The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-06-30
HE WIDOW
LEROuGE
CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.
What! you do not know?"
Yes, sir, | swear it. You see, my
ignorance comes from what happened
,lterward."
What happened, then?'-
The sailor hesitated.
That, sir, concerns only myself
and"
My friend interrupted the mag
strate, you are an honest man.
believe; in fact, | am sure OF it. But
once in your life, influenced by
wicked woman, you did wrong, you
became an accomplice in very guilty
action. Repair that error by speaking
truly now. All that is said here, and
which is not directly connected with
the crime, will remain secret; even
will forget it Immediately. Fear
nothing, therefore,; and, if you eX-
perience some humiliation, think that
it is your punishment for the past"
Alas, sir!" answered the sailor, 81
have been alreat greatly punished;
and it is long time since my troubles
began. Money, wickedly acquired,
brings no good. On arriving home,
[ bought the wretched meadow for
much more than it was worth; and
the day | walked over it, feeling that
it was actually mine, closed my happi-
ness. Claudine was a coquette; but
she had a great many other vices
When she realized how much money
we had these vices showed themselves,
Just like a fire, smoldering at the
lcttcm of the hold, bursts forth when
You open the hat es From slightly
greedy as she had been, she became
a regular glutton. In our house there
was feasting without end. Whenever
l went to sea, she would get so drunk
that she would have to be put to bed.
Well, one night, when she thought
me at Rouen, l returned Unexpectedly.
l entered, and found her with man.
And such man, sir! A miserable
looking wretch, ugly, dirty, sinking;
stunned by every one; in word, the
bailiIf's clerk. l should have killed
him, like the vermin that he was;
it was my right, but he was such
pltlful object. took him by the neck
and pitched him out of the window,
without opening it. 1t didn't kill him.
Ihen | fell upon my wife, and beat
her until she couldn't stir"
Lerouge spoke in a hoarse voice,
every now and then thrusting his
fists into his eyes.
81 pardoned her." he continued;
but the man who beats his wife, and
then pardons her. is lost. In the fu-
ture, she took better precautions, be-
| came greater hypocrite, and that was
all. In the meanwhile, Madame Gerdy
took back her child; and Claudine had
nothing more to restrain her. Pro-
tccted and counseled by her mother,
whom she had taken to live with us,
On the pretense of looking after JAG
ques, she managed to deceive me for
more than year. l thought she had
given up her bad habits, but not at
all; she lived most disgraceful life.
My house became the resort of all the
good-for-nothing rogues in the coun-
try, for whom my wife brought out
bottles of wine and brandy, whenever
was away at sea, and they got drunk
promiscuously. When money failed,
she wrote to the count or his mistress,
and the orgies continued . o casional-
ly l had doubts which dist bed me;
and then without reason, for simple
yes or no, l would beat her until |
was tired, and then would forgive
her, like coward. like fool 1t
was a cursed life. l don't know which
gave me the most pleasure, embracing
her or beating her. My neghbors de-
spised me, and turned their backs on
me; they believed me an accomplice.
or willing dupe. heard, afterward,
that they believed l protited by my
wife's misconduct: while in reality
she paid her lovers. Fortunately,
though. nv. poor father was dead,
M. Daburon pitied the speaker SIN
cerely.
kest awhile, my friend" he said;
compose yourself.
Nc replied the sailor, II would
rather get through with it quickly.
One man, the priest, had the charity
to tell me of it. Without losing min
ute. ! went and saw a lawyer, and
asked him how an honest sailor, who
had had the misfortune to marry
hussy, ought to act. He said that
nothing could be done. To 60 to law
was simply to publish abroad ones
own dishonor, while a separation
would accomplish nothing. When
once man has given his name to
woman, he told me. he cannot take it |
back; 1t belongs to her for the rest
OF her days. and she has right, to |
dispose Of it. She may sully 1t, cover |
It with mire, drag 1t from wine-shop
to wine-shop, and her husband can do
nothing. That being the case. my
course was soon taken. That same
day. sold the fatal meadow, and sent