The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1899-01-25

ROOA 4
out her story and her secret in almost
incoherent rawlings to her hostess. DR..
Leavitt, who had suspected the cause OF
her vagaries before, was confident Of it
when he was called in to prescribe, and
quickly found the dainty little case that
Grafton had discovered the day before.
II was hours before she could be even
measurably quieted, and meantime
what tale of shame and woe had she
not poured into Harriet's astonished
earsl
Strained from its rawlings and inco-
kerencies and Strengthened out in
chronological order, the story resolved
itself into this: John Harold McLane
was southern sympathizer as young
man, and went to California during the
war, provided with a liberal allowance
and an opportunity of embarking in
business. At Sacramento he fell into
the clutches of notorious household.
'Old man Perkins" had three handsome
daughters and scheming wife. The
mothers aim was to marry those girls
to wealthy men, and she had succeeded
as to two of them, and McLane fell
victim to the plot and was married to
the third. A son, John H., Jr., was born
to them in June, '67, and trouble OF
every kind followed. The sisters had
quarreled with their respective lords,
cne of whom had abandoned his wife
and gone to Japan, while the other,
even more desperate, had gone, self-di-
rected, to his grave. McLane's home
people refused to recognize any of the
Perkins stock and cut off the young
fellows allowance. Old man Perkins,
therefore, had three married daughters
and one son-in-law on his hands and
pandemonium reigned within his gates.
He had to order the eldest daughter out
of the house, and she revenged herself
by eloping with man who deserted wife
and children to run away with this
magnifcently handsome creature, a
thing he mourned in sackcloth and
ashes until, his money vanishing, she
ran off with another victim and left
him poor indeed, yet vastly better off
than when he had her.
McLane's wife was the best of the
three in disposition, but that was say
ing little, and when all his money was
gone they fairly kicked him out of
doors, and he, in desperation, drifted
to Nevada and the mines, just in the
days when colossal fortunes were be-
ing made by men who were welding
pick and shovel. At the very time old
Perkins people were trying to get a
divorce, alleging desertion and failure
to support, McLane loomed up at Vir-
ginia City as part owner of lode that
paid like the Comstock, and his Sacra-
mento wife, who was believed to be
deeply in love with steamboat en-
gineer, proved that she wasn't by jour
reying to Virginia City with her little
boy and reclaiming her now prosperous
husband. There they lived in style, and
!. the Perkins household came to visit
them and remained indefinitely, until
the pickering drove McLane mad and
he skipped to Frisco" where every
deal he made in the stock market went
his way, and he became millionaire
: before he was 30. Again his pretty
but low-bred wife followed, and again
he honestly tried to make the best OF
his bargain; but her mad extravaganza
and the ceaseless incursions of mother
!, and sister-in-law were too much fol-
him. One day there came crash and
: much of his fortune was swept away
He had to break up his San Francisco
! home and go back to Virginia City, and
| a furious quarrel followed, in which he
: ordered the Perkinses never to darker
] his doors again, and 10! his wife sided
5 with her sister and elected to go will
e them. McLane would gladly have part
7 ed with them all, but he had grown tC
: love his boy. When once more, yeal
4 later, fortune smiled on him, and, witt
! a new bank account, he came down I,
] San Francisco, the Perllinses had dis
= appeared. Two of the sisters were liv
e ing the lives of adventuresses. Old Per
! l1ins was dead and buried, and no on
b knew where the rest had gone-a hos
s of Sacramento tradesmen wished the,
e could find out.
Y Then McLane came east, bringing hi
IS sheaves with him, and his family no
n unnaturally forgave and welcome
n HIM. Prosperity followed him. II
!" fairly coined money, and Uncle Alb
S Mellen was only too glad to have him a
o partner; and then after a lapse c
1t years, when he thought her dead an
IT honestly wished her so, his blissfr
bachelor life was broken in upon by tn
Sc reappearance of his Sacramento wifi
1t now handsome woman of nearly 4
d, and stalwart STRIPPING whom
lie recognized at once as his long-lost sol
st For two years he provided for her m
X tried to educate the boy, but nevt
r again acknowledged her as his wifi
lie and so long as she was amply pa
us and housed, lodged and cared for, 81
never protested. Macs club frient
n sometimes winked and nudged eaC
IS other when the tall young fellow a
he reared at the waitingroom with lie
ed ter, or when occasionally dashin
ly looking woman patroled the neighbo
nd hood until he would come out and 10
IN her. The boy was wild and wouldr
l." study, and was expelled from t
IN schools at which he was entered byt
name of Perkins, and the landlor
ia complained of the people Mrs. Perki
IN received and entertained; then Mac p
af- the young man in Mellen's bank, al
oh there he was when the HAYWARD nice