The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
A UNION UF CONVENIENCE.
OBSTACLES TO MRS. J<CKsovs SUIT
ron DIVORCE


signs Of tho Man OF Experience Mt tb.
Memories of IN Unsnrupuious Lawyer of
Duluth, q Woman of Imag nation and the
Marriage of His best Friend In the World
Tho man Of experience sighed heavily. Il had
quito q turn this morning" he said. Il ran
ran across the woman who was once my wife"
Tho young man who smokes betrayed moro ami.
nation than had characterized his actions for
several weeks -Your wife." he echoed Great
Scott. didn't know you ever had such thing"
The man OF OF pcricnoo hcsved sigh number two
OF the doloful series NO. said he, Il don't sup
pose you ever did hear about IL There arc very
few people who have heard Tha, In q chapter Of
my life which generally skip. ovon when read
Ing 70 myself Tho whole incident was 60 very
peculiar that do not like 10 dwell upon H. yet
now thai tho subject has been accidentally
brought under discussion. do not mind going
into details this once.
b Several years ago was working up q deal
that took me into Duluth for about Hvo days out
Of every month On one Of those visits CHANGED
N read an advertisement in ono Of tho morning
papers that Interested mo greatly. This advor-
tsomcnt was In tho form Of q personal, and was
wurdod In this wiso Observation-Disclosures con-
earning Horauo jackson. Mr.. jackson Il 20
years old or thcroabouta lie In tall, has dark
brown hair and mostsche streaked with gray.
brown eyes. and a scar extending diagonally
across the left side OF his chin by communicate
ing with tho undersigned Mr. jackson will loarn
something 10 his advantage Herbert Walker.
Attorney at Law, Room 4s. st Louis Block.
Duluth
AS was quito natural l was considerably
worked UP over the notice There was no doubt
that II referred 20 mo. for my namo was Horato
and the description fitted me 10 dot even TO tho
al sra n ms rhi not .pn 7
Walker, had never even heard Of him, In fact and
| could not imagine what information ho could
have that would he OF any Use to mo- stu. | did
not like TO let slip any possible opportunity for
furthcring my fortunes. | decided 10 call and
find ont what kind Of card IL was the legal gentlo-
man was holding up his sleeve did not SEQ tho
advertisement until late In the afternoon and IL
was past regular Office hours when finally got
around 10 tho St Louis Block Just as drew
near Room IS a man stepped out OF the Office and
locked the door Before he could get away hur-
red up and addressed him.
"'Are you Mr. Walker asked.
81 am. said he. What can do for your
81 called in answer 10 this personal, said.
banding him the note had clipped from the paper.
The halls Of tho building were but dinly light
ed. and Walker had to unlock the door and turn
back into his office before he could see 10 read
Scarcely had he glanced at the clipping when his
face hGan TO glow with pleasure Are you Jack
SON he asked.
Yes. said L. 'wha, do you want with me-.
The smile on his face broadoned Tho minute
had act eyes the fellow In the full glare OF tho
light had conceived an instructive dis,rust Of
him. and somehow the more he smiled the less |
liked him. He was young man. slender. pale
eyed and hin.faccd, II was apparent from his
general appearance and that of his surroundings
that Mr.. walkers practice was not a lucrative
one. Everything seemed musty and unused TO
contact with the outside world, and Il impressed
me that the mans excessive delight upon meeting
me augurrd mischief Still smiling he led me
into little box OF a room marked Private
What is II you want Of me- repeated then,
Anxiously
The lawyer rubbed his long thin fingers To-
gether nervously before answering 1want you
he said, at length. to get married
His blunt reply was a slcdgehammcr blow that
seemed TO deaden every faculty possessed except
that for asking questions ! repeated his words
dumbly. Get married. | said What for
The man saw that he had knocked me out at tho
nrst round, and he proceeded with increased as.
surance. oh, he said. I don't mean tina, you orc
70 take to matrimmy seriously II lisa mere mat
ter Of form
YES, said l. bitterly That is tho trouble
a
mere matter of form. when do get married
want to live mp tn the spirit ot the contract as we'll
as the letter
You are burdrned with altogether too many
scruples.' returned Walker. Besides being a
play at ma,rimony. this is Likewise marriage Of
convenience
Convenient for whom asked.
For YOU he said II YOU are inclined 10 reckon
values from financial point Of view
nc leilo" manner WAS 10 strange that
MAS unable 10 make head or tail Of his suggcs
lions Pardon me, | sad but il strikes me as
very strange lhni You should take much in
rrest III the welfare II man whom YOU never
saw until ton minutes ago. and Tor whom you can
hafe no real liking What * the cause Of this
tie hitched his char closer L. mine AT that
and assumed more business Ike air than he had
S e' mo,h ! can un ISLAND, he said, that nv
proposition must undoubtedly impress YOU az
something eN'faordinary. It's made 81 course,
On ., ,9e Suppression that you are not already
. No said |. dccisively, and have no desire
laugh That's all right he said. You
heard wha, have to tel YOU then fancy &a "S You
present a most peculiar case. \ client 81 mine,
LADY Is seeking 70 procure a divorce
lie paused and looked at me intcntly Well >
said !, what have 10 do with that,
chooso o9 Gan nave everything to DO with H. il you
Wishes 10 lie divorced has never been married
The lnc"herent ~ planatou had by that time
plunged me into vortex OF confused Thought
where u was impossible for me 10 formulate an
iInur
This woman Walker went On, 'disca rded
hef maiden name several years ago and
adopted that OF Mrs Horatu jackson Her
reasons Tor doing this were good reasons but
they are complicated and 1t is useless 10 enter
ln'o details, for they have no bearing whatever
upon the vital points at issue. DO you know any
ming about the power Of habit? This story IL
The best Illustration ] can cite Of the strong in
nuence freq uent repetition OF any action has upon
the mind and general character After my client
had been calling herself Mrs jackson for a year
or 80 she became 20 confirmed in the habit Of
Speakng OF her husband that she succeeded in
convincing even herself that she had really been
married, and she began to cOnlure up mental
Images OF the man she had welded According
To her picture oil Mr. Jack son. he was tall and dark
and he had u diagonal scar on the chin Nv
client admits that she had never seen anybody
who looked lust Ike her ideal but she believed
mat was tho SORT Of man she would have selected
had she ever married. and that's the way she
painted him. although why she wanted him TO bo
uisnguIed with scar Is more than can make
out Mrs jackson was an affectionate tender
hearted woman, and she could not bring herself
to look upon Mr. jackson as a dead man Ac-
cording 10 her way 81 thinking, he was simply
absent When she had bnon separated from him
Tor nye years she fell In love with a real flesh
and blood man and he with her This m an wanted