Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-04-03

that he must neither speak nor write
to Mrs. Aver again. Quigley replied
that Mrs. Aver had applied for a d.
vorce and had consented to marry him
as soon as 1t was obtained. To this
Aver replied that on his part the affair
would be dropped. But he did not do
this till he had looked into the court
records and found that his wife had
the day before applied for a separa-
tion.
When Aver went home that evening
he found his wife gone. His little boy
asked him what was the matter with
mamma. She had cried and kissed
him all the morning, then had gone out
and hadn't come back. Wouldn't papa
60 and bring her back7
But day after day, week after week,
month after month, passed and NAM
ma did not return. She was residing
In a city where divorce is made easy.
The child was obliged to content him
self with his nurse during the day, but
whenever his father was not at his Of
fee he supplied so far as possible the
place Of the mother. Quigley still lived
in the city, but there was not as much
swagger in him as formerly. Somehow
no one seemed to think he had come
out of his affair with Aver with credit,
and his friends were dropping OF.
While 1t was known to the Ayers In
innate friends that Helen was suing
for a divorce, 1t was not known that
she was doing 80 In order to marry
Quigley. Divorces usually make it ap-
pear that great wrongs are committed
by one or both parties. We are horri-
fed at tales Of cruelty, desertion, all
kinds Of inhumanities. While reading
Of them we would suppose that after
such suffering neither party will ever
again consent to wear the chains Of
wedlock. But once the bond Is broken
up pops q man or woman hitherto
unknown In the proceedings, and the
decree Is scarcely granted before the
wedding bells are ringing.
Helen Aver had secured her divorce,
had returned, and it was supposed by
her friends, except an intimate few,
that she would remain-after the
charges against Aver her lawyer had
drawn up for her-an unmarried wo-
man. While this was the suppositon,
a marriage license was being taken out
permitting Helen Aver and Schuyler
Quigley to wed. They were to be pri-
vately married at 5 o'clock In the eve
ming and take Z o'clock train for their
wedding trip.
During the afternoon the bride to be
was seized with an irresistible desire
to see her boy once more before taking
the irretrievable step. She knew that
her husband was usually at his office at
the time and she would not meet him.
Throwing caution to the winds, she
called carriage, alighted near her for
mer home, entered and ran upstairs to
find her son.
She came upon a melancholy sight.
Her boy was lying on bed, pale and
wan, while his father was bending over
him.
"Oh, why didn't you tell me? Why
didn't you send for me?' she walled.
And without waiting for a reply she
bent down, passionately encircled the
child with her arms and Rugged him
to her breast. Then, finging her hat
and coat aside, she knelt beside the
bed
"Oh, mamma" cried the child, "how
glad I am that you have come back r
Then, raising his arms, he placed them
about her shoulders. "And you're new
er, never going away again, are your
And the woman for whom a bride
groom was waiting said.
Never, so help me heaven"
Russell Aver was walking away when
his wife seized his hand and held him.
She attempted to speak to him, but not
finding words turned again to the boy.
Then Russell knelt beside her, and, rest
ing his hand on her waist, the two
turned the ebbing life back.
An hour later Schuyler Quigley, as
he was about to enter carriage to
take him to a church where he was to
meet his bride, was startled by mes
sage:
cannot go. will never see you again.
One of those singular and unaccount-
able infatuations under which q wo-
man will leave home, husband and chill
dren, wrecking them and most OF all
herself, had come to a sudden end, as
it were, on the brink Of the precipice
over which she was about to plunge.
Her husband could manage the man
who was enticing her, but he could not
manage her. What neither Of these
men could do was accomplished by q
sick child.
After the boy came out Of danger
Russell Aver told his wife OF his at
tempts to save her. He gave the rea-
son for his accusing Quigley Of cheat
ing at cards, the blow, the subsequent
insults, the forcing his enemy into an
unwilling challenge. Then when he
had finished by telling her that he had
dropped the matter on learning Of her
intended separation she shuddered.
my God! How could I have done It"
And as soon as possible they were
semarried quietly.
Learning to Live.
Aos 4,