The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-15
A DEED OF sEPARArIoN.

temper which brought the less pleasant
characteristics Of each OF them 10 the
surface.
There were days when they would not
exchange more than Jew hurried words
| OF conventional polteness-
The climax arrived one foggy December
morning. Olive had risen with a severe
headache, and her husband. aching with
business cares, had passed a restless
night.
''Olive." he said, in voice that was
sick with despair. this sort Of thing must
come 10 an end
what sort Of thing, Jack2"
You know as well as I know This
/ unhappy farce OF living together must
be terminated Neither Of Us can endure
it much longer"
You are only saying what I-what I
have thought for months"
Exactly So
| at the table, while Ensor paced the room
/ modify Presently ne said, speaking in
a tone Of sorrow rather than reproach.
I'VE ought never to have been married,
you and I. Marriage was the great mis-
/ take Of our lives"
1T is usually the great mistake Of
/ most lives"
Mistakes may be rectihed. II I make
I a mistake in my ledger IN the city !
take my knife and scratch 1t out
You cannot scratch out a mad mar
/ rage" she said.
You are wrong. The law has provided
I an outlet for unhappy men and women
Ike myself and you. Have you ever
heard Of deeds Of separation?"
7 have read of them in the papers"
! Let US be separated. You shall live
/ where you Ike ana have an ample allow
/ snce It VIII be happier for both of US. a"
Olive bowed her dark head with resig-
nation.
You are right-perfectly right" she
observed softly. Though sometimes 7
fancy that if Jackie had lived, things
might have been SO different You and
we're good friends, Jack, until we lost
our darling
Ensor faced her steadily, as he replied:
| I envy the boy-enyy him with all my
heart, for I wish that I also were
| dead
Three days later Mr.. Oldborough. so
ncitor, of Clements inn. was sitting in
his private office, when a clerk entered
! and stated that Mr.. Esnor desired to see
/ him.
Show Mr.. Esnor in at once" replied
/ the lawyer, and place a chair"
Good morning" said the genial old So
licitor as he held out his hand in greet
ing. "Sit down, and tell me what 1 can
do for you. 1t may sound unbusiness-
! like on my part to say so, but I sin
cerely trust that you are in no legal
0ot2er. ,'3o1,
Il am glad to hear it. Pray 90 on"
| MY trouble is worse than any legal
trouble could be-" said Esnor. huskily.
FOR IL concerns my home. Mr.. Oldbor-
ough, ! can speak to you quite cranky,
I know, and Z have come to tell you
! that my wife and ] have found further
1 1,e ~,1r r,escf
bic. Ny object in coming here is to in
struct you to draw up a deed Of separa-
ton"
"A deed of separation Ny dear sir,
you cannot be speaking seriously"
Il wish TO Heaven I was speaking In
| jest. Look at me- and tell me If 1 seem
| as one who Jokes"
Perhaps the facts are not as bad as
they appear to you. 1 have known many
/ persons como to me as you have come
/ to seek such separations, and after a
/ little comfortable chat 1 have been able
to persuade them that in cases OF this
kind it is better, far better, to forgive
| and TO forget"
Ensor shook his head.
do not misunderstood me-" he said,
/ quietly. There is little in my wife that
needs forgiveness, and doubtless she
I would tell you the same thing regarding
me. Neither Of US has committed any
special wrong. It is simply a question Of
! incompatibility OF temper. The wrong
| man married the wrong woman. That IS
all"
"Then. nothing that I say can bring
you TO change your mind?''
Nothing that you can say or do. Mr..
/ Observation-Disclosures and kind as
! you always are-can cause me or my wife
! 10 bate our resolution one jot.
In that case" returned MIR. Oldbor-
! ough, sadly, there IS no alternative left
me but to accede to your wishes
when viii the deed be ready for sig
nature?' asked the latter. as he rose TO
! quit the Office.
IT VIII have it prepared this afternoon.
| and, If you choose, I VIII call at your
house TO obtain the signatures next Mon
day morning"
Good he said, promptly. "On Monday
/ morning you viii find my wife and my
/ self waiting to receive you"
The week wore TO its end. Sunday came
and went. and the fateful Monday
| dawned.
All was ready for olives departure.
| Her clothing, sewelry and other belong
ings had been packed, and quiet lodgings
/ had been found for her, pending more
! permanent arrangements. Nothing re-
mained now but TO sign the deed Of sepa-
ration, and then-good-by.
A handsom drew up at the gate and
Mr.. Oldborough aHghted carrying small
! bag.
He greeted the silent couple with SOL
/ enn kindness. Taking each one aside, he
! asked whether, even at this late hour. a
| reconciliation might not be contemplated.
| but the answer which ne received from
/ husband and wife convinced him that his
| good-natured words had fallen on barren
| soil.
A pause ensued. There was a formality
I 10 be gone through before the signing o.
the deed. The solicitor explained it
l would be necessary that the marriage
| certificate should be produced, and that
/ the date ard number OF registration
/ should be transferred from that certlh-
cate 70 the present document.
Fetch the deed. olive. II you please, p
said Ensor to his wife. ! think 1t IS
locked away in your drawer.
She obeyed. During her absence no
/ word was spoken for few minutes
! Then Mr.. Oldborough said, more for the
| sake Of breaking the awkward silence
than for any other reason:
Mrs. Ensor i q long time gone. IS she
not77
IN opening the drawer responded Ensor
I rnecha7fcsllv. Il know that e has not
| been touched for years.
Thev waited in aGiet patience, and pres
( emily the door opened AID Olive entered
carrying IN one hand the marriage GER
/ tdcate and IN the other q small wooisn
/ object
what was IT. It seemed 70 Mr. Old
! horo-sr that II vas a bzby's shoe.
owes fece had changed al the dull
resentment had gone out q her eyes, e
neht shone in them that had not shone
/ there for many. many wearv months.
There were tears upon her cheeks as she
/ aurroscked fer husband, and sad bro
{ izel,v-
Jack 10 vou rernern0er tils shoe
/ r-rt r,-s-r turned aray q corceai his