The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-19
THE EVENING STORY
Some Private Inquiries.

Some Private Inquiries.
(By Marie DelogOf.)
| Ihere were compliments, congratula-
lions and showers of rice and slippers
When Livingston Perry and Marjory
manners were wed. Some people actual
/ the honeymoon would last for years.
| Only some people sad that, however.
Others knew it to be simply fashion
| able wedding. -.
Not that the turtle doves do not coo
| when a fashionable wedding takes
| place, but they must coo very gently
and cut it as short as possible. 1t is
| not good form for cupid to frolic in
| high society.
In this case, the skepticaI ones soon
| had resaon to say: II told you so''
There were various little things THAT
brought it about, but the principal one
was that after three months of ex-
| tremely conventional politeness, Mr..
and Mrs. Perry discovered that they
were not suited to each other.
Both were full of opinion and both
were stubborn. Both were extravagant
Both felt the loss of personal freedom.
Feeling thus, it was easy to find fault
and fault-fndfng soon led to more
| serious things.
They declared an armed truce for an
other three months, and then each de-
c1ded that separation was inevitable.
St1ll. husbands and wives cannot very
We'll separate without some reasonable
SACuS6 To give TO Ilelr friends.
Marjory couldn't think of one, and
Livingston was in the same predica-
ment. Both bent their minds to the
problem. and, as they had plenty of
| time, they did it faithfully
On the same day, and almost at the
same hour, a bright thought struck
this unhappy couple simultaneously. 1t
was to hire somebody to investigate
| and find the valid excuses that were
needed.
They had known eac1, n thar for n
year and a half previous to marriage,
but. after all, that was nothing. For
mal1ty had prevented each one from
even knowing what relatives the other
had, outside of Marjory's match-mak-
ing mamma and Livingston's rather in
different father. Her hand had been
kissed, declaration of love made, the
engagement announced, and that was
the whole story of their love making.
There must have been something in
the life of each to give the other the
advantage sought for. The way to dis
cover 1t was through a private inquiry
agency. Inquiries made--the past in
vestfgated - onorable-experi-
enced agents-terns reasonable
why, of course" thought Marjory.
Easiest thing in the world" thought
Livingston. It didn't so happen that
both husband and wife called for the
services of the same agency, but the
investigators began to work at about
the same time. And while they were
a continuation
of the truce between husband and wife.
1t was the calm before the storm.
They were so placid and pliable that
at times-many times during each day
they seemed to have reached the
point where they appreciated each
other.
Some of their dearest friends al
most feared that the couple wouldn't
separate after all, and thus another
choice subject for brilliant conversa-
tion would be lost to society.
After about four weeks an official
looking letter was delivered to the
husband at his club. He had been
waiting for just such a letter, and he
he glanced only carelessIy at the
superscriptfon.
His first surprise came moment
later, when he saw the words: Dear
Madam" swimming before his eyes.
Now he was not "Dear Madam"
Yet he went right on and read that
private inquiry report to the end. He
couldn't help it, though he felt that
he was base.
1--WE find that your husband was
known to have a very bad temper as
far back as twenty years ago." wrote
the investigator. "People who know
him best are a unit in agreeing that he
is very selfish by nature, and hope
lessIy tenacious of his opinions.
His overbearing disposition" con-
tinued the report, "has alienated many
friends and several relatives. In one
instance, during his bachelorhood days,
he nearly threw dish at his cook and
would have inflicted serious injury had
he made good his threat, as there is
every reason to believe he might have
done.
1--WE have not been able to prove,
but still strongly suspect that you are
not the first, nor even the second or
third woman he has loved or pre-
tended to love.
1--WE have it from his ex-vaIet that
he arose several times at midnight to
smoke cigarettes as if greatly wor-
ried. This should be a strong point |
for good lawyer to work up
Livingston Perry felt rather fiat
him that. as seen by others, he was
hardly what could be called an excit- |
ing character.
Smokes fifteen-cent cigars, drinks !
the most expensive wine, pays his
club dues, owes no cab hire, and un-
fortunately has not even a tailor bill |
over six months. Still, this might be |
shown to prove extravaganza" was the |
next thrilling remark. Then he
whistled. He had at last struck an |
exciting paragraph. 1t was: "A few /
weeks ago he was seen in his club |
poring earnestly over a work on toxi- |
cology. We are sure that in this dis
covery we have furnished you with a |
terribly strong point. Your lawyer |
will know at once what to do with
this"
Livingston Perry did not know /
whether to laugh or swear when he |
that he had tried to read |
the book to oblige the author, his coll
lege friend DR.. Grayson.
1--WE have. dear madam ended the |
made our investigation in the !
most thorough manner, and have not |
a doubt that any court in South Da-
kota will give you a divorce on the I
grounds we have furnished, if they are
properly elaborated. Your check for