Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-12-17
4 CHRISTMAS
. I. DINNER,
i. 10 - F$iE - ,gFSI =! a74t S5e..{52S,
By GRACE ETHEL WEEKS.

( r gsEtr
BY GRACE ETHEL WEEKS. i
copyright. 1909. by American Press Asso-
49, n sszsis u cfationl Is }s::ss
1t was hard for Mr.. and Mrs. Whit
beck to separate, especially hard. be-
cause they had two lovely children, a
boy and girl, aged eight and six.
They agreed TO leave the legal steps Z
In the hands Of Tom Forrest, a lawyer ]:
who was a friend Of both. Having 4
heard the story Of each, he recon-
mended that the husband; leave his !.
wife for awhile and she could then !:
obtain a divorce on the ground Of de- |.
sertion. + 3.}}&}.ss5 =. s,sS
After an interval Of six months, on :
the 23d Of December the attorney noti- !;
fed his clients that their enforcement !
was about to come to head and that .
owing toS division Of property that /
had been agreed upon a meeting was :;
necessary. He summoned them to :,
meet at the home they had occupied !,
the next evening at O'clock. [
The couple arrived within few ,
minutes Of each other. They were met :!
at the door and ushered into the u ~
brary by the! lawyer. It was a cheer !,
less day-clouds, chill and snow-but al;
bright wood fire burned ongthes hearth
For this forethought and provision the
}Whitbecks $mutelys5 commended their,
friend the attorney. n, Mr.. Forrest said
TO- them: ,sg3 $500. -
'This is probably your last meeting
rs husband and wife, ",,:' 4 u )
He then read an agreement he had
drawn up. Then che began to5gett the
documents together for signature. Hea
looked for one he did not find.
'''That's bad he said. saOne Of the,
most important papers of the lot, H.
have left at my Office. fear ! shall .
have to ask you to wait till ] go and
get it, ':3s.eS gya3af$>$s2 81 s!.s7' hs'i
He went out, leaving the couple to-
,gether. Neither spoke forSson1e time
tWhitbeck went to the window andEI
looked on the dreary sight without.
His wife peered at the FIRE: J. s.s.5,a / p;
'The house looks very Comfortable
and very natural. "a said tie husband,
turning. 49, At4tsss Jsk,Is855 ., 81 ,,. s,.>,.,, ;.
ut does" was the, laconic reply.
"Far preferable to d bachelors
room in, bachelors apartments"
cor one IN a hotel" S '2','.' .
There was pause n ~ -a't
Il suppose this sad ending to happy
days is largely my fault e said Whit
beck. S~ s.*s'5 5# ''>'
dare say had something to do
with it." replied the wife, ~ ~. -
Another pause. IL .,.,5
"Rather melancholy" the husband
said again, that this is the last view
we shall take atsieast together. of onr
once happy home" NJ -. 100
every melancholy" n
i Nothing more was said for ten min
utes Then the wife remarked that
Tom was gone long while and the
! IRE needed more wood. Whitbeck said
! that some one must be tn charge and
j he would ring. He touched the cleo.
trio button. and who should respond
bnt the maid they had left there six
months before. .ss a. ;y5ss =. 81 W.
| ''Why, Nancy" exclaimed husband
and wife together. .ss3ss ,Es3 7,,szyzz;
! 'I'm glad to see you both back:
said the. girl. smiling. What is it..
ma'am?" .::},..7: a ss3f s,,.$, MI
"w-w-why." she stammered. FITS
wood" d.; s 5, ,.: z.sG &.
The girl went out and brought wood.
TT suppose you'll have dinner the
same time as before?' she said. s.s sv=s.
81 t.Dinnerr' g. =. =: !. :s35 .,
] 'sYes'm. The tables laid now in the
dining room III, ss s$ IS
.sss The husband and wife looked at each
other. Es.: 81 .s .s,E ;s 2.yg
s.The same hour, Nancy" said Whit
beck half past g." And the maid de-
parted. . la, Y = s.Ssss =.sj,.
.srhis Is Toms doing" said Mr..
Whitbeck b ssS %: Il y :s.5, Ere
wonder what 1t all means re-
/ marked Mrs. Whitbeck. 5 : 81 . .ss.
TIT means. sweetheart" replied her.
& husband. putting his arms about her,,
( that we've been; q pair Of ninnies
and Tom has known it and saved u.s.. s
EEfis At that moment Nancy opened the;
h door, to find Mr.. and Mrs. Whitbeck.
who had come to sign papers for a per-
petual separation. in each Others arms.
L Dinners read 7" she said. looking
u at the ceiling. .5:G;s... :'; US, \.
The table was set for; four. IL On 1T
+ + was a bottle Of & ampagne with Tom
/, Forests card dangling to It. On the
4 card was written:
Divorce be hanged! You needed dose
/ OF loneliness and have given 1t to you
4 Is,haYe never entered q plea for divorce
and never intended to do SO. $s5fzzs3a
SI..Oh. dear!'' exclaimed the wife,.
Flow wish ] I had brought the chill
dren!n
Can't we send for them r.
/ The door opened. and there was Tom
4 Forrest, while a hoy and q girl bound
Led into the room Jumped to their IA