Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-07-28
MRS. HICKS-BROWN.
How a Lesson of Mutual For
bearance Was Learned.

! hcIt IN nlNdyh bcklunlDg TO NJ
end. What IL was In the case of Mr.
and Mrs. Hicks Brown, | do not pre-.
tend 10 know What know most
about is the end and the appendix. OF
course all the differences leading up 10
the last act were thoroughly aired in
court and in the newspapers, but II " as
the final act Of brutality on Mr.. Hicks.
Browns part that was especially
dilatcd upon. and for weeks this ''fiend
In human form" was execrated by
danes and damsels all over this broad
land, and Mrs Hicks Brown was an
object ofheartfelt COMMUNICATION on all
sides.
] am inclined to think that II Mr..
llicks-Brown had been more like the
men who are heldup as model husbands
by the knowing members Of certain
ladies' societies, lie 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 II
Mrs. Hicks Brown had been anything
but the only child Of very rich and
foolishly indulgcnt papa, things might
have been different. But Mr.. Hicks
Brown was just as 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, and
concluded, after mature consideration,
that IL was his will that should domin-
ate in the llicks-Brown family, and he
fixed his plan of procedure and gov
erned his actions accordingly. Mrs.
llicks-Brown, with feminine insight,
perceived, at an early stage of the
game, what her lords intentions were;
and, rs she had always been accus-
toned to have her way, shc decided
that it was too late TO begin knocking
under-and there you have what was
presumably the beginning Of the end.
1t was n dog that caused the climax.
II there was any creature on earth that
Mr., Hicks Brown loathed and despiscd,
IL was pug, and his better half, aware
of this antipathy, had, with character
istic feminine perversity, awaited her
self of the first opportunity to possess
herself of one Of those interesting ami
mails, which speedily won, IL seemed,
first place in her affections, aud made
Mr.. llicks-Brown's life miserable.
lie stood it, however, as long as 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 public building. The plans
were drawn and accepted by the com.
mittee, which, however, returned them
to him for certain important altera.
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, it so happened that Vie, the pug
aforementioned, was Of an inquiring
turn of mind, and she chose this very
afternoon for an exploring tour in tho
upper part Of the house.
When Mr., Hicks Brown entered his
den, about five o'clock, he saw at once
that portions Of his plans were missing,
them To show to some visitor, he hur-
ried downstairs.
Where are those plans?" he asked.
what plans, dear2" softly inquired
Mrs. Hicks-Brown, sliding her caramel
into one cheek, and still keeping one
eye on particularly thrilling page OF
the yellow back novel in her lap
"What-what plansl DO you mean
to say you didn't take those Calumet
building plans from my table2" asked
Mr. Hicks Brown, in some agitation.
"oh-h!' sad his spouse, mildly sur
prised. why, IT must have been
those that Vic had"
"That-Nic-had!" howled Mr.. Hicks
Brown. "And, pray, where are they
now?"
Don't get excited, dear We're
they anything in particular? Vic had
some old, soiled pieces of cloth, playing
with them awhile ago; but supposed
they were some you had thrown into
the waste basket, so | burned-Henry!
What are you going to do?"
But Henry did not answer He strobe
over to the cushion whereon the offend,
esta, gripped her firmly by the nape OF
the neck, and, despite his wife's hyteri-
cal protests, opened the door and kicked
the bowling animal into the street,
and, not satisfied with this, when Mrs
Hicks Brown would have rushed to
rescue her pet, lie took her by the
shoulders and forced her into a chair,
noting with grim satisfaction as he did
so that couple OF street arabs were
making of with Vic
That day Mrs Hicks-Brown went
homo to her mother, and two weeks
later she was n member OF the divorce
colony in western city, eeeking free.
dom from matrimonial bonds on
the ground Of "cruel and inhuman treat
ment," which She expected the court
when her case was presented, to under.
stand as having been applied 10 her, in
stead of TO Vie.
In the state where Mrs. Hicks
Brown sought her divorce, 1t takes
only three months to establish a resi-
idence, and the legal formalities con-
sumo very little time; but strange to
say, Mrs. llicks-Brown did not find II
easy TO pass the time. The first three
Or four weeks, in her Aurried state Of
mind, she did not notice-but, after
that time passed very slowly, indeed.
Strange as It may seem, life apart
from Mr. Hicks. Brown was very,
very dull-and lonely Yes, she had
been hasty-too hasty-but there was
no turning back now, She had burned
her bridges, and, besides, had ever a
LoEsdAla retranel q atap once takan2