The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-05
A Saturday Night Tragedy.


bfleaker and more dismal than the day. Yes,
II was shivering cold that morning at the
morsue, although outside the air was damp
and foggy but not cold
Ihe people who visit the morgue are sell
dom happy souls. None more miserable than
L, that bleak dismal day, as 1 sneaked in and
as quietly crept out.
was looking for a face; and I found it!
never snail forget-what a commonplace
way to begin tragedy-the day nriwhich
went out from my home with the brand
OF cam upon my forehead and the heart of
murderer in my BOSOM -
l have lived it over a gai ma thousa nd times
ana suffered a thousand tortures. And the
slght OF the face afterwards in the morgue.
on, it is too terrible. My head swims and my
brain grows tortuous when l recall it, Recall
1t: Godl Do 1 ever forget it.
L came home that day drunk. Not blind,
but ugly as men get when they have taken
glass too much; and whiskey always did
craze me.
We had been married only a year. nv Mary
and L, and we looking into the beyond
very earnestly. Mary was happy as a lark
all day long, for she a loving wife and
longed to fill our home with the glad voices
that make home worth having 1 was happy
TOO. had turned over my new leaf a year
before; and with Gods help had kept it clean
Yes, from Tom Dean, the drunkard L had
become Tom Dean, the sober l had not
taken one drop since was married and Mary
ana were as proud of it as we could be-
ana spring was coming. Spring, with new
lie ana new reSpOnSl DllltieS.
L don't know how it happened but il must
nave been my good fortune that tempted me-
had got raise that day; and the thought
OF promotion made my spirits rise NV com
panlohS knew 1t, too, and they came crowd
ing around me, after work was over urging
me to treat and show what a good fellow I
was. Five dollars month may not be much
to some people, but to our little family it was
great deal Mary would make it go as far
as fifty, though, as 1 finished my work that
afternoon, and l planned how [ would sur
prise her with the extra money the next pay
day.
can't tell yet how it came about, but soon
found myself in the street with a crowd of
fellows around me, all begging for a drink;
and next thing 1 knew was in a saloon over
the bar. That was ALL but it meant great
deal, for L drank, not one but many glasses
and when I got home that night it was late
and 1 was drunk.
Mary was sitting up for me- Poor girl, she
had walked the street for an hour watching
our door Tor fear of missing me; and she was
tired. But when she saw me- Oh shall T
ever forget that look. Dazed though I was
saw the horror in her eyes, and maudlin
though the whskey had made me, read her
reproach.
And it maddened, me. %
~ Mary, 1 said; MARY go to bed''
"Oh, Tom,' she began but she couldn't get
any further. She sprang toward me, threw
her arms around my neck and began sobbing
as though she would never STOP
Let go of me- 1 said, trying to shake her
off But she clung the closer.
ON, Tom, Tom, she cried and each time
L thought she would sob her heart out
D you, shouted, pulling at her arms
that were clasped around my neck IF Won
don't shut up with your oh, Tom, Tom I'll
kill vou.'
AT this Mary let go and drew back from
me as though had struck her. Il mean it,
L yelled now crazy with drunken frenzy:
'and if you don't believe it, take that" And
before knew it had hit here square in the
face. She grasped my coat with one hand
and fought off the blows with the other Rut
L grasped her by the throat and maddened
by her white desperate face, struck her again
and again.
When I loosed her she fell fiat upon the
floor and thought she was dead, but no, in
minute she struggled to her feet and stag
gered toward the door. 1 stood stupidly
watching her. She opened the door and fell
upon the sill.
Brute that I was, I can hardly bear to recall
1t even now, staggered to the door after her
and pushed her out with my foot I noticed
as 1 did so, that she lay still and that there
was little stream of blood trickling down
her forehead. l stood gazing at her in stunid
wonder for a minute, then I slammed tha
door and locked it-with her outside.
The next morning 1 was awakened by q
stream OF yellow sunlight which crept in
through a broken blind. I sat upright for q
minute wondering what had happened. for T
lay partly dressed upon the floor while tbe
bed stood white and untouched on the opno-
site side of the room.
Then it all came back But where was
Nary Half dazed STILL and with nv head
splitting 1 walked to the door and opened if
She was not there and l would have thonpbt
it all horrid dream but for a trckle of
blood upon the doorsll and a rag of Mary,s
dress which had torn off IN the door called
Mary but she did not come l called louder
but she did not answer. AS l called again
the peope down stairs rs came out into the hall
and [ skunk back. They must not know.
But soon | began to hear strange noises in