Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-07-21
ais we'll That Ends WELL

ferences leading up TO the last act were
thoroughly aired in court and in the
newspapers; but 1t was the final act of
brutality on Mr.. Hicks Browns part that
was especially dilated upon, and for
weeks this ''fiend in human form" was
execrated by danes and damsels all over
this broad land, and Mrs. Hicks-Bro
was an object of heartfelt commiscration
on all sides.
1 am inclined to think that if Mr..
Hicks-Brown had been more like the
men who are held up as model hus-
bands by the knowing members of certain
ladies' societies, he and Mrs. Hicks
Brown-she whom only two short years
since he had promised to love and cher
ish-would be living in peace and amity,
to say nothing of conjugal happiness,
even unto this day and if Mrs. Hicks
Brown had been anything but the only
child of very rich and foolishly indul-
gent papa, things might have been differ
ent. 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 insignifi-
cant in character. At first Mr.. Hicks
Brown was inclined to give in, Just as all
dutiful bubbles are ;buthe saw the shoals OF
trouble on to which this course was caus-
ing him to drift, and concluded, after
mature consideration, that it was his will
that should dominate ia the Hicks-Brown
family, and he fixed his plan of pro.
cedure and governed his actions accord.
ingly. Mrs. Hicks-Brown, with femi-
nine insight, perceived, at an early stage
of the game, what her lords intentions
were; and, as she had always been ac-
customed to have her own way, she de-
cided that it was too late to begin knock
ing under and there you have what was
presumably the beginning of the end.
1t was a dog-not only dog, but q
young lady dog-not only female
canine, but what Mr.. Hicks Brown
termed ''measly, doggasted pug"-that
caused the climax. If there was any
creature on earth that Mr.. Hicks-Browr
loathed and despised it was pug, and
especially one of the gentler sex, and his
better half, aware of this antipathy, had
with characteristic feminine perversity,
availed herself of the first opportunity &c
possess herself of one of those interest
ing animals, which speedily won, il
seemed, first place in her affections and
made Mr.. Hicks Browns life miserable.
He stood it, however, as long as hC
could; but the end had to come.
Mr.. Hicks-Brown was an architect
and it came to pass that he had, on ont
occasion, been invited to prepare the
plans for public building. The plans
were drawn aud accepted by the com
mittee, which, however, returned then
to him for certain important alterations
and they were laid on the table in hi
den to be attended to when he returned
home in the late afternoon of certain
day.
Now, it so happened that Vic, the pug
aforementioned, was of an inquiring turn
of mind, and she chose this very after
noon for an exploring tour in the uppe
part of the house.
When Mr. Hicks-Brown entered hi
den about 5 o'clock he saw at once tina
portions of his plans were missing, and
supposing that his wife had taken then
to show some visitor, he hurried down
stairs.
''Where are those plans1" he asked.
''What plans, dear?" softly inquired
Mrs. Hicks Brown, sliding her carame
into one cheek and still keeping on
eye on particularly thrilling page of tn
yellow-back novel in her lap.
''What-what plansl Do you mean t,
say you didn't take those Calumet build
ing plans from my tablcf' asked Mr.
Hicks-Brown in some agitation.
"Oh-hr' said his spouse, mildly sur
prised. "Why, it must have been thos
that Vic had"
"That-Vic-had! - howled Mr.. Hicks
Brown. ''And pray where are the
now"
"Don't get excited, dear. Were the
they anything in PARTICULAR Vic hat
some old, soiled pieces of cloth, playipi
with them awhile ago; but l suppose
they were some you had thrown into tn
wastebasket, so burned-Henry! Wha
are you going to do9"
But Henry did not answer. He strod
over to the cushion whercon the offend
ing Vic was taking her afternoon siesta
gripped her firmly by the nape Of th
neck. and, despite his wife's hysterica
protests, opened the door and kicked tn
bowling animal into the street, and, nc
satisfied with this, when Mrs Hick:
Brown would have rushed to rescue he
pet, he took her by the shoulders an
forced her into a chair, noting with grin
satisfaction as he did so that couple {
street arabs were making off with Vic.
That day Mrs. Hicks-Brown wer
home to her mother, and two weeks late
she was member of the divorce colon
in western city, seeking freedom froI
matrimonial bonds on the ground {
"cruel and inhuman treatment" whic
she expected the court, when her cas-
was presented, to understand as havin
been applied to her instead of to Vic.
In the state where Mrs. Hicks-Brow
sought her divorce, it takes only thrC
months to establish a residence, and II
legal formalities consume very lit
time; but, strange to say, Mrs. Hick
Brown did not find it easy to pass Il
time. The first three or four weeks,
her furried state of mind, she did M
notice-but, after that, time passed vel
slowly, indeed. Strange as it may seen
life apart from Mr.. Hicks-Brown WI
very, very dull-and lonely. Yes, 81
had been hasty-too hasty-but the
was no turning back now. She hd
burned her bridges, and besides, ha
ever q Lovedale rctraced step on
taksn1 mol And she held her pref
nose little higher and tried to loo
haughtily don't-care-ish, all the tin
| faal{nr, 49,. ,,isarahlo indeed