The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-07
Our Daily Sport Story

NSA 1AASs oh E<tiIClt ID SO UCtOtCNi to hi2a!" ....
 That. I take it, was the beginning. of Van Aliens being: elevated on, a pedestal amidst us, and becoming standard; of the perfect husband by which each man Of us was secretly judged by his wife.
 Why, Minnie and I had seraped along for ten years in% perfect peaee.r said Blundel in the experience meeting that took place in the club after the crisis had occurred, land thered never been word about anniversaries until Van Allen showed up with his d--d ring You see. Mrs. Van Allen and my wife had somehow found; out that they were mar ried on the same day, and naturally when Mrs. Van Allen appeared with a tender souvenir of the happy occasion, and I had forgotten all about the day, 1t made my little woman feel like she was neglected and I had ceased to love her. and all that sentimental stun that women set such store by.p - -.-.-,,-,.7
 ''Huh!" broke in Graham; you ought to have seen my wife when she was over at Van Aliens one day and the florist bobbed up with about five dollars worth of violets, and note From my hus- band" said Mrs. Van Allen, in that quiet way of hers; "rtdiculously sentimental isn't 1t, after we havesbeen married so { Iong;i but violets are my favorite flower and he never lets them wither on my sdresstne table"
 l. Well, when I got home my wife was sfttiAE up with sad. sweet. patient, l. don't-expect-to-be appreciated look on herS face. Then she related the violet incident. with comments on the devo- ton 1t showed in Van Allen, and when she found out that I didn't know that A v,rAn I,nv. F1y tAn flower. and didn't propose to waste mon- ey on them when did, she went off and had a good cry"
 "Oh," I said, testify, its all well enough when you can buy things, but it was the other things you can't buy that Van Allen did that always seemed to me spectacular and out of taste, you know Now, there was that time when his wife had the grippe-nothing more than a bad cold, for they didn't call in doctor, but he sat by her bedside the entire time holding her hand. My wife just couldn't get over that. Said 1t was actually re- freshing in these days to see ONE man who had some sympathy for a woman who was suffering, and knew how to feel for her, and comfort her with his pres ence. Oh. hang it all I'm not bragging, but I suppose I love my wife as well as the next man. and goodness knows 1t seems to me that fellow who wrestes with stock market six days of the week for his family Is giving proof of devo- ton strong enough to draw money at any bank. but sick room just gives me the. jim jams. I'm no good there, and so l just cut and run"
 It will thus be seen that quite uncon- sciously the Van Aliens had been the means of introducing domestic discord into our midst. To do them justice none of us accused Mrs. Van Allen of mali- ciously Haunting her husbands perfec- tions before our wives eyes, or Van AL len of posing as q model. Still 1t is inn possible for woman to see a better thing without feeling that she has got ten bad bargain, and I had been judged by the Van Allen standard. and had been found wanting.
 Then came the awakening We men saw it first as We opened our afternoon papers coming across on the ferry. The headlines simply leaped at us: WEALTHY SUBURBANITE ELOPES WITH A CHORUS GIRL. THEODORE VAN ALLEN AND A PRETTY MAID- EN' LEAVE FOR PARTS UNKNOWN. SCANDAL IN HIGH LIFE"
 Bonneville wNs in consternation at the news. Mrs. Van Allen must have been appraised of the misfortune that had be- fallen her, for long line of messenger boys had been ringing her bell all day It seemed cruel. heartless, to leave her to herself. for she had no near relatives, but in the face of the tragedy that had befallen her and that was rendered all the moce terrible by her devotion to her unworthy husband, we simply did not dare approach her. Pity seemed too poor and weak a thing to offer her
 \ oef r,,SE a desperation, crossed to the street and was admitted into the house What hap pened then. she told me afterwards. was so amazing that she had to clutch a chair for support.
 instead of finding. as she expected a hysterical woman, calling on Heaven to smlte her dead and end her misery. she saw Mrs Van Allen sitting calmly in her usual place in a carved Morris chair with a face that somehow looked reiu- Nehated-as If veil of sha Sle, or sorrow or sunering had been removed from it. The eyes were as bright as If with hope the lips were smiling, the bent shoulders had strengthened themselves. Positively. my wife said it had never struck her un- Ill that moment that Mrs Van Allen was beautiful. She came towards my wife With her hand outstretched.
 It was all a mistake, then |" said my wife. stupidly
 Not at all, replied Mrs. Van Allen.
 It Is quite true. MT. Van Allen has eloped with a chorus girl, just as the papers said. Only, you see, there never was any such person."
 No such persona" inquired my wife, thinking the other woman crazed.
 certainly not" returned Mrs. Van AL leh' T mean there never was any such person as the MT. Van Allen you thought