Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-12-07
The One Wise
Thing
BY WARREN MILLER

went into business, while l. studied
law. Jennie Nettleton was a favorite
with us both and encouraged each to
believe that he was nearest to her
heart. l didn't like this idiosyncrasy
of hers, but think 1t put an edge on
Jim's desire to win her. Not that he
wished to take her away from me, but
that suspense kept his passion very
much alive.
Miss Nettleton's playing two friends
as she was doing was not to my liking,
and | did not propose to be, placed at
enmity with Jim on her account. So |
withdrew from the rivalry and left the
= field clear to him. She accepted him,
but l had a suspicion that she did not
relish my giving her up without a
struggle.
After their marriage l did not see
either of them for some years. Mean
while l had beer admitted to the bar
and was practicing law. One day who
should appear at my Office but Jennie
Wentworth. And what was my aston
ishment when she told me that she
was intending to get a divorce from
Jim and that she wished me to secure
it for her.
/ considered it indicate. to say the
least, for her to employ me in such a
matter. | had beer a sutton for her
hand and was the friend of the man
from whom she wished to be divorced.
I endeavored to convince her that some
other lawyer would be In a better posi-
%1ou t6oa 7 ~ hon6lo hnp aacn hIJf Chn
insisted on my taking it. l gave her no
definite reply at the time. intending to
sound Jim. If there appeared to be a
chance for me to bring about a recon-
citation ! would act officially; If not |
would decline.
| called up Jim on the phone and
made an appointment to meet him.
When | saw him and told him why |
wished a conference he said that he
desired that | should take his wife's
case against him. He did not tell me
why or give me any information as to
the reason why he and his wife had
failed to agree. He only said that he
would not need an attorney, since he
would put in no defense.
informed Mrs. Wentworth that l
would take her case, hoping to effect
a reconciliation between her and her
husband. She came to see me, but
said nothing about a reconciliation.
She produced a letter written by a
woman to her husband which she
claimed to have found in his pocket
showing that he was living a double
life. This was the ground on which
she would claim a separation. | asked
Jim if the letter was bona ide, and he
said that since | was his wife's attor-
ney he would not give me the desired
information.
There was something at the bottom
of the case that was not apparent on
the surface. So far as l could discov-
er, neither husband nor wife had any
~antagonism to the other. Mrs, Went
worth seemed to be very sad over the
discovery of her husbands inidelity.
and as for jim, he, too, appeared de-
spondent. Moreover, l could not I'M
derstand why Jennie should have come
to me with her suit and why Jim APP
peared to be satisfied with her having
done so and that | should conduct the
case against him.
Jennie on her first visit had seemed
quite cheerful, but on each of the fol-
lowing calls she made at my Office l
noticed a decidedly forced cheerful
ness. She began to lose color, and
there was an anxious look in her eyes.
l allowed the case to drag along.
hoping that some explanation would
turn up, but no light appeared. Finally
! received a note from Jim stating that
he wished | would put him out OF his
misery and act at once as his wife's
counsel.
!. Upon receiving this | took out the
discriminating letter purporting to hav-
ing been found in his pocket and made
a thorough examination Of it. 1t look
ed to me as though the writer had
attempted to disguise his hand. Jim's
note calling on me to act lay open be-
fore me, and, glancing Att, there
seemed to me to be q resemblance be-
tween 1t and the discriminating letter.
The ~chirography of the latter was more
delicate than that of the former, but
there was nc great difference other
wise. 1t flashed upon me that Jim had
porposely incriminated himself.
But why? Did he wish to get rid of
his wife? Only he could tell, and the
next day l called him to my office and
accused him of writing the only evil
dence against him. He confessed and
made the following explanations:
He expected that l would win Jennie
Nettleton and had never been able to
'divest his mind of the suspicion that
she had preferred me to him and that
she had married him because she could
not get me This suspicion preyed upon
his mind till he believed it thoroughly.
Then he wrote the discriminating letter
and left it where she would find it.
1t was he who suggested that she en-
pIoy me In applying for a divorce, say