Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-06-14
A. Game of Hearts
(Copyright. by W. q. Chapman)
t----.-r<
II Z

49, OF me anu 3D." ny inc pdpSi
H al he held that eighty separa-
tons had been achieved in
one day of court. Miss Gle
ment and myself were on Ravinia
hurrying through Evanston. 1T GER
tainly gets me how anyone stays mar
ried nowadays" ! continued But
then. If people can't get along togeth-
er. it's the best thing for them to get
along away from each other"
Yes" Miss Clement assented
rather seriously. But the trouble Is
that most persons don't have a chance
to get along. Somebody Is always
mixing in, getting one or the other so
wrought up about nothing that they
finally get to thinking that there isn't
any possibility OF happiness. | ought
to know" she added and then there
came that CLINT into her eyes which
always foreshadows one of her exper-
fences. i've patched up more than
one divorce case when 1t looked help
less. And I've found this out: That
half the time IL isn't the fault OF the
man or the woman. They'd get along
all right IL other people would leave
them alone. 1t isn't always the fault
OF the mother-in-law, although, good
ness knows, no matter how kind they
may Try to be, they can cause more
trouble than a regiment of infantry.
But there's always somebody or a
bunch OF somebodies to cause trouble
when it isn't any OF their business"
The train stopped for minute, then
hurried on again. And with its start
began Miss Clements story.
i've handled many a divorce case
in my detective existence" she said.
and then added with a little laugh,
"and many times have | played some
little trick that brought a man and a
woman together again. It's queer, too,
but just when you mentioned it, |
was thinking of another time when |
travelled on a train, with Cupid In my
suitcase, and dissention humping
roadway was hardest. or course. it
wasn't what | had been paid to do
but then when everything was over.
I felt a lot better than II | had fol-
lowed orders, and / guess two other
persons did, too.
even to you, and just for the sake OF
reference well call them Mr. and Mrs.
Douglas. The beginning was a coin
cidence.
Zone morning received a note ask
ing me to call at the office OF Mr..
Douglas. went there. to find rather
young man. whose face seemed tired
and worried. His office was not big
one, or a spacious one. | could see
that whatever he had was gained
through mighty hard work. And he
had a story to tell.
"'Miss Clement he began, I want
you to get evidence for me in regard
to a divorce case. Mrs. Douglas and
/ were married about two years ago.
She's pretty little girl-pretty
enough to be dangerous-and | am
acting on the advice of my friends in
coming 10 a OeUeCllNe.
Il made no answer to that. II had
1t would have been to say something
about those lovable friends, for l had
seen their work before. allowed him
to go on.
For the first year we got along
fairly well on what We had, and then
Mrs. Douglas took notion she wanted
to earn a little home of her own. |
was willing to do anything that could
be done and / started to work with
all my might. But getting ahead is a
hard business. We had enough to
make the first payment, but after that.
things were harder. And I've been
working my head off night and day to
try to get ahead. 1t isn't that which
hurts, Miss Clement. But 1t seems
the harder l work the less Mrs. Doug
glas thinks of me. She acts queerly
toward me as thought she doesn't love
me any more. | have not been having
very good luck with my business, but
! have been doing my best and my
friends have seen that and they have
pointed out to me the truth of every
thing. Mrs. Douglas never has cared
for me. from what | can understand.
She married me thinking there were
great possibilities In me, and then
when things went hard she Just de-
termined that she would get as much
out of me as she could and then throw
me over. Everything is hers, you see.
The house is in her name and all that.
and she's just trying to squeeze me
for every cent she can. And I'm not
going to let her. That's ALL
Il made no remarks on the situa-
ton. Instead, promised that would
let him know in a day or two whether
or not could find a way to prove his
assertions. Then | went back to the
office.
And there on the desk was .dain-
ty little envelope. addressed in a
feminine hand. l opened 1t and with
my eyes staring, and read:
Dear Miss Clement:
81 have been referred to you as
someone who can assist me In obtain
ing evidence upon which to base a d..
vorce suit against my husband. VIII
you kindly call at your convenience?
Mrs. Jeanette Douglas"
80. just as l thought, there were
two sides to the question. knew that
II was not professional In the
strict sense Of the word to serve
two clients In the same case, but there
was something forming In my brain