The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1892-03-19
A FRENCH ROMANCE.
One Of the Saddest Divorce Trial.
Ever Before a Partisan Court.

Ono OF the saddest Divorce Trials
Ever Before a Partisan Court.
One of the saddest divorce trials
has just taken place at Paris between
the well-known member of the Nation.
al Legislature Robert Merignon and
his wife. 1t is sad mainly by reason
of the part which the much-iniured
husband has played throughout the
case, and for once, the fact that
be was betrayed excites no ridicule
among his countrymen, who, as arule,
are inclined to jeer at misfortunes OF
this nature.
The proprietor of the large estab-
lishment devoted to the production
of canned goods in the west ofFrance.
M. M%erignon, had remained a bache.
lor until the year 1878, when one day
young girl about 16 years of age.
with a little brother of 2 on her arm.
accosted him in the Champs Elysees
and requested aims. Her sad and
pinched face appealed to the sympu-
thy OF the good-natured manufacture
er, and, i'll reply to his inquiries, she
referred him to the Sister of Charity
at Berey as a guarantee that she was
neither a professional mendicant nor
one of those unfortunate creatures
who make the Champs Elysees their
happy hunting ground at night.
Three years later NJ. Merignon mar
ried in England and brought back
with him to Paris an exquisitely
lovely girl, and no one, save a few in
innate friends to whom the young
wife had contided the secret, were
aware that she was no other than
the little girl who had solicited aims
OF NJ. Merignon in the Champs
Elysees. The three years which had
sutficed to bring about this ~extraor-
binary metamorphosis had been
spent in a tirst-rate school at Brigh-
ton, England, where the girl had been
taught every accomplishment.
NJ. Merignon had in his house a
private secretary, q young man by
the name OF Adrian Derval, who
owed him almost as deep debt OF
gratitude as the young wife herself,
for. Adrian's parents, who had been
employed in one OF NJ. Merignon's
factories, had died while he wasyoung
and the orphan had been cared for,
brought up and treated almost like a
son by NJ. Merignon.
For a time all went we'll; but the
young secretary and the young wife
became by degrees more and more
thrown together, their joint gratitude
to M. Merignon helping toform q bond
of sympathy between them. NJ.
Merignon, unfortunately, was thirty
five years older than his wife, and
thirty-threc years older than his
secretary, and one day the inevitable
came to pass-the young people dis
covered that they were in love with
one another.
About a week later NJ. Merignon
happened TO return unexpectedly from
voyage, found The door OF his wife's
room locked, and a pungent odor of
burning charcoal issuing from the
apartment. Putting his powerful
shoulder to the panel he burst the
door in, and discovered his wife and
his secretary unconscious, she on a
lounge, he On the floor near by. In a
letter which he found on the table the
young people confessed that they
loved one another, and that they were
so horror.stricken with the idea OF
having betrayed their h%enefactor that
they had determined to take their
lives.
With much difficulty they were re.
stored to consciousness and life, and
the issue OF the drama has just taken
place in the divorce court.
Instead, however, OF the husband
having appeared in the role OF the
petitioner, it is the wife, while he him.
sAlf figures as the respondent. 1t was
hH who insisted that it should be so,
in order that no stain might rest up
on the young woman's fair name