Year: 1879

more"


In less time than that she was back,
and laid a roll of bills on the stone. be.
tween the iings. Then she withdrew
to the house. A week after this the
tramp was back again. This time be
came by night, and asked at the basement
door for the mistress. Again she had to
give him money. Then she refused to
see him, and he hung around the spot for
three days peering into the garden, snd
even going close to the lower window,
and putting his face TO the glass to gaze
in. Then be suddenly vanished, and
tho woman inside, who had been in
dread SO many long weary hours felt q
weight pass from her heart.


When her husband well, be it so fol
| this story-came home that evening he
was very grave. After dinner, be and
his wife let her go at that for the present
had long and secret talk. This is what
re had to tell her:


That afternoon, while in his store, q
wretched-looking tramp came in and
forced his way up to the desk.


"You are Mr.. Dash, ] believe" said the
tramp, adding without a pause for an
answer, ''and I'm B"


81 don't see what that has to do with
me-" said Mr.. Dash, not for the moment
mindful that B. was the name of the wo-
man whom he married.


We'll, not much," the tramp answer
&c, "only YOU married my wife"


Dash was thunderstruck. The tramp
saw it, and enjoyed it.


"I'm not going to be troublesome. !" ii q
tramp said, "5ut have my rights. My
wife is my wife stiIl, for the divorce she
got was all sham, and she swore te a
lie when she swore that she did not know
where | was. ! have her letters, written
to me within six months of the time she
says she got her divorce"


The face Of the man to whom the tramp
was speaking was white. His tongue was
so dry that he coold not speak. His
knees were shaking, and his blood dancing
up to his brain and down again, thousA
and times in r second.


"Give me some money!" said the tramp,
"and I'll go away"


Mr.. Dash lifted his desk, grasped some
notes and handed them to the tramp. He
put them in his pocket and sided past the
clerls and customers into the open air.


When Mr.. Dash told his wife all this,
she told him in return what had happen
ed to herself. Strange enough, no plan
WAS agreed on by which to curb the
wretched man or get rid Of the cause OF
fear. Time and again the tramp
called at Mr.. Dash's office and received
meney. He was the same filthy sot, no
matter how much money went into his
hands. He never bought new clothes, or
took pains to make himself look even
clean. Flo was never without whisky,
except when he was without money. and
he was nsver without money except when
he was coming out of long debapch.
At length, however, even Mr.. nash's
grace failed, and he spurned the hateful
drunkard. Then he haunted the house
again uptown, but big, strong man was
placed on guard with club, and the
tramp could only swear, and rave. and
stamp Mt distance. He took to another
way, uglier, and more dramatic. One
Sunday night when Mrs. Dash was quit
ting church, be stepped up and asked her
for money, using threat to show herup
on the spot if she did not give him what
he wished. Her trembling hand sought
her purse, which she thrust out at him.
At the door of Il concert hall, the tramp
watched for her, and always with dread,
Iul threat upon his lips.


When the grand Methodist reunion
took place at the Academy Of Music, not
long ago, Mrs. Dash went thther in her
carriage with her husband. As she passed
up the steps amid the pi0us throng, man
in slouched hat and n shabby coat thrust
his head along side hers and hiesed out
wv hIlNhb, OlfS me lbb Qldll0Iu ring
on your finger, or I'll follow you and in
troduce you."


The aftrighted woman had nothing to do
but tear off the ring and pass it to the
toetpad. And so this same dreaded peril
the unearthing of sham and fraud in II
divorce-haunts this woman ut all times.
To this day the hus band is around as
tramp, drawing money by threats, and
Doasting in gin Of his power to haul
a big man down and ruin his wife when-
ever he chooses. The victim has been told
whatto do to ease herself of the burden,
but she is afraid to act, lest the story now
written should be told with the real names
put in Chicago Tribune.