heSitated between thrift and
caution, of returning to the private office.
of placing that strange article under
| the memoranda Oh his desk, and of
again pacing up and down, up and
down, like sentin,l before the portals
| of perdition.
1t was growing dark. He knew that
his assistants had departed. lie was
alone with his determination, when
there was light step, the door opened,
| and Ella. with outstretched arms and
| face aglow with indignation and deyo-
| ton. entered.
"My darlingw she cried. II have cOme
| at once. as soon as | heard, with my
t11u-nh NIL /