The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-29

1
she's bound to get her divorce. Yot
can't swear you didn't smoke, and If sh,
don't like the smell of tobacco / CUES
you have caused her mental anguish,
which in this state is legal cruelty
''In three months the trial came off
'Aurea entered the court surrounded
by her relatives. We bowed distantly
to each other, and Aurea looked as if sh,
were going to cry. l believe if haC
gone up to her and promised never K
smoke again all might have been well.
worshiped the very ground she walked
upon, but my foolish pride stood in my
way, and | really did not believe it wa.
possible that in any civilized country {
woman could put away her husband be
cause he smoked an after dinner cigar
! but l was soon undeceived. My lovely
| young wife went into the box; she swor'
to the cruelty-that is to say, the 'menta
| anguish caused by the cigar; my advo
| cate made an impassioned speech, il
which he said that the eyes of the Who'll,
civilized world were that day watching
| the doings of the Indiana high court
and he drew tears from the jury by hi
description of the agonies of the smoker
who wasn't allowed to smoke. Bu
all to no purpose. The judge was non
smoker, and Aurea's tears and Aureat
beauty settled the question. The jury
| gave their verdict-that I had caused my
wife intense mental anguish-and the
judge annulled our marriage In solemn
form.
''I went back to New York. In five
years I made my pile. came back tc
England and gave up doctoring. I never
inquired after Aurea-I was great deal
too angry-and l once more became q
British subject. One day I was walking
through Cornwall gardens, Kensington,
when l met a servant girl who seemed
in state of great excitement, and who
spoke to me.
"'Oh, sir, said she, where is the near
est doctors? 1 am a stranger here, and
I've been sent to fetch one, and he was
out, sir, and our little boy is dying
Perhaps l can be of use to you,"
said; "Im a doctor"
''This way, then, please, sir" cried the
girl, and she began TO run, and ran af-
ter her.
We entered house, and I followed
the servant girl up to the second floor.
By the side of a little bed sat woman
weeping bitterly, her face buried in her
hands. My professional instincts were
naturally concentrated upon the occu-
pant Of the bed, beautiful child of
8, who was apparently at his last
gasp and gradually choking to death.
His face and hands were blue, his eyes
were bloodshot, and his lips were almost
black. There wasn't moment to be
lost. Whipped out my pen knife and
improvised a tube from some Indian
reeds which formed trophy on the
wall. Then cut down upon the child's
windpipe; I introduced the tube and
carefully secured it. Within five min
utes the breathing was natural. / had
snatched the child from the very jaws OF
death; and then l turned to the mother,
who still sat sobbing at the bedside.
"'Your boy will get well now, madam,
l said; I'm glad to have been of use to
you 1 didn't take much notice of the
mother. was still gazing at the child;
he was lovely boy, and as he looked at
me he smiled, and in that smile and in
those great dark eyes of his there was
something that seemed strangely ia
miliar.
"'Oh, doctor, how can thank you?
sobbed soft voice. You've saved my
little mans life, and he's all have in
the world. How can l thank you"
''And then I turned toward her, and
my heart began to beat within my breast
as if it would break the bony walls. 1t
was Aurea, the woman to whom had
caused mental anguish the wife who
had divorced me.
"This big, bushy beard of mine was
an effectual disguise. She hadn't the
slightest idea, poor thing, that she was
talking to the man who had been her
husband.
"And then she seized my hand and
covered it with kisses in her great de-
light.
at was my own boys life that had
saved.
"'You used to kiss me on the cheek,
Aurea, once said simply.
"Then she sprang to her feet, gazed
with astonishing eyes into my face and
fell fainting in heap upon the floor.
"You can guess the end of the story"
said the bearded man. "Aurea became
British subject, and we were married;
and by English law, you know, no
amount of mental anguish can dissolve
our union. But, indeed, I may smoke
as many cigars as l like now without
causing Aurea mental anguish; she has
quite got over her aversion to tobacco"
st. James Budget