Mrs. McDonald spread out her ringless fingers significantly, and
continued:
"I went to a pawnbroker that day and sold my diamond
rings, ear-rings, and cross, and with the proceeds opened
a rooming house at 1235 Wabash avenue. Mr. McDonald often
came to see me and dine there, and it looked as if there
might be a reconciliation. But soon after that he met Dora
Barclay, and from that time we were friends no longer, but
bitter enemies.
"The reputation of my house was ruined by the arrest of
Mike Coleman, alias Charles Wilson, the safe-blower, who
had lived there a few weeks, and at first I thought Mr.
McDonald was behind this plot to ruin me. I went to the
Animosa, Pa., penitentiary, saw Coleman, and learned that
Mr. McDonald was innocent. But after that a story was
started that I lived with Coleman for years. I never saw
him after that time at the penitentiary.
"After the World's Fair I removed to St. Louis and
started a boarding house at 2686 Locust street. But soon
Mr. McDonald's detectives were hounding me there, the
newspapers began to print stories of our troubles, and my
business was ruined.