By a little sickness and a great deal of fraud the wretch got himself into the prison hospital for a time, and there my informant learned to know the pair quite well.  She not only loved him passionately, but she had for all his faults of selfishness and general ugliness the tender patience of a mother.  And he traded upon her loving pity by pretending he could obtain the privilege of this or immunity from that if he had only so many dollars to give to the guard or keeper.  And she, poor loving fool, hastened a few steps farther down the road of shame to obtain for him the money, receiving in return perhaps a rough caress or two that brought the sunshine to her heart and joy into her eyes.

His term of imprisonment was nearly over, and Semantha was preparing for his coming freedom.  His demands seemed unending.  His hat would be old-fashioned, and his boots and his undergarments were old, etc.  Then he wanted her to have two tickets for Bellefontaine ready, that they might leave Columbus at once, and Semantha was excited and worried.  “One day,” said the warden, “she asked to see me for a moment, and I exclaimed at sight of her, ‘What is it that’s happened?’

“Her face was fairly radiant with joy, and she shook all over.  It seemed as though she could not speak at first, and then she burst forth, ’Mr. S——­, now Mr. S——­, you don’t much like my poor boy, but joust tink now how goot he is!  Ach, Gott, he tells me ven all der tings are got, und de tickets too, have I some money left I shall buy a ring, und then,’—­she clutched my arm with both her hands, and dropped her head forward on them, as she continued in a stifled voice,—­und then we go to a minister and straight we get married.’

“And,” continued Mr. S——­, “as I looked at her I caught myself wishing she were dead, that she might escape the misery awaiting her.

“At last the day came.  Her lover and a pal of his went out together.  Faithful Semantha was awaiting him, and was not pleased at the pal’s presence, and was more distressed still when her lover refused to go to the shelter she had prepared for him, in which he was to don his new finery, but insisted upon going with his friend.  Semantha yielded, of course, and on the way her lover laughed and jested—­asked for the tickets, then the ring, and putting on the latter declared that he was married to her now, and would wear the ring until they saw the ‘Bible-sharp,’ and then she should be married to him; and Semantha brightened up again and was happy.

“They came at last to the house they sought.  It was a low kind of neighbourhood, had a deserted look, and was next door to a saloon.  The pal said there were no women in the house, and Semantha had better not come in.  The lover bade her wait, and they went in and closed the door, and left the girl outside.  There she waited such a weary time, then at last she rang—­quite timidly at first, then louder, faster, too, and a scowling fellow