Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-07-30
lie CASE OF
ECARVERS.
By Frank Hurburt O'Hara

By Frank iurburt OFIara
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
So The pretty little peaches-and-cr
wife of Carver dropped her evening
paper with murmur of dainty horror.
Carver raised his eyes from the sport.
Ing page of his own daily and turnedl
them inquiringly toward the golden
haired vision in pink.
II think it's perfectly dreadful," she
exclaimed. Don't you, Dick?"
OF course. What is it," he asked.
smiling.
Just to think Of a mans being 50
inconsistent and false and-and cruel.~
young Mrs. Carver went on.
Carver's smile faded. His eve.
brows lifted trif1e Then he said:
Il don't know what you mean"
He said that aloud To himself he
|. kept musing, II WONDER
Didn't you read it?" queried she, in
d1cating with delicate forefnger an
article In the paper. "This Afferton
divorce case, you know Just think
II you can!-of mans doing anything
like that. I don't believe a man could
ever have loved a girl and then-Oh,
It's shocking! And they hadn't been
married year; were hardly out of
! their honeymoon us, Dick" ~.
Carver shook his head deprecatingly
! and fidgeted at his smoking, jacket
and then remarked:
''Who was the other girl? Chorus
Or =
"Then you did read it,"
"No-er-why, IL glanced at the
headlines"
The big purple eyes across the table
were becoming dim with an opales.
cent mist.
"Oh-h-h, Dick, Dick" (Her voice
was wavering dangerously Are
many men like that? You seem to-
Oh, you aren't surprised, you aren't
shocked-Dick!"
"Why, you silly DEAR" Carver
laughed, jumping to her side and fold
ing her tenderly in his arms. Mon.
sense! Why, you Just said yourself it
was our honeymoon. You don't know
how much love you, girl. could
not begin to tell you. Just this morn.
ing was telling Jack Trent what real
happiness was like. Jack seemed sort
OF down and out with the blues.
told him he ought to get married.
ought to get little wife like mine"
"Jack always wanted me, I guess,
even away back when we were chill.
dren. And he made a game fight,
didn't he?"
She laughed softly as she pressed
his hand
"But he didn't get you!" said Car
Yer happily, returning the pressure.
Next morning, as he was being
whirled of1ceward on an L limited, he
rehearsed many times the days of his
courtship and then the marriage and
their honeymoon, and after that, tho
home life together, and he vowed that
he would never even speak to Maizie
again. He had just been out for q
good time occasionally. He had meant
no harm, surely no disloyalty to the
pretty little peaches-and cream wife in
the suburbs. But from now on, there
was to be no Maize, no reunions with
the boys-nothing.
All day Carver kept thinking of tho
waiting wife. He left early as possible
that afternoon, and after visiting q
confectioner for box of her favorite
bitter-sweets and florist for bunch
of her adored red roses, he was on his
way back. to her, impatient as he never
before had been to clasp her again in
his embrace.
He bounded up the steps three at
time. He meant to rush in and
surprise her. But the door was
locked. His face fell. He had not
thought of the possibility Of her alb
sence. Doubtless she did not look
for him so soon. She never had failed
to meet him before. He put down
the candy and flowers found his key,
unlocked the door. How lonesome the
rooms seemed!
He gazed around, wondering some
what His eyes fell upon letter
lying on the library table. He picked
It up and found it addressed to him
in her writing. His brow wrinkled.
81 wonder what the devil
In a moment his eyes were skim.
ming rapidly over the lines of large,
distinct characters. This is what the
lines said:
"Dear old Dick: I'm awfully sorry,
really I am You will never know how
much it has panied me. But don't
love you. Somehow that sounds blunt
and cruel, but it is the truth. don't
suppose ever loved you, though
used to think I did. Perhaps it was
your fiery way of making love that
caught me. Anyway, want you to
be happy-oh, very, very happy.
Dick! I know I shall be so as soon as
we can arrange matters honorably and
quietly. I must always have loved
Jack, and he, am sure, has loved
me always, though he's been a perfect
brick since my marriage and as still
as a brick, too. When l am Mrs.
Jack Trent, I know shall be happier