“Our old California friend had induced him to bet his every cent on certain races on the day he came home with the crowd, and he had lost all. Then in order to retrieve his losses he was advised to become a forger in order to get more money with which to again play the races. It was the same old story, he lost, then for fear of punishment he left the country. I then told him all. Oh, how sorry I felt for poor Harry! After exchanging ideas, we became convinced that it was all a plot of the kind old man in California to get me in his clutches. After we were assured of that, Harry asked me to promise not to go further with divorce proceedings until he saw me again. I promised him. I also promised him not to receive a penny from the man who now wanted to marry me, and as I could not live as I had been, with my child under the same roof, we left. I sold my handsome gowns, and jewelry, furnished this poor little home and baby and I have lived here since.
“‘But Harry, where is he?’
“‘In the State’s Prison of California.’
“‘Ah, he was caught at last and punished for forgery.’
“‘No, when he left me he went to California and killed my traducer, he is serving a term of ten years for manslaughter, and I am waiting for him.’”
TALE SEVEN.
MY LOVER’S BEQUEST.
TWO WOMEN.
“I know two women and one is chaste,