The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-03-19

, . Aht Will bauS ug my
oeloFed lnnther-in-law.
~ hrst act after M marriage am
solhs 10 state without any explana-
uon- For such things there is no ex-
pianation that can be EXPRESSED in
words. | Went straight 10 a jewellery
store, bought solitaire diamond ring.
LOT which | paid exactly $1,000 and
sent It by express 10 my wife.
since the package was addressed to
her there was a chance that she would
epen II without her mothers knowing
q ITS reception. and if she did | was
curious to learn whether she would
return 1t or not. The express agent
save me receipt signed by my bride,
aili alter a week had elapsed and my
glIt had not been returned concluded
lhat y had been retained without Mrs.
ISerton's knowledge. | was in hopes
that | would receive note from the
recipient expressing her thanks. but |
did not.
year passed before | was informed
llat | was expected to take certain
steps that had agreed to take which
would enable my wife to secure d di-
vorce. Vt the same time learned
that proofs that the soldier in Belgium
who would have inherited the earldom
Of Arrashilling was dead had been Of
fered in England and his younger
brother had inherited the title and es-
tates. This fact explained my being
called upon in the matter Of the di-
vorce
| had noticed when reading the doc
umeht given me- TO sign Immediately
before my marriage that my pledge
read that "on being called upon by
the said Bertha Tivcrton' | was to
take certain steps in the matter of IA
divorce. When | saw that her mother
was managing her matrimonial affairs
for her | resolved that when called
upon To act in the matter | would fol-
low the letter of the agreement AMI
refuse to act except on the request OF
my Wife.
When received notification that
was expected 10 fulfil my promise
called on my uncle and told him that
was ready to do SO provided the re-
quest was made by my wife and that
| might be sure she and not another
was making it. required that she
tell me In person. Furthermore. that
| might be sure she was making 1t
without duress. | required that she
make the request without any person
except herself and myself being pres.
ent
When my uncle heard me make this
statement he looked at me curiously
for few moments without speaking,
then asked me II | was sure | had the
right to insist upon what | proposed.
| gave him the reading of the dOcu-
ment hs | remembered It. He simply
said that If | was correct In quoting 1t
| had the right to what | claimed. l
saw at glance that he sympathized
With me In the matter though he
would not countcnance my taking
dishonorahlc stand, | asked him to
convey my demand to the Tivertons,
which he promised to do.
\ few days later my uncle Informed
me that lie had transmitted what | had
said to Mrs Tiverlon and her daueh-
ter He did not tell me how the mes
sage had been received by either, but
said that he had nothing further to do
with the matter and | would be dealt
with directly by Mrs. Tiyerton.
\ week passed, aud heard nothing
from my mothcr-in law. OF course |
was in the dark why no action had
been taken Then | saw notice IN
wspaper TINT the Earl of Arras-
killing was in America and being
sought after by society. | determined
to get a view Of his lordship. and, hav-
ing n friend who was II member OF
club at which the earl had been put
up," | arranged to see him there. One
day when he was at the club ] was
telephoned by my friend to come
around at pnce. | did so. and the earl
was pointed out to me. single
glance at him convinced me that, bar
ring his title. | would not be egotistical
in assuming that / could win any wo-
man from him. Ills lordship was posi-
lively Insignificant in looks. and | was
assured that his intellect was no bet
ter.
Soon after this a woman came to
see me who said she was Miss Tiyer-
tons maid" She told me that her
mistress was bitterly opposed to mar
rying title with an apology for a
man attached and it was intimated to
me that my wife favored my maintain
ing the point had taken in acting
only on her request. Through the maid
| begged my wife TO grant me an In
terview. She consented. and We met
at the house of friend of hers who
was in her confidence.
| was astonished at the change That
had taken place in her since our mar
riage. At that time she had been
something of a child; now she was
woman. Without knowing 1t ! had
launched coup d'etat in expendlng
the fee / had received for marrying
her for wedding gift. Ny uncle had
told her about me and that | wished
tho money to make a start IN the