The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-23
A FRENCH ROMANCE.
One OF the Saddest Divorce Trials Ever
Before a Partisan Court.

star SaylDgs.
One Of the saddest divorce trials has just
taken place at Paris between the we'll
known member.of the National Legislature
Robert MerigDon and his wife II is sad
mainly by reason Of the part which the
much-injured husband has played through
cut tile case, and for once the fact that he
was betrayed exctes no ridIcule among his
countrymen, who, as a rule, are inclined to
jeer at mi>lOrtunes Of this nature
Tie proprietor Of the large establish
meut devoted IL the production Of canned
goods IN the west OF France. NJ. MerigBOn.
had remained bachelor until the year 1878,
when one day young girl about 10 years Of
age, with little brother Of . on her arm,
accosted him In the Champs Elysees and re-
questei aims. Her sad and pinched face
appealed 10 the sympathy Of the good
ndtured manufacturer, and, In reply TO his
inquiries, she referred him to the Sister Of
Charity at Berey as a guarantee that she
Was.nelther professional mendlcaDt nor one
OF those unfortunate creatures who make
the Champs Elystes their happy hunting
ground at night.
Three years later NJ. Merignon married
in England and brought back with him to
Paris an eXquisitely lovely girl, and no one,
save a few intimate friends 10 whom the
young wife had cOntlded the secret, were
aware that she was 10 other than the little
I
non IN the Champs Elysees. The three
years which had sUlice1 10 bring about this
extraordinary meiamOrphosl5 had been
spent ia llrst-rate school at Brighton,
England. where the girl had been taught
every accomplishment
NJ. MerignOn had in his house a private
secretary. young man by the name Of
Adrian Dervai, VINO owed him almost as
deep deOt OF gratitude as the young wife
herself, for Adrian parents. who had been
employed In one Of Vi. Merignon's factories.
had died while he Nas young, aud the orphan
had been cared for, brought up and treated
almost like son by Vi. MerlgHOn.
For a time all went we'll; but the young
secretary and the young wife became by de-
gree5 more and more thrown together, their
joint gratitude to NJ. Merignon helping to
form a bond OF sympathy between them.
NJ. MeTignOn. unfortunately, was thirty-dye
years older than his wife, and thirty-three
years Older than his secretary, and one day
the inevitable came to pesS-the young peO-
pie discovered that they were in love with
one another.
About a week later NJ. Mergnon hap
pPned to return Unexpectedly from voyage,
found the door of his wiie's room locked,
and pungent odOr Of burning charcoal
Issuing from the apartment. Putting his
powerful shoulder to the panel he baTSt the
door in, AMI discovered his wife and his sec
Rotary unconscious. she on a lounge, he on
the floor near by. In Il letter which he
found on the table the young people con-
feSsed that they loved enc another, and that
they were so huTrOT-strlcken with the idea
of having betrayed their benefaetor that
they had determined TO take their lives.
With much difficulty they were restored
10 consciousness and life, and the issue of
the drama has just taken lace in the
divorce court.
Instead, however, of the husband having
appeared IN tie role or the petitioner, it is
the wife, while he himself figures as the
respondent. 1t was he who insisted that it
should be SO. in order that no stain might
rest upon the young w0man's fair name
when she becomes, within the next few
weeks, the wife OF the young secretary,
Adrion DeTyai.
Aud it is NJ MeTignon who has settled a
large sum upon the couple on the sole con
dition that they should live somewhere in
the south Of France, SO that he should not
be exposed to the danger of Tepenting what
he had done bv the sight of their presence
and of their domestic happineSS-a happi-
ness which he had sacrificed for their sake.