The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-12-14

HIS WlFE'S U DERSTUpY

ny WA L T E r u r o w N e
copyright, 1905, BY Daily Story Pub. Coz

era theater. Her stage name was
well, it was and is well known. She
was the pet of the public, courted.
battered and feted as few others Of
the theatrical armament ever have
been. Yet she was miserable wom-
an.
Wealth, fame and admiration had
been so freely lavished upon her that
she was in position to enjoy to the
full that most cherished qualification
OF her sex, the jealous envy Of all
other professional women.
She had youth, beauty and dia-
monds galore. Flowers were flung at
her nightly, and the daily newspapers
told Of her triumphs in flowery lam
guage.
Thousands of her photographs
adorned the store windows and huge
reproductions of her sweet smiling
face made bright the bill posting sta
tons. In spite of this she was wretch
ed-so miserable that she had fully
determined to end her life
Not a whisper of scandal had ever
assailed her stainless reputation. She
had married a man whom she truly
loved-a man of little or no ability,
colorless creature. but, by her in
f1uence, she had procured him the po-
sition of stage manager in the COM
pany in which she was the star.
By her own efforts and talents she
had built up a luxurious home, which
she Illuminated with the radiance of
Ter matronly dignity and the ever
lasting light of her gentle womaIIy
love. Yet she had decided to kill
herself, TO die because another wom-
an had usurped the place in her worth
less husbands affection, which rightly
belonged to her.
1t was not that she was waved
by the vulgar passion called jealousy
1t was rather that her loyal heart was
wounded. Broken by the knowledge
that the man to whom she had been
true as steel deliberately sacrificed
her love for the Establishments of a
frivolous little chorus girl.
The glorious creature was so con
stituted that she never for a moment
thought to revenge herself by Staying
the wretch whom she had raised to af-
f1uence or his impudent accomplice.
She thought only of self-sacrifice. She
would die and leave him 20 his guilty
conscience; leave her to the remorse
Of having wrecked happy home.
There was one thing she could do,
however. She could bre.... der rival
| with the authorship Of the tragedy.
| She resolved to die in the chorus girls
pretty apartments. Those rooms. the
constant haunt of her husband, main
| tanned on the money the wronged wife
earned. The baby-faced girl had tri-
umphed over her life. Hers should be
| the triumph Of death. BY dying in her
| rivals home she would bring upon the
shameless girl who had robbed her OF
| her husbands love such an unsavory
scandal as would blight her rcpuia
ton for ever.
She plainly told her faithless hr:~
band of her resolve to commit suicide
hut he only laughed in her face. AS
| she left the house On her errand OF
death the brute flung a heactless jest
after her. He could not believe it
possible a woman would sacrifice a
career like hers, merely for the love
of a man.
Perhaps it was strange that such
Ling should be done for such man
as he.
i When, a few minutes later, how
ever. he found his revolver was miss
ing from his bureau drawer, he gave
a long whistle, then hurried out to the
nearest district messenger office.
i Meantime the wife went to the
home of her rival and a strange scene
was enacted between those two won
en-one pleaded. the other sneered
Heartbreaking pathos was met b!
senseless simpering and giggles. TIL,
heart of a noble woman bled, Will,
the eyes of baby-faced doll danced
with delight and exaltation that ,
star whom everybody envied should
be pleading at her feet for the love o
a man. One man. AS if the worll
was not full of them!
What did she care for the wretchel
wOman's Insignificant husband, exceU
that, az stage manager, he could al
vance her, as he had done, step d
step, since he first discovered hel
pretty face in the back row Of thu
chorus!
But when the prima donna GREW q
pistol from her pocket and coolly tolG
the chorus girl her intention, the
brainless beauty promptly tainted
away.
1t would have been easy tor III.
wrOnged woman to have avenged her
self then. hat, while she did not fear
to die, she would not, could not, have
the stain of another's blood upon mel
soul.
She was about.to press the revolver
to her own heart when messenger
boy was ushered in, and on the note
in his hand, addressed to her rival
she recognized her husbands hand.
writing.
Hastily she tore the message open
and read:
Good luck at last, dear. Chance
Of your lifetime. Remember, my pet,
It was ! who made you my wife's un
Asrstudy. / may do more. much more
for my precious popsy-wopsy very
soon.
| MCtu6v TIA rima-donna mart for all