The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-09-21
A THOUGHT.
application
FOR DIVORCE"
By the Wife'S Attorney.

VV-sV'e'Srs'S~s'Nrs'SV "o"Sc@s-S2's"S's"S'"s~V'eV
I believe l have openly declared that
after studying a face for five minutes l
could index the owners chief character
istics without mistake. The Davis fam
lily knew Of this fad of mine and on two
or three occasions had put me to the test
and been obliged to admit that my de-
auctions were correct.
l was away in the west when Henry
Wilbur and Ethel Davis became &C.
Quainted. Nor did / see the young man
until after they became engaged. l had
made a call at the house on a business
matter with the father when l got my
first sight Of Wilbur. If | had been
prejudiced at all up to that moment, it
was in his favor, as Mr.. Davis had spo-
ken of him in the highest terms, and the
mother had seemed well pleased ut the
daughters prospects. i was not only dis
appointed, but almost shocked at what
/ read Of the young mans character
through a brief study of his face. give
you the notes as | wrote them down
when left the house:
First.-A violent temper. easily aroused
by opposition.
Second.-Disposition to find fault and
tyrannize.
Third.-Incapable of deep or lasting
affection.
Fourth.-Latent animal ferocity. which.
If aroused. would make him utterly re-
CARELESS of consequences and a danger
Gus foe.
Had the family been blood relations of
mine doubt if should have given them
n hint Of my conclusions. There are plen-
ty of men in all professions who make it
a rule to mind their own affairs, but with
lawyers it is the rule and not the excep-
ton. Nevertheless. while it was in no
sense a matter to concern me, it was
fact that | was deeply concerned. l
firmly believed that the girls life would
be wrecked by the marriage. even if some
terrible tragedy did not grow out of it to
cast a shadow over all. Time after time
| called up the lovers face as | sat in
the Office or at home and went over the
features again to be sure that | had made
no mistake. Forehead. eyes. nose. mouth.
lips and chin were plain before me as
closed my eyes. but could not read
them in any other way than as set them
down at first.
Although invited to the wedding as a
friend of the family, am what is termed
an old mossback and am seldom seen in
a dress coat and white tie. l doubt if
. should have been there but for my de-
sire to give Henry Wilbur another
chance. l wanted to read his face again
and find that had been mistaken. had
been introduced to him months before.
but he did not remember me. and in the
crush and crowd did not seek to jog his
memory. | went over that face in re-
pose. and | studied il as excitement made
the features play, and ! almost groaned
in despair. | could not change my opin-
ion in one particular. 1t was a joyous
occasion for bride and groom and parents
and friends-for all but ME. When the
clergyman had pronounced them man and
wife. slipped out Of the house and went
home. and wondered en- route how soon
Ethel would come to me with her ap-
plication for divorce. That she would
make application within six months at
the furthest l felt as sure of the fact
that | had just seen her married.
A wedding trip and a honeymoon last
ing about SIX weeks. and then ] vas sent
for. The young wife had q story of
tyranny. temper. sel6shness and brutal
ty to tell. She had even feared for her
life. The husbands love had cooled in a
week, and within month he had de-
clared that he hated her. She couldn't
make 1t out, and the father and mother
were az full of wonder as of Indignation,
but / had read it all in his face long be-
fore. An application for divorce was
promptly filed. and the Davis family left
the city and society for a country home
while matters were pending.
A month later had some business to
transact with John Davis, who had met
with an accident and could not come to
town, and one afternoon | took the train
for his suburban station. The cars were
crowded, and l found a seat beside a
young man whose face did not scan un-
til quarter of an hour later. Then. to
my great surprise, l recognized him as
Henry Wilbur. For a minute or two 7
was in doubt whether he would identify
me or not, but then / saw that my face
had passed from his memory. shyly
but earnestly studied his face anew, and
| found changes. The ferocity which |
had set down as latent in my other stud
les had become active. For young
man and fairly good looking man he
had more of the wolf in his look than
had ever met with before. The CLEAN
in his eyes and the set Of his lips be-
trayed the workings of n wicked. merci-
less heart. and believe that dog
would have interpreted that look and
Shrunk away from it in fear. On his lap
he held small valise, and as the con-
ductor took up his ticket l noticed that
he was bound for the same station as
myself. My first thought was that he
might be going down to endeavor Ia
smooth matters over with the young
wife. but second look into his eyes sat
isfisd me that he was bent on different
errand. l felt it my duty to secure all
information possible and therefore made
friendly advances. He was civil, but
not communicative. but at length. as il
angered ut my persiStency and unable
to keep his secret longer, he finally said:
''No. l don't take any interest in poll
ties. and l never read line of war news.
l have something on my mind of moro
Importance to me. The person who drugs
int before the public and holds me up to
ridicule has got to pay for it."
"fou are being maligned, them" l
qucried.
"What do you think of a wife," he
Oegan, as his eyes flashed and his lips
Kissed out the words-"what do you think
of a wife-who-who"-
"What?" asked.
He turned away and looked out of the
window and ignored my presence after
that. As darNly as his feelings ranked he
was prudent enough to hold his speech in
check before stranger. Before we
reached the station l passed into the car
ahead, but as | left the train l saw him
descend and hurry away without look
ing around for me. Being perfectly salts
fed that he was there for no good, L in
formed the family at once of his pres
ence. Ethel was considerably alarmed,
but the father and mother saw no reason
for it. l believe they even had hopes
that he had come down as penitent and
that divorce proceedings might he stop
ped and all go well again. Perhaps the
young wife also deluded herself for a
brief while, but later on she said TO me:
at cannot be, Mr.. Meeking. The man