The Washington herald., 1916-05-07

MNMaAW Her Chun, Mary Burnett IOOkeu
+|% Il hate divorce cases." she said.
HflN Il never read about them They're
WV sordid, dreary thingsF"
~ You don't remember" said
Mona You've forgotten who Good
win Clay's wife is, haven't you-Dora Martyn%
Dora Martyn" said Mary, htting up sud-
denly. Did she marry that eeaStf don't won
der she's had to divorce hinT
BUTTS he that Is bringing the suit !" said
Mona
Mona" :" cried Mary. What an outrageous
thing! Poor little Dora-shs never did anything
that want right in her Hfe-except TO marry =
man like that"
what was she to do?" asked Mona, bitterly.
Except marry him-and be glad OF the chance.
She was like us-she was struggling along, try
ing TO make both ends meet-and having a con-
slant fight. She chose marriage. We chose to
strike out for ourselves"
And she's come to a horror like thist" said
Mary. "She did what nine people out Of ten
would have done-and this is how she is paid
Oh. Mona don't care if we have had to use
our brains, if we've had to trick a few men who
thought they going to trick US, we've done
. wiser thing than She"
Let's 60 to the trial. answered Mona
Maybe we can punish the beast"
Neither of them were anxious to be recog-
nizcd in the courtroom. They did not care, for
ono thing. be cIassed with the morbid minded
women who are attracted nv such cases this,
and. while there only a faint chance that
Mr.. Clay would remember them, they felt that it
bilitv. There was no plan in their minds; they
simply wanted 10 leave their hands free if it
turned out that there chance for them to
interfere. perhaps to punish Clay perhaps to save
the wife he intended to treat so cruelty. Not for
a moment would either of them believe that she
could have done anything to Justify the mre Of
the divorce court.
So, to avoid recognition, both Mary and Mona
were heavily veiled. They sat in the back Of the
room. and they listened with growing disgust, to
Claws hvPor-itical denunCiation of the woman
Who had "wronged" him, and to the sorry batch
Of witnesses he had gathered in support of his
charges.
The chief Of these was character as no.
toriOus. in his way. Goodwin Clay himself,
Jake Minter. proprietor Of a roadhouse Of the
most dubious sort. This Minter as both the girls
knew, was hand in glove with certain crooked
politicians and had been mixed up, often in
shady affairs His political rslI had saved him
II. E." than once. And both Q rl~ were convinced
thai hH was prrjur0g himself now. he rnolad
of his carefully prepared story. which was cor
rOborated by mon in his employ
Lies. lies" Wh5-rerrd Mary. But Clay viii
get his divorce. Mess it can be proved that
Muter is lying. the case against her is deadly ="
The event proved that Mary was right
Ninter.S testimony could not n" shaken by the
defense. CIal~ divorce was granted: his wife,
disgraced. was left. dependent once more unou
her own efforts, since Clay. with a refinement Of
meanne-s refused absolutely ~ make any pro-
vision for her. She had di~@rarcd herself. he
said let her drink the dregs Of the glass she had
poured ont for herself! But of course Clay didn't
know Mona and Mary, nor did he know that they
had decided to right the wrong he had dOne
he might have been more considorate.
The two girls, in their natural incarnation,
looked like fashionahI" girls. unlimited when it
caurc to the Satisfaction of troir desire To look
w.. But that gIrt. when they drove. in a tavi-
c.a D. to fashv restaurant. w'"ro they knew Clay
generally went. in N" heart Of tho white Tght
district they had coutrivei somewhat. to cheaper
themselves. They fitted i'm with the place where
r'"v dNcd: they looked Iih" the women who
th-o0god the place. And yot. there was a dif-
ference They could NOT. ir~~ad ther had not
tried, to conceal their charms
It was Mary who took 'n, lead: Mary who
was. it appeared. d"cidadIy part .cuIar to the
fact. looking for Clay. Ard m last she Spied
him, playing host to a small and select com
panE Of men. at a table that commanded per
feet view Of the cabaret stage. And. what was
more important, She saw that there was a small
ta..", not far from Clay's that was, for the mo-
nrrut unoccupied.
well take this table" she said.
There was no difficulty about it. Mary was
Stranger in that place, but they hoped. and
believed. that that would soon be changed. She
and her friend, il was Obvious, were the sort Of
Pa'ronss the proprietor liked to see.
We'll, there he s." said Mary. "Iisten to
him! He's Celebrating his freedom. I suppose
H. has money-that', why those men are with
him. Look at them. # h" lost his money they'd
cross the street TO avoid him."
The two girls with deliberate Intention had
seated themselves so that they were screened
from ClaT's view, though they themselves could
see him plainly. And Mary, studying him atten-
lively, grew more and more bitter, more and
more determined to punish him.
"Mona-youd better Coz she said. suddenly
"INe made up my mind. You have got to do your
part-but 10 begin with I've got to work alone.
I'm going to make him come over here after
you've gone"
Are you sure it's safe?" said Mona, doubt
fully. Il hate to have you any risk with
that monster, Mary"
I'm not going to any risk" said Mary,
imPatiently. If you're bound to worry worry
about him! He's more in need of sympathy than
I am
And so, reluctantly, Mona left Mary alone at
the table. At once Mary changed her seat; she
saw with a smile of satisfaction, that Clay
noticed her at once He leaned over to one Of
his companions, who turned at once and stared
frankly at her. He nodded In solemn approval.
and said something at which Clay and the rest
of the at his table roared
Clay at once began to play the game of
Irritation. He was direct, not subtle In his
methods; it was plain that he believed that any
woman he degned to notice must be delighted