Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-05-05

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of INV name. You will not cure to marry
again, and the divorce will be restrict
ed one" Thorne was forcing his adver-
sary's hand.
"Why will it be restricted.' she de-
manded, her color and her temper ris-
ing. at shall not be restricted or ham
pered in any way, | tell you, Nesbit
| Thorne. Am to be fettered and bound
and trammeled by you forever Will
not be. The divorce shall give me I'M
| limited power to do what please with
nv life. 1t shall make me as free as
air-as free as | was before | married
you"
"You would not wish to marry againF"
he repeated.
"Why notT' rising to her feet and
confronting him in angry excitement.
because in that case you would lose
Your child. / neither could nor would
permit my son to be brought mp in the
house of man who stood to him in the
relationship you propose,
"You cannot take him from me, Mrs.
Thorne retorted in defiant contradiction,
her ideas Of the power of men and law
yers hopelessly vague and bewildered.
mo court on earth would take so small
child from his mother
"Ah! you propose having the case
come into court then? | misunderstood
You. thought You wished the affair
managed quietly to avoid publicity and
comment. OF course, if the case comes
into court. shall contest it, and try to
obtain possession of the boy, even for
the time the law allows the mother, on
the ground of being better able to sup
port and educate him."
II do not want the case to come into
court here. Nesbit, and you know that
do not. Why do you delight in tor
menting me:'
Listen TO me, Ethel. I've no wish to
torment you. l simply wished to show
Won that would abide by my rights, and
that / have some powerful the power
which money can giye-on my side.
Our marriage has been a miserable mis-
take from the first: we rushed into it
without knowledge Of each others char
acters and dispositions, and like most
couples who take matrimony like a five
barred gate. we've come horribly to
grief. | shall not stand in your way; if
you wish to 90, | shall not hinder you.
This is what | propose: I'll help you in
the matter, viii take all the trouble,
make the arrangements, bear all the ex-
pense. II will be necessary for one of
us to 90 to Illinois and see these lawyers,
if the divorce is TO be gotten there.
1t may be necessary TO undergo
short residence in the state in
order 10 simulate citizenship and make
the divorce legal. I'll find out about
this. and if it's necessary | will do 1t.
After the divorce III allow You the use
Of this house and sufficient income TO
support it. and also the custody of our
son as long as you remain unmarried.
In return you must waive all right to
the boy for the years You can legally
claim him, and must bind yourself to
surrender him to me, or any person |
appoint, at least month before any
such marriage, and never, by word or
act. to interfere in his future life or any
disposition may think best to make of
him. / should also strongly object to
any future marriage taking place from
my house ana should expect legal notice
in ample time to make arrangements
about the boy"
Would you allow me to see the child
whenever | wished
Certainly TIN no brute, and you
are his mother | shall only stipuate
that the meetings take place in some
other house than yours. You are at
liberty to visit him as often as you like,
so long as You are faithful to our agree
ment and leave his mind unbiased |
will never mention you unkindly to
him, and shall expect the same consid-
Grafton from you. When he is old
enough to judge between us he viii de-
eide as he thinks right.
Suppose you marry again, yourself.
What about the child then? You are
very hard and uncompromising in your
dictation to me, Nesbit; but can have
feelings and scruples as well as you"
Thorne was startled. He considered
that he was behaving well to his wife.
He wanted to behave well to her; to let
the past go generously, so that no shadow
of reproach from it might fall upon the
future. Her tart suggestion set the af-
fair in new light. 1t was an unpleas-
ant light and he turned his back on it,
thinking that b., so doing he disposed of
it. There was the distance of the two
poles between Pocahontas Mason and
Cecil Cumberland He surely was the
best Judge of what would conduce to the
welfare of his son.
I'VE We're discussing the probability
of your remarriage. not mine, he re
sponded coldly; 1.-THE reports in circula-
ton have reached even me at last.
"What reports with defiant inquiry.
THAT you are seeking freedom from
your allegiance to one man in order to
swear fealty toanother. That your vows
TO me are irksome because they prevent
your taking other VOWS 10 Cecil Cumber-