The Washington times., 1921-04-28
.ST0KESK|SSES
THRILLED WIFE
Letters Read In Divorce Trial
Are RepIete With Passion
ate Utteranoes.

lips trembling, eyes glittering. every
sense alert to see and seize every
advantage offered. At one moment
frank and ready with an answer;
at the next, elusive, non -committal,
wary. A different woman yester-
day than she who had 20 meticu-
lously described each detail Of her
youth on other days.
FEELINGS NOT SPARED.
Yet when Supreme Court Justice
Edward Finch ordered a recess In the
divorce trial last evening. the young
wife left the stand. smiling conn
IDENTIFY. Four four days she has been
undr continuous examination, but
she showed no indication of the strain
as she remarked:
AT least. they know now that I
did not marry him for money. rs he
said. tried to love him."
Yesterday was the hrst phase of
the ordeal by cross-examination for
Mrs. Stokes, with Herbert C. Smyth.
counsel for her husband. swapping in
terrogations at her to break down her
story of cruelty and neglect on her
husbands part.
He did not spare her feelingS. as he
read page after page Of her letters to
her husband, quoting with fne orator
ical effect the love passages they con-
tanned
Many of them Enclosed millions of
kisses" bushels of affection; some
sighed yearnings for real love-mak-
ing" with her husband. They read
feryently enough, coming from q
bride then in her early twenties to a
man forty years her senior. and
smyth threw q lansuishing ardor
into them that sent smiles around
the court
WIFE IS CONFIDENT.
Martin Littleton. chief counsel for
the wife, popped objections into the
record regularly and wrangled right
and left to protect his client. But she
smiled at him, shook her head. and
appeared confident that she could
take care of herself. Smyth, lean
ing forward. detained:
And are these the sort Of letters
woman would write to a man who
had threatened to introduce negroes
into her bedroom. who had b.ate,
her, and brought strange women
into her apartment?'
Mrs. Stokes' response was prompt:
They were perfectly natural let
'Nio, ioi iVNNu lnsy were
the letters any wife might write to
her husband. I had forgiven him
again and again. I was tryin. to
make the best of a bad bargain. In
spite OF all he did I loved him
little. even though ! was unhappy
from the first day married HIM.
l was trying to make the best OF a
bad bargain"
What Smyth wanted from the wit
ness was a simple yes" or no" to
each question. He rarely got II. He
waved his hand. appealed to the
court, protested against volunteered
explanations. but Mrs. Stokes in
sisted on explaining almost every
statement The cross-examiner asked.
Then name the exact date on
which your love for your husband
ceased altogether"
SAYS SHE WAS FRAMED.
The young witness deliberated q
full minute, and answered:
1T was not when this divorce
suit was started. It was-I cannot
recall exactly, but it was the day I
came into court and found how he
had framed me in this situation. The
last bit Of love died then
Justice Finch demonstrated with
Mrs. Stokes, pointing out that she
was violating rules Of evidence on
all sides and urging her to confine
herself closely to the question. As IL
perplexed. Mrs. Stokes turned to him.
saying:
I'm sorry. but Mr.. Smith asks
questions so that no matter how /
answer them I will not be telling the
truth. He does want the truth, doesn't
he? ! do not want to tell lies, and
some of his questions would make
me, no matter how they are an
swered"
Patiently. the court explained the
rules, adding:
But you are over thirty. Mrs.
Stokes. and must understand that
you are bound by the same rules as
other witnesses"
She nodded apoloseticaIly. and
Smyth read this from one Of her let
ters:
Dearest viii. I hope you are feel
ing hne. so that when ] get back
can make love to my sweetheart all
I wish"
WANTED HIM ALONE.
Another letter contained:
do you love me now or have you
found that understudy? am anx-
ious to get home and have some real
good loving. Hope you can md one
corner of your heart for WHEY dear.
Bushels OF love and kisses"
He read another:
II am feeling as H. could stand
some real good lovings now. Are
you saving some UP for me? Prom
ise will have lots when I get home.
How I long to have you all to my
self!-
Smyth asked II Mrs. Stokes love
was increasing as these letters were
penned, and she replied:
You know It was not. loved
my husband dearly when we were
married. but he gradually killed that
love. I wrote lots of letters like that
and even now I am proud that I was
true to my husband-far more true
than he was to mo- II I had written
always what I thought-but I tried to
write him nice letters. even though
I was In deep trouble.
But, Mr.. smyth, you will ind very
few love letters after 1911, though I
did of ret over nv love for hin, cou,-