Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-07
A DIVORCE CASE.

|
the evening. He had been directed to report
the meeting of the Society for Supplying
| Overcoats to the Hottentots, but as that
! would doubtless be brief, he could easily at
tend to something else. Quite unaccountabiy
| q vague idea had entered his mind that his
services would be needed.
In this he was not disappointed. On his
| desk lay note from the city editor. He
opened it, and read as follows:
| My DEAR Mr.. WALsros-There are rumors that
! Mrs. Henry Doncaster, of 146 Blank avenue, will
| bring suit against her husband for divorce. got
the hint from Somotes. the lawyer. Both parties,
| you know, stand high in society, end can use
| all you can get of the case G. B. w.
n B.-Never mind the Hottentot society charity
! business.
Walston softly whistled note of astonish-
| ment as be read the words. He re-read it
and whistied again. Then he sat down, knit
| ted his brow, and gazed quite steadily at the
ink bottle in front of him. "Shall go or
| shall notfn he asked, but the ink bottle did
not answer. He repeated the question, but
| the ink bottle was as dumb as ever. Sudden
ly he grabbed pen, and the ink bottle grew
more communicative. This is what it began
to say:
DEAR Mr. WIN very sorry, but certain So
cal connections make it impossible for me to at
tend to that case
Here the ink ceased to flow. Walston
stopped writing, grabbed the sheet of paper
and tore it up.
mo-" he said. "Ill go. Better than q
stranger"
He put on his hat and left the room. A
tall, well formed, solid looking, self reliant
fellow be was and he made striking figure
as he passed down the street. Several &C
quaintances bowed, but he returned their
greetings formally and somewhat coldly, and
walked along as if his mind was not with the
crowd 1t wasn't. 1t was occupied with the
case that had been SO suddenly thrust upon
his attention.
It was strange situation for any man,
but it was only one of the many curious ex-
periences that make a newspaper career SO
full Of interest and SO barren of monotony.
There is no vocation that has in it as many
contrasts All kinds of people are met; all
shades Of crime and virtue, all phases of hu-
man nature and human character, como
within the range of reporters observation.
He sees the smallness and the bigness of life,
the sunlight and the shadow, the humility
and the vanity. Today in politics, tomor-
row at church, in the morning at funeral,
in the afternoon at wedding, in the even
ing at the theatre, with Its light and MINI
icry And SO the round goes, from lie and
laughter to sorrow and the grave, from
death or divorce to the music of gay throngs
and the JOY of happy anniversaries
At first bis sympathies respond to the cir
cumstances, but as the days and weeks and
months and years bring their succession of
hor If ba
capabilities, and the reporter begins to look
upon his work as the surgeon does upon his
professionals has no right to feel, only to
see and do. He must dissect and describe,
but not sympathize Goodness is what he
needs, not emotion. And yet all the stolidity
In the world does not avail when scandal
touches those who are near to him. He is one
Of the most sensitive persons in the world,
with a wholesome horror Of the newspaper
notoriety that he helps to manufacture aud
a keen contempt for those who like it. Wal
ston was such a man. Ii he had been sent to
report a case in which he had no personal ao-
quaintance, he would have done his work
with his usual unconcern; he would have
gotten the facts. and written them up for all
they were worth.
But this affair was different. He knew
Henry Doncaster and Margaret Dorcaster.
Mrs. Doncaster was his cousin. Mr.. Doncas-
ter had been his room mate at college for four
years The Walston home then one Of
the pleasantest places in the state. 1t had
famed hospitality. Here he and Henry spent
a large part Of their vacations. Here Mar
garet visited the Walston family. Here the
courtship began. Edward saw and aided its
progress, aud enjoyed its consummation by
acting as best man and practically superin-
tending t.s whole wedding; for they said
to him, ''unless you are In 1t, we shall not
feel that we are quite married" In month
their path and his path had diverged, and all
the old days were as a memory that glowed
brightly in the evening of bachelor medita-
ton, but vanished when the day came on
with the care and competition Of business
And now that memory was TO be blurred by
a divorce II was really too bad. and some
thing must be dons 70 head it of, or at least
to soften the notoriety that a sensational pub
LEGATION would cause
Within a hslf hour after be left the Office
he was on the doorstep Of s big brown stone
house. He rang the bell The man who
opened it was evidently an old family servant,
for look of real pleasure besmed In his face
when he sac who the visitor was.
James, how are you"
"Whv, Master Edward, when did you get
back 10 the cityi'
"Oh, week OF 50 ago. Are the folks at
homer
Yes. si-r.r said James, slowly, as his
face heightened into an expression OF decided
uneasineSs
We'll, I want 70 see them"
IN tel them. sir; but I'm afraid
Never Mid that l know. But / must
see them both Here are two cards. Take
one 70 each without letting the other know Of
it Tell Mr.. Doucsster FIRST. AID then Mr.
Doncastsr. You understand
YES, sir"
Then be sure you DO il correctly"
WATSON sank into chair and sazed quietly
upon tie elegant surroundings. He did not
cc-ice r77rb however. for he was thinking
out soms,hiug 20 say. IL was delicate
position, very delicate. and ali his trained
diplomacy was necessary for the work before |
him
Steps were heard, and second sfterrard |
q tail, handsomely dressed man entered The |
room They clssped hs:lds, and fired q1e5- |
tons 81 eaca o,hsr in Fspid succ-s<son. Val |
s-on cou.d 80 taat beneath Donczst-r' : cor |
cishty was deep sorrow, and he observed |
in his face uadsa6.ei traces of diss pstion-
''Yo1've beea back mouth, goa say. |
Queer ! haven't seea you-
Are yoa sure you Eaven'tF asked WATSON |
''Pe.fectly. Bat why 60 yoa ask tee |
Gqsssssg'