The sea coast echo., 1904-06-11

ment for $1,000.
In a Vermont case the plaintiff and
defendant were neighbors, and the dc.
fendant paid neighborly visits TO the
plaintiff's family. IL was shown that
these visits were at first to the entire
family, and that they were gradually
narrowed until they were confined TO
the plalntlff alone. This fact togeth-
er with the proof that during the ne
RODS OF the defendants visits lights
were frequently seen burning in the
parlor on Saturday and Sunday even.
lngs, and some other circumstances.
led the jury to find for the plaintiff.
very cruel case occurred In AIichl-
gan. A man. who, strange to relate,
bore the name OF Constant, while en-
gagged in courting had his financial eye
open and borrowed money from the
lady. On his last visit to her he re.
newed his notes for one and two years
and then went off ana married the
other girl. The court held that 1t was
proper TO allow proof OF this money
transaction, holding that IAN engage
ment broken of suddenly and without
warning would very naturally create
more pain and modification than if
ended under any other circumstances,
and II a jury were 20 regard this con-
duct concerning money matters as cal
culated, under the circumstances, to
have caused additional grounds of pain
IN Of a,.
ror, we think they would not be vio-
lating ordinary probabilities"
Where the defendant asked the hand
of the lady In the presence OF the lat.
ter's mother, who consented, and the
lady said nothing, and tie defendant
thereupon gently took the hand of the
mother and touchlngly said; Hence
forth consider me as your son." 1t was
held sufficient proof OF the lady's con.
sent; and In New York case the lady
was permitted to show that she had
procured wedding dress and had gone
so far ms to get wedding cake. as
showing her acceptance, while in Iowa
the plnlntlff was allowed TO prove in
support OF her acceptance that she was
making preparation for her marriage
'pleclng quilts and doing fancy work"
and that when she heard of defend.
ants marriage, "she hated It awful
bad"
While the law makes 1t easy to provo
a proposal by the gentleman and equal
ly easy to show that the lady accepted.
when Ii comes to evidence showing a
release on the part of the Indy, then the
proof must be strong to sustain the de.
fense.
In one case a bachelor OF iifty.three
had been paying his respects to
maiden of forty-three summers for the
unlucky period OF thirteen years. Dur
ing all this time she declared TO 9th
crs that she would never marry him
and spoke Of him In terms OF derlslon
and contempt. After thirteen years
OF courtship the bachelor summoned
sufficient courage TO propose and was
promptly accepted. After the engage
ment he heard OF the double dealings
of the maid and refused TO marry her.
The court held that II was no defense
to the action, although It might go to
mitigate the damages.
In Pennsylvania case the lady
wrote the defendant letter In which
she said: Il don't want you. for /
know that / would have devils life
Of 1t. II you were any kind of a gen
tleman you would not act as you have.
| pray night and day that you may
never prosper. in this world | Just
pray for every hair I'm your head TO
come out" And yet she recovered a
judgment for $1,000
In looking beneath the surface for
the reason for this verdict II is quite
evident that the jury believed that the
lady was goaded to desperation by the
attentions of her iiance to her rival,
and that she did not, In fact, mean TO
say that she did not want to marry
him, and did not really desire that he
lose all his hair, for In her letter she
says cruelty Of her rival: "Well. 81 I
am poor, l do not wear the one hat for
five or six years like she does, and
turn it hind part before, like she does"
Under the weight OF authority. then,
II party does not want to find him
self, in the eyes Of the law, an en-.
gagged man, he must look well to his
daily walk and conversations for. II he
has so conducted himself as to be
estopped from denying the engage
ment, he will have difficult problem
to convince a judge and jury that the
lady has duly released him.--From the
Green Bag.