The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-01-19
Love Kept Smile on Young Mans Lips
Even in Prison; Then, Says No. 7124,
Came Bolt Out of Clear Sky--DIVORCE

he know OF her preferences. and
with her happiness always In Wow
The thought came 10 mo that
proof OF loyalty like this would
hlnd man more closely To "a won
an than almost any other elrcum-
stance which could arise.
Finally. as the months went by.
was able Co detect gradual
change In him
Change Noted
he no longer laughed al
OFTEN as he used to do: and he
had less to do with the men
about him. he had occasional
And arowlnuly frequent
fts OF preoeeupstlon and alb.
straetion. at once sensed the
cause
His letters from home be.
came less regular and moro
psrfunetory.
nationally known prison
warden once said that tho limit ol
woman's devotion 10 the man
she loved. II he was In prison. was
three years. feared that this
ease would fall far within the
limit.
About this time he took me more
fully into his confidence, and even
iead me extracts from his letters.
which came more and more irregu.
larry.
Letters Stop
lie argued to himself. however.
that there was really no occasion
TO write so often that other du.
ties interviewed. that no must BE-
too eracting. Hut could see that
ne was worrying. yet he would not
permit himself To doubt.
AT last. abruptly they ceased
coming. A month elapsed without
a letter. Ills suffering and sur.
misses were pathetic. Perhaps she
was sick. the letters might have
gone astray. they might have been
held UP at the office. perhaps she
vas coming 10 visit him, and
wished To take hi mby surprise. He
canVassed every possibility but the
Wv tOAN pNfs
Smile Now Gone
But he no longer smiled; and
tho thoughts he woye into his
cloth were fraught with bitterness
and fear.
One day he received n call 20 tho
front office. Such summons
usually indicated visitor. lie
rushed over TO my loom. all ANNA.
tion. and told me OF II. His wife
had como to see him. Everything
was all right. All would be ex.
planned.
Divorce Begun
inslde OF rs minutes ne re-
turned. His face was drawn
and white. Ne had the dull.
surprised look OF one stunned.
He had aged years In the few
minutes Of his absence. went
TO him and asked him what
had happened. ie tried TO
speak, but could not. Ne looked
AZ me dumbIy, pashetiealIy. He
reached into his pocket and
handed me q folded paper.
u was notification Of service
OF action for divorce.
There had been no preliminary
sofrcning OF to blow-just tho
stark. brutal fact. conveyed by a
deputy sheriff from tho nearest
town. No contest was possible. as
OF felony constitutes sur.
ficient grounds In any court.
A Broken Man
Il cant understand IT," no said.
brokcnly. HAD she divorced me
right after my conviction. could
have borne II better. In fact. /
suggested II,
but she stuck by mo and said
she'd wait for me With the help
OF her love | had begun 10 build
again upon the wreck OF my old
life. She kept hope alive. And
now Il IL all over. Had she only
me told me what she was
going TO do can't understand
II. She must have changed. Her
people must have persuaded her.
for I know Ehe cared
He was never the same man NJ.
terward. He became bitter. cyn.
lcal. reckless. He was punished
frequently for violation of rules.
and became known as a hard.
boiled"