The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1907-12-13
Nature Versus Theory.



Arthur EnglemaD was theOrist
Among the subjects on which he held
original views were love. marriage and
divorce. He believed that no marriage
should take place without mutual
love. that no couple should live TO-
gether without perfect and uninter-
rupted harmony and that if such har-
mony did not exist both husband and
wife should be free to marry again.
Marjorie Hays fell under EngIeman's
influence. and be won her heart as
well as a passive assent 10 his theory
He feared that she would be that
counterpart in his life a wife should
be. He finally decided to take the
risk, and they were married.
When the couple had been married
FIVE years the result of the experiment
was a beautiful boy four years old
and a elimination OF friction arising
from the fact that the husband init
mated that in their case marriage had
been a failure. He proposed q sep
aration.
Marjorie concealed the pang the an
nouncement cost her. She was a proud
little woman-too proud to hold a man
who wished TO be released. Besides.
she had given a tacit assent to her
husbands views. For herself. she was
content to live as one of a united
trio. getting over marital stumbling
blocks as best she could. But her hus-
band did not consider that holy matri-
mony and insisted on carrying out his
theory. The wife consented to the in
evitable
Then came Eunice Shattuck. an an
gular woman Of thirty-twO years-En-
gleman's senior-with as many theories
as he on love and marriage and a far
stronger will. She convinced him that
they were affinities who had been
brought together by an invisible love
current and whom. once met, no power
could keep apart. Under her influence
Engleman proposed to his wife not
only a separation, but divorce.
Marjorie stood up bravely under this
demolishing of all hope. Two consid-
erations guided her. pride and desire
to shield the father Of her child from
blame. She gave out to her friends
and acquaintance that she and her
husband were of one mind on the i'm
portant subject between them. that
she fully assented to his plan to marry
the right woman, and she would
leave him that he might secure the
! necessary Divorce on the ground of de-
sertion. She even went so far as to
! call upon Miss Shattuck and wished
her much happiness with the man
whose soul and hers We're In such per
feet harmony.
! The retiring wife fixed upon the Pa,
! cific coast for a residence. On the
morning of her departure the husband,
| wife and son went TO the station to
| gether. the child trudging along hold
| ing to his fathers forefnger. all un
conscious of the break in the home To
which he had been born. Neither the
man nor the woman spoke except OF
some matter connected with the jour
ney.
SD great was the wife's self cen
troll that she appeared outwardly fas
more content with the change than bel
husband. Before leaving the car in
which he placed his family Engleman
ted to be kissed passively. Then he
took his boy in his arms and held his
lips to the child's cheek till the train
started.
"Goodby." said Marjorie. within q
year he will have forgotten you"
1t seemed that some unseen beine
had touched Arthur Engleman's cheek
with an icy finger, driving every YES
| tige Of color from It,
60, You will be too late"
He turned and hurried from the car
He stood looking after the train
never moving until it had turned :
curve; then he went to his home. Ri,
found no one there. yet there seemed
to be some one-a spirit of loneliness
Ii was in the hall. the living room
the bedroom, everywhere. When h'
found it in his boys crib-the boy VIII,
was to forget him-he gasped and CAV,
sharp cry
Then he remembered the woman
who was to fill the void. She was no
there. but her likeness was In tn,
library. There he hurried for consola
ton.
From its frame on the wall abov,
his desk. where he had often gazed a
1t with rapture. an ugly face looked on
at him.
Great heavens: Had be been dream
ing? And was this all that was left o
his dream?
While he had been nursing his thee
~ bond had been slowly weavin;
I itself about him-the bond OF famil,
love. The consciousness Of its ex
istence. of its strength. had come upol
him with the suddenness of a whirl
wind. There was no elaboration, n
reasoning, no hating. His theory o
marriage he saw vanishing in the dis
lance like Il kite with q broken strinj
driven before a storm. hooking hin
with its fantastic motions. With
blow he broke the glass that covere,
the square jaw OF his affinity" an:
rushed from the house