Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-06-13

nestle. Were he, by some unforeseen
chance, 70 recognize me, my plans would
oil be spoilt took my hat and left
the house. AS i crossed the
upper terrace saw small
round object lying In the grass,
it was Stella's ball that she used to
throw for Wyvis to catch and bring TO
her. picked up the poor plaything
tenderly and put 1t in my pocket-and
glancing up once more ut the darkened
nursery windows, waved kiss OF fare
well TO my little one lying there In her
last sleep. Then fierccly controlling all
the weaker and softer emotions that
threatened TO overwhelm me, hurried
away. On my road to the hotel ! stop
ped at the telegraph Office and dispatched
the news OF Stella's death tn Guido Fer
rari in Rome. He would be surprised
thought but certainly not grieved-the
poor child had always been in his way.
Would he come back to Naples to console
the now childless widow? Not he!-he
would know well that she stood in very
small need Of sonsolation-and that she
took Stella's death as she had taken mine
AS blessing and not bereavement.
On reaching my own rooms, gave orders
to Vincenzo that l was not at home to
any one who might call-and / passed
the rest OF the day In absolute solitude.
had much TO think OF. The last frail
tie between my wife and myself had been
snapped asunder-the child, the one in
nocent link In the long chain OF false
hood and deception, no longer existed.
Was glad or sorry for this? / asked
myself the question q hundred times
and / admitted the truth, though ]
trembed to realize II / was glad-yes
dead! You call this inhuman perhaps?
Why? She was bound to have been
miserable; she was now happy.
The tragedy OF her parents lives
could be enacted without embittering and
darkening her young days, she was out
Of II all, and rejoiced to know It, For
was absolutely relentless, had my lit
tie Stella lived, not even for her sake
would have relaxed in one detail OF my
engence-nOthing seemed to me so
paramount as the necessity for restoring
my own self-respect and damaged hon
our. In England / know these things
are managed by the divorce court Law
yers are paid exorbitant fees, and the
names Of the guilty and innocent are
dragged through the revolving slums of
the low London press. 1t may be an
excellent method-but II does not tend
to elevate man In his own eyes, and II
certainly does not do much to restore his
lost dignity. 1t has one advantage-it
enables the criminal parties to have their
way without further interference--the
wronged husbands set free-left out In
the cold-and laughed at by those who
wronged him. An admirable arrange
ment no doubt-but one that would not
suit me. Chacun son govt! 1t would
be curious to know In matters of this
kind whether divorced persons are really
satisfied when they have got their d.
the amount of red tape
and parchment expended in their in
terest has done them good and really
relieved their feelings. Whether, for
instance, the betrayed husband is glad |
to have got rid OF his unfaithful wife by |
throwing her with the full authority |
and permission OF the law into his |
rivals arms? / almost doubt 1t! / |
heard of strange case in England
once. A man, moving In good society, |
having more than suspicious of his |
wife's fidelity, divorced her-the law
pronounced her guilty. Some years
afterwards he, being free, met her
again, fell in love with her for the sec.
Ond time and remarked her. She was
(naturallyD delighted at his making
such fool OF himself-for henceforth.
whatever she chose to do, he could not
reasonably complain without running
The risk OF being laughed at. So now
The number and variety OF her lovers
Is notorious in the particular social cir
,le where she moves-while he,
poor wretch, is perfOrce tongue tied,
Ind dare not consider himself wronged.
There is no more pitiable object in the
world than such man,-secretly derided
Ind jeered ut by his fellows, he occupies
IN almost worse position than that OF Il
while In his own esteem he
las sunk so low that he dare not, even in
ecret, try TO fathom the depth to which
le has fallen. Some may assert that to
10 divorced is social stigma. 1t used
o be so perhaps, but society has grown
'erp lenient nowadays. Divorced women
lOld their own in the best and most bril-
liant circles, and what is strange Is that
hey are very generally petted and
tilted.
"Poor thing" says Society, putting
Ip its eyeglass to scan admirably the ,
eautiful heroine OF the latest aristo- I,
ratio scandal-''she had such brute OF
husband! No wonder she liked that
ear Lord So.and-So! Very wrong OF her
I course, but she is so young! She was
married. at sixteen-Quite child!-could
ot have known her own mind"'
The husband alluded to might have ]
cen the best and most chivalrous OF {
but "brute, yet he q
lways figures as such somehow, and I
cts no sympathy. And, by the way, 1t I
! rather notable fact that all the beau
lful, famous, or notorious women were 9
married ut sixteen" How Is this man /
ged? can account for 1t In Southern s
Inmates, where girls are full-grown at l
lxteen and old at thirty,-but ! cannot s
\ 4 Al. l..