The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-22

valley If he chose to send them a
| box of bon bons or invite them to the
home for taffy pull, he considered 1t
none but John Cooper's business. That
was Johns one recreation. For four
teen hours he labored in the fields and
always raised better crops than his
neighbors. Then, perchance, if he
chose to long for society of young
people he made no apologies. 1t was
his one extravaganza. If, by chance,
Mrs. Cooper argued that her husbands
| love should not be placed on the free
list, John is said to have retorted that
| free untrammeled love was one of the
most soul satisfying and cheapest COM
modities on the market.
Country Gossips After Him.
After that the neighhors snapped
gossip that often reflected on John
Cooper when they gathered at the
sewing circles They said Cooper was
family. They told with much en-
phasis that when a 1aborer quit John
| Coopers farm it was necessary to
bring suit to collect his hire. They
said Cooper was misery in his home
and that the family was not always
ences and with sufficient goods from
| the town grocery store. Gradually bit
by bit the gossip reached Mrs. Cooper.
Her objections to Johns seemingly I'M
| limited distribution of affection was
peppered with remarks about the
husbands parsimony. Sometimes the
Coopers quarreled and then the out
breaks became more frequent.
One day Mrs. Cooper drove to the
county seat, consulted a lawyer and
the next day John was sued for di-
vorce. But that was net ALL In the
petition that specified scores of alleged
wrongs and mistreatment, Mrs. Cooper
asked for division of the estate. The
next day Cooper pulled his lawyer
from bed before daybreak. In vain
did Cooper try to dodge the inevitable
Judge Heller looked at the evidence,
sisted in the accumulation of the es-
tate and sliced the property in the
middle. Each child received a quarter
section of good land and Cooper signed
away property rights valued at
$50, 900. Then he moved to Topeka,
where he still owns considerable prop
erty.
This was Cooper's first experience.
He counseled alone for a few months
and decided that after kicking the
veneer from a genuine love affair, that
the real goods was cheap granting.
Solemnly did Cooper declare that he
had bought more experience than one
man was entitled to possess. Alone in
the fields Cooper argued to his horses
that love was tickle and that a mar
riage contract had more holes than the
family sieve. But Cooper didn't believe
his own argum entS.
Mrs. Cooper No. ..
One day he met an attractive Leav-
enworth county woman who later be-
came Mrs: Cooper No. 2. John for
got the gall and wormwood of the old
love. He saw in the new love a worthy
companion and heIpmeet. After due
consideration Cooper concluded that
his judgment had erred the first time.
But he shouldn't do it again. There
would be no mistakes this time. He
talked it over with the intended bride.
She hung out only fair weather sig
nails Certainly she agreed, that she
and Cooper were just suited. One day
they drove to the court house and
were married.
For six months-so the woman tes-
titled in a subsequent divorce proceed
ings-the Cooper home was a regular
doves nest. Every little whim and
fancy of the new bride was gratified.
There were new dresses, new bonnets,
shoes, face creams and groceries in
/ abundance. One day when Cooper's
bank book was balanced, he was GER
tain there had been riotious extrava-
gance in the home. So Mrs Cooper's
desires were divided by two. Later
John decided he would divide them by
three. When he wanted to increase
the division to four, Mrs. Cooper COM
planned.
For days there were tumuItuous
greetings in the home. She is said to
have expressed opinions of John that
scorched the furniture. John sulked
and put another half hitch in the
purse strings. Six months later Cooper
was busily defending his second di-
vorce proceedings. Joints eyes bulged
with horror when he saw that the
woman wanted $4,000 for their brief
relations.
When the woman received a fat de-
cree IN the district court Cooper VOW
ed that he would never paw the bill.
So a courteous lawyer appealed the
case. The supreme court affirmed the
decision. After paying the court costs
and settling with an attorney, which
| by the way required several months,