The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-31
The Return Of an G>xpatriate.
BY GRACE s. COFFIN.

ever. The queer, hafl-laWleSs laws of
| the country being complied with, and the
nearest Cadi literally fed, the ceremony
took place in the hotel parlor. The nihi-
list gave the bride away and the red
haired murderess cried copiously So
| Florence Warren, nee DeVoe, became
Mrs. Spencer-Norton. There was no
change in the relations between her and
her CHASTITY husband, save that she occu-
pied a room with him and gave him med
icines at stated hours of the night as we'll
as of the day
He had no money at all, a fact of
which she was aware when she agreed to
take his name, and she charged herself
with his care and maintenance. She
led the life of slave, and this gave her
some relief. Then, young and healthy
and strong, longing for the old scenes
came over her. 1t had been her misfor-
tune in the past that a half-formed de-
sire was cause for instant action. She
examined her funds and saw that she
had enough to take them to her home.
"Home"' She laughed when the word
formed itself in her mind. They left
Africa byAthe next outgoing steamer.
Arrived at Chicago, an interview with
her fathers attorney gave her food for
thought The old man who handled her
fathers affairs for years shook hands
with her cordially enough, motioned her
to a seat, showed no surprise when he
learned her new name and plunged into
business. 1t took him fifteen minutes
to tell her that she had not a dollar of
patrimony. DEVICES death disclosed that
his firm was bankrupt, his stocks worth
less and his bonds sold. Every square
foot had been seized to atisfy his cred
ftors. The old lawyer said finally:
Il paid for his burial from my own
pocket
That closed the interview. She thank
ed him, rose and walked rapidly out in
the sunshine. In her purse was 500, her
sole capital. From the hotel to a cheap
boarding house was matter of course.
Her husbands violent cough disturbed
other boarders. From the cheap board
Ing house TO cheaper rooms was another
matter of course. Here for week she
was still while her little hoard melted.
To obtain some sort of employment was
a necessity, yet what could she do?
Looking into herself she found that not
one of her accomplishments was worth
a cent in the market. Nevertheless she
bought the morning paper, though she
grudged the two pennies it cost, and
went through the advertisements. SO
reading. while the steady cough went
on In the other little ROOM with now
and then an impatient whine for more
medicine, she saw in staring headlines:
MILLION CLEARED IN WHEAT.
Pile of Golden Dollars Amassed by Brain
and Nerve-Chief Raider Has
Dropped Out
Alexander Patton, Napoleon of the Board,
Forces a Settlement With Shorts"
Collects Ten Hundred Thou
sand and Retires Rich
and Smiling.
Alexander Patton. The name woke
memories. The man had loved her
once, honestly, almost insanely. She
could close her eyes and see his white
face as he pleaded; she could hear, too.
the laugh with which she answered him.
Yet she liked him well-better, in fact
than any man she had met before or
since-infinitely better than the f1asny
scoundrel she had used as weapon
with which to strike her father dead:
more eonsumingly than the wreck for
whom she was immolating herself Why
had she refused him? Pride, of course;
an idiotic, stiff-necked pride! There had
been in her, too desire to run coun-
ter to her fathers wishes, for she
knew that the speculator liked the re-
sourceful, strong employe whom he had
introduced to his home. Five years had
passed since he went from her-flve
years, long, leaden and full of misery.
And now he was at the top of fortunes
wheel, rich, powerful, courted, and she
at the bottom, poor, unrecognized al
most in hiding. Try as she would how
ever, she could not fancy him in. high
estate. To her minds eye he was st.n
young, obscure and pleading thickly, but
passionately. A warm blush stole from
throat to cheek and from cheek to fore
head. From the room beyond sounded
the cough and a querulous call:
Florence! Florencer'
She rose and went to him. still
youthful, still strong, still healthfnI. She
looked down upon his fallen jaw his
black lips, the hectic flush on his face
into his eyes burning. Under the sheet
his knees showed sharply His narrow
chest. with dreadful hollow at the base
of the throat, rose and fell pantingIy.
"Florencei My God must have fresh
air; I must have nourishing food; a
physician should be Called why am 1
suffered to lie here without the serv-
ices of a trained nurse? You are willing
enough admit it-but unskilled. With
proper care I should be well in a week.
You are killing mel!
81 have no money, john
''But you have friends, acquaintance.
You were born herei Your father was
rich. Surely"
| Her hands, hanging loosely at her sides,
closed tightly. She half turned from him.
| then stopped over him and shifted his
| pillow.
Il have no friends. she said gently;