Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-07-20
MRS. HICKS-BROWN.
How u lesson of Mutual For
bearanco Was Learned.

There is always n beginning to an
end. What 1t was in the case of Mr.
and Mrs. HiclSs-Brown, | do not pre-
tend To know. What | know most
about is the end and the appendix. OF
course all the differences leading up to
the last act were thoroughly aired in
court and i'm the newspapers, but il was
the final act of brutality on Mr.. Hicks
| Browns part that was especially
dilated upon, and for weeks this ''fiend
in human form" was eNecratcd by
DANES and damsels all over this broad
land, and Mrs. Hicks Brown was an
object ofhcartfelt commiseration on all
sides.
i am inclined to think that IL Mr..
| Hicls-Brown had been more like the
men who are held up as model husbands
by the knowing members of certain
ladies' societies, he and Mrs. Hicks
Brown-she whom only two short
years since he had promised to love and
cherish-would be living in peace and
amity, to say nothing of conjugal
happiness, even unto this day; and if
| Mrs Hicks Brown had been ANYTHING
but the only child of very rich and
foolishly indulgent papa, things might
have been different. But MIR. Hicks
Brown was just n much used to having
his own way as was his pretty spouse;
and the natural result was family
rows, more or less insignificant in
character. AT first, Mr.. Hicks Brown
was inclined to give in, just as all
dutiful bubbles are; but he saw the
shoals of trouble on to which this
course was causing him to drift, aud
concluded, after mature consideration
that it was his will that should domin-
ate in the Hicks-Brown family, and he
| fixed his plan of procedure and gov
erned his actions accordingly. Mrs.
Hicks Brown, with feminine insight,
perceived, Mt an early stage of the
| game, what her lords intentions were;
and, as she had always been accus-
toned to have her way, she decided
that 1T was too late to begin knocking
under-and there you have what was
presumably the beginning Of the end.
1t was dog that ca used the climax.
II there was any creature on earth that
MIR. Hicks Brown loathcd and dcspiscd
1T was pug, and his better half, aware
of this antipathy, had, with character
istic feminine pcrvcrsity, availed her
self of the first opportunity to possess
herself of one of those interesting ami
mails, which speedily won, it seemed,
first place in her affections, aud made
Mr.. HiclSs-Brown's life miserable.
lie stood it, however, rs long rs he
could, but the end had TO come
Mr.. Hicks Brown was an architect
and II came To pass that he had, on one
occasion, been invited to prepare the
plans for a public building. The plans
were drawn and accepted by the COM
mittee, which, however, returned them
To him for certain important altcra-
tionS; and they were laid on the table
in his den, To be attended to when he
returned home in the late afternoon OF
"a certain day.
Now il so happened that Vic. the pug
aforementioned, was of an inouirinp
turn of mind, and she chose this very
afternoon for an exploring tour in the
upper part of the house.
When Mr.. iclls-Brown entered his
den, about five o'clock, he saw at once
tnat portions of his plans were missing
and, supposing that his wife had taken
them TO show to some visltor, he hur-
ricd downstairs.
Where are those plans" he asked.
What plans, dear?" softly inquired
Mrs. HiclC-Brown, sliding her caramel
into one check, and stil keeping one
eye on particularly thrilling page of
the yeliow-bacl< novel in her lap.
"What-what plans! Do you mean
TO SAL you didn't take those Calumet
building plans from my table," asked
Mr. llicl,s-Brown, in some agitation
"Oh-h'' adj his spouse. mildly sur.
priscd. Why. IL must have been
those that Vic had"
"That-N ic-had." howlcd Mr. Hicks.
Brown. "Aad, pray, where are they
now?"
Don't go. excited, dear We're
they anything in particular? Vic had
some old, soilcd pieces OF cloth. PLAYING
with them awhile ago: but / supposed
they were some you had thrown into
the waste basket. so / burned Henry,
What arc YOU going 20 do?"
But Henry did not answer lie strobe
over TO the cushion whercon the offend
ing Vic was taking her afternoon ST.
csta, grippcd her firmly bv the nnpc Of
the ucck.and. despite his vifc's hvtcri.
cal protcst>,opcucd tho door and Kicked
the bowling animal into the street
ana, not satisfied with this. when Mrs
llicks-lirown would have rushed To
rescue her pot, ne tool, her bv the
shoulders and forced her into chair
noting with grim satisfaction ms he did
So That couple OF street arabs were
making or with Vic.
( That day Mrs. Hicks. Brown went
home to her mother. and two weeks
i'tcr She was member Of the divorce
colony in western city. seeking free
dom from matrimonial bonds ON
the ground Of cruel and inhuman trcat-
mcnt,' which She expected the court
when her cu~" WAS presented 90 under.
''aud o- haviu~ been applied to her. in-
stead of 60 Vie
I'm The state where Mrs. Hicks
Brown sought her divorce, IL takce
only three months to establish resi-.
idcncc. and the legal formalitics com
sumo very little time; bat strange To-
say. Mrs. Hicss-IIrown did not find IL
easy to pass the time. Tho first three
or -Four weeks. in her Hurried state of
mind. she did not noticc-but. after
tha;' time passed very slowly. indeed
strange as IL may seem, life aparf
from Mr. Hicks Brown was very
|