The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-01-15
A DIVORCE CASE.

nee TO see If there was any extra assign-
Dent for the evening He had been di-
rected to report the meeting Of the Soci-
ETY. for Supplying 0yercoats to the Hot
tentots, but as that would doubtless be
bret, he could easily attend 10 something
else. Quite unaceountably a vague idea
had entered his mind that his services
would be needed.
In this be was not disappointed. On
his desk lay note from The city editor.
He opened it, and read as follows:
Ny DEAN Mr. WALTON There arp
minors that Mrs Henry DoDcasfer Of
l46 Bank Avenue, will bring suit for d.
vorce against her husband. / pot the
hint from Sonotes, the LAWYER. Both mar
ties, you know, stand high in society
and We can use all YOU can pet of the
case. g r w
y. B.-Never mind the Hottentot soci-
ETY. charity business.
Walston softly whistled note af as
tonishment as he read the words. He
re-read it, and whistled again. Then he
sat down, knitted his brow, and gazed
quite steadily at the ink bottle in front of
him.
Shall | go or shall not p he asked.
but the ink bottle did not answer. He
repeated the question, but the ink bottle
was as dumb as ever. Suddenly he grab
bed pen, and The ink bottle grew more
communicative. This is what it began to
say
DEAR ME- WIN very sorry. but Ger
/ tam social connections make it utterly
impossible for me 10 attend to that
Case
Here the ink ceased to flow. WaIston
stopped writing, grabbed the sheet of pa
/ per, and tore it up"
Ne" he said, III go. Better than
a stranger
lie put on his hat and left the room
A tall, well formed, Hooking. self
reliant fellow he was, and he made a
striking figure as he passed down the
street Several acquaintances bowed. but
he returned their greetings formally and
somewhat coldly, and walked along as
if his mind was not with the crowd. II
wasn't. 1t was occupied with the casa
that had been so suddenly thrust upon
his attention.
Il was strange situation fora any man.
but it was only one of the many curious
experiences that make a newspaper ca
reer so full OF interest and so barren Of /
monotony. There is no vocation that has /
IN 1t 50 many contrasts All kinds Of peo-
pie are met all shades Of crime and yir- I
tue, all phases Of human nature and hu- 1
man character, come within the range of /
reporters observation. He sees the 4
smaliness and the bigness Of life. the
sunlight and the shadow, the humility
and the vanity. To-day in politics. to- 4
morrow at church in the morning at a
funeral, in the afternoon at a wedding.
IN the evening at the theatre, with its
light and mimicry. And 50 the round
goes, from life and laughter to sorrow and
the grave, from death or diyorce to the
music of gay throngs and the JOY of hap
py anniversaries.
Al first his synpathies respond TO the
circumstances, but as the days, weeks.
months and years bring their succession
Of events, there comes hardening of the
susceptibilities, and the reporter begins
TO look upon his work as the surgeon
docs upon bis profession-he has no right
10 feel, only TO see and do. He must dis
sect and describe, but not sympathize.
Goodness is what he needs, not emotion.
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 fthenewspaper no.
torlety that he helps to manufacture, and
a keen contempt for those who like il.
Walston was such man. If he had been
sent 10 report case in which he had no
personal acquaintance, be would have
done his work with his usual unconcern
he would have gotten the facts and writ
ten them up for all they were worth.
But this affair was different. He knew
Henry Doncaster and Margaret Doncas-
ter. Mrs. Doneaster was his cousin. Mr..
Doncaster bad been his room-Inate at COL
lege for four years The Watson's home
was then one of the pleasantest places in
the State II had a famed hospitality.
Here he and Henry spent large part of
vacations. Here Margaret visited the
Walston family. Here the courting be-
gan. Edward saw and aided its progress
and enjoyed its consummation by acting
as best man, and practically superintend-
ing the whole wedding for" they said {
to him, unless you are in it, We shall s
not feel that We are quite married. In {
a month their path and his path had d.
verged, and all the old days were as a {
memory that glowed brightly in the {
evening Of bachelor meditation, but van |
ished when the day came on with the ,
care and competition Of business. And 1
now that memory was to be blurred by |
a divorce. II was really too bad. and
something must be done TO head il of. $
or at least to soften the notoriety that a .
sensational publication would certainly /
cause.
Within half an hour after he left the I
Office he was on the doorstep Of a big Q
brown stone house. He rang the bell.
The man who opened it was evidently an
Did family servant for look Of real .
pleasure beamed in his face when he saw
who the visitor was. a
James, how are your ~
Why, Mr. Edward, when did you get
pack 10 the city 7H n
Oh, weekior 50 ago. Are the folks e
II home ?''
"Y-e-s, SIR" said james. slowly, as a