The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1913-07-10
ORMSBY
VERSUS
ORMSBY
3, MARY Bloo<wELpeR

ONNCb1
B, MARY Blo0WELDER
rred Ormshy had lot Of theories IN
H. head. One was that eonstancy
meant want Of novelty. For instance.
DO said suppose q woman u living hap
ply with her husband: II q man more
suitsd to her taste should come along
and have access to her. her love for
the former would fall before the At
fractions Of the latter. Az to her leav-
ing the man she has married for the
one she hadn't married. that was q
matter Of principle. Her love she
could not control. but she could act
% she pleased.
he went further than this. He be-
lieved that a woman might be drawn
away from her husband by an ideal or
imaginary lover. Ormsby had married
wife who seemed to love him as well
~ be could desire. Instead Of letting
well enough alone he concluded TO
experiment upon her. Disgusting his
hand. be wrote her love letter pur.
porting to be from one whom she did
not know. de told her that he had
loved her from the time when she was
q little girl. though all the while from
. distance. He would not for the
world make himself known, for such
q course after having written her Of
his love would be inexcusable. He
admitted that he bad no right to even
inform her anonymously Of bis pas.
sion. He simply couldn't help Il
Ormsby mailed the letter to his wife
% that she would get It when he was
not at home He argued that II she
were not captivated BY this unknown
lover-a woman dotes on mystery
she would at once turn the letter over
to him to read. II she yielded to the
siren song she would keep It to her.
self All depended on this first i'm
pulse. He hoped that she would show
him the letter al soon a. he arrived
ct home. after she had received IT. II
she did not. she could gradually be
brought under the spell.
When Ormsby went home that even.
ing from business his wife met him at
the door, AZ usual. for the accustomed
marital kiss. But she said nothing
about the letter. he felt q sudden
chill about the heart. It 10 singular
that we should wish to know what will
give % pain when in ignorance We
would be hxppy. Here was a man Try.
ing to win bis wife away from him
self BY means Of an imaginary lover.
and when won he would be miserable.
Mrs. Ormsby did not appear embar-
raised or elated or depressed or N.Y.
tiled. She was simply the woman he
had left in the morning.
Ormsby wrote another letter to his
wife from her unknown lover. pretend.
ing to be much cast down at having
addressed her. and begged that she
would forgive him. he signed a 6cti-
dous name and gave an address where
. reply could be sent But II she did
not think It proper to send a reply he
would be obliged to be content. trust.
Ing to her forgiving nature.
Mrs. Ormsby did not reply to this
note. She simply ignored it. Her hus-
band did not notice any change in her
She did not seem dreamy or lackadai-
steal or depressed or elevated. But she
said nothing to him about the letters.
He concluded to try her once more. and
IL she did not yield to his persuasive
epistles he would abandon the attempt
confess what be bad done and tell her
how pleased he was that she had dis
proved his theory.
One day not long after the sending Of
this third letter he received letter
from an attorney stating that he 1.-THE
attorney was about to bring suit
against him on behalf of client for
alternating the affections of said clients
wife. II he chose to compromise the
suit $4,000 damages would be accept.
ed. and much domestic bitterness would
be avoided The name of the complain.
ant was not given.
Ormsby was thunderstruck. There
was Just one person In the world who
might have cause to bring such suit.
and this affair had occurred before
Ormsby had been married. Could It
be possible that the woman. having
quarreled with her husband. had said
things to him to make trouble1 When
Ormsby went home that afternoon the
shoe was on the other foot He and
not his wife was under Ore. He was
taciturn and that night slept but little.
One thing be refrained from doine-he
said nothing to his wife about the
threatened suit.
The next day he teiephoned the At
torney from whom be had received the
note asking what 1t meant. He found
the plaintiffs counsel very reticent. the
man simply stating that the affair
would be better hushed up by a com.
promise Of damages Ormsby asked
the. name Of the complainant. but the
latter would only give 1t in his office, %
an appointment was made for II
O'Clock the next morning.
When Orlnsby met the attorney be