Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-20


her load of sorrow. She was pointed out on
the street as 'colonist" men about the
hotel where she boarded tried to thrust their
attentions upon her and, although she met,
through the pastor of the church she at
tended and at the home of her attorney,
many Of the incest people in the city, she
was almost entirely ignored in a social way.
and it CALLED her immeasurably, She, a
Lovedale-yes, and a Hicks-Brown; for
even If the man who had bestowed the last
name on her did work for a living, it wasa
name to be proud Otto be ostracized by
these insignificant country people. half the
men among whom attended balls in Prince
Albert or cutaway coats! The ideal As if
she caredl And yet she did care a great deal
And Mr.. Hicks-Brown9 He was work
ing away as though fighting time. He
never gave himself moment if he could
help it for thought. Not a word had passed
between him and a member of the Love-
dale family since the day his wife had
flung herself out Of the house and returned
TO her parents. He heard she had gone
west for divorce, and it made him vince;
but he shut his mouth more tightly and
went at his work still harder. There were
times when he had to think, and they were
not pleasant times. There was one in par
ticular. A few months before he had be-
gun To build, unknown TO his wife, hand
some new house in her favorite suburb
and the time came for him to occupy it,
and she was not there to enjoy it. His
younger sister, an orphan, who had just
finished school and had come to live with
him, was delighted with everything. She
ran all over the house, fairly gushing with
- L
brother, sitting amid the confusion of fur
niture in the front hall, was thinking OF
how much some one else would have been
pleased. And there were two big tears ON
his cheeks when he remembered himself
and arose to superintend the work of ar
ranging furniture
Everybody who reads the papers remem-
beers the Hicks-Brown divorce tTial-how
the defendant paid no attention to the
suit; how the judge, in granting a decree
without alimony, scored the fair plaintiff
for seeking a divorce upon such trivial
grounds, and assured her that he allowed
decree only because it was plain to be
seen that it was a case of incompatibility;
and how, two days after receiving her de
cree, the plaintiff left suddenly, and every
body said, Il told you sol knew she'd go
as soon as she got it."
But everybody does not know that the
reason she left so suddenly was that she
received n telegram announcing her ia
theirs death, or that when she reached
home she found that he had died bank
rupt.
Hicks-Brown knew it and his heart
ached with the longing to go TO her aid
and then the Hicks-Brown pride came 60
. - l. 1.
cold snap, and ne bent himself to his work
harder than ever.
One morning as he rode into town Henry
Hicks-Brown was thinking how lonely his
sister must be sometimes out there in that
slow little suburb, and an idea struck him
by Jovev' he thought, "it's the very
thing. There are lots of nice girls who
would jump at the chance 70 be companion
to so jolly girl as I4ottie." And he stopped
at The Sol office and left want" adver-
tisement, which stated that young lady
desired a companion who was able TO speak
French and possessed sundry other accom-
plishments; must furnish best references;
would receive liberal salary, etc. "Apply
in person at residence, No. - Grove
street"
Mabel Hicks-Brown, discussing WAYS
tAih hlStth0 WIN iltI AllbllltT ~ NutlI HluulN
furnished breakfast table next morning,
saw this advertisement ITS the very
thing mamma, and Pm going to see about
it today. Something must be done, and
Pm the one to do it; SOL
But, Mabel, it seems so-so-why, the
idea of''--
There. there's no use of saying a word,
mamma. We can't be choosers any more"
And so it was settled.
AT o'clock that afternoon Mabel Hicks
Brown rang the door of the house in Grove
street indicated in the advertisement, and
was admitted by trim maid. who seemed
to know her errand, and ushered her into a
pretty drawing room on the right.
Somehow the room had familiar look.
At least there were things in IL that
seemed familiar. That picture in the dark
corner-she must have seen it before. She
rose TO look at it, and as she did so some
one came hurriedly into the room. Turn
ing, she stood face to face with Henry
Hicks-Brown.
For full half minute they stood staring
at each other, stunned. Then Mabel
weak from the strain of the weeks and
months just passed, gave a shuddering
sob and sank to the floor.
Ten minutes later she found herself upon
the divan in the corner with q pair of
strong arms about her and very dear face
close her own, while a deep, tremulous
voice whispered, mabel can't we-can't
we make it all upY Tell me, little girlY"
She told him right then and there, and
half an hour after that they stood in the
study OF the parsonage close by-Hicks-
Brown would have it so-for all the world
like pair Of clippers, and what had taken
nearly five months to unite was retied In
five minutes.
And that was the real end Of the ceie-
brated Hicks-Brown divorce case-the part
that only small minority Of the news
paper reading public knows about.-R. L.
Ketchum in Argonaut