The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-12-02

Iameut00 CuO 4mp1oFlu6ut propensity
Of the poor for early marriages., and
congratulated one another on The APP
p4oaching release Of one Of the unhap-
by victims of this propensity. Then
tn y rustel into the court room, his
honor by one door, the counsel and
the managers of the affair by another.
Maggie's littlecloud OF witnesses. hum
,le folk all, fluttered In their places,
awed and excited at the prospect
Other cases were disposed of, and
finally, with due proclamation, the
case of Brenahan versus Brenahan was
called Maggie's poor little story was
told-her marriage six years before,
her husbands abuse, neglect, drunk
ehnesses, assertions. faithlessnesses.
She would fain have qualified her an
swers with EXCUSES for him. she was
hurt that the young gentleman VINO
was so much at the house should frame
his questions to her in such way
that her answers put Neal In so black
a light. Her eyes turned piteously
toward the judge; they begged him to
give her the chance for apology. But
the tale moved rapidly on, and all her
little clauses of explanation all her
little che never mean to harm me"
sextences, were lost in the clear record
of abuse.
Alicia breathed sigh OF relief when
Maggie's tale was told. OF the other
merel ycorroborative witnesses she
h,ld noyfear, but she had trembled lest
Maggie should fail at the very last
Now, however, 1t was all over. The
PLAINTIFF rested. There would be no
defense The judge would grant an
immediate decision in so fragrant a
CAST
Suddenly, In reply to perfunctory
call for the defense, she was aware
Of a man pressing forward from the
back OF the room where some idle
spectators were gathered. One look
at his winning, daredevil eyes, at his
weakly tender mouth, and she knew
that Maggie's husband was before her,
even without glance toward the Gag
err white ?faced little waitress.
No, he said in answer tc something
addressed him from the other side of
the rail. he was mot represented by
counsel.
THERE'S no need. your honor" he
said "AlPs trueenough they say. But
{ L never seen myself before, nor seen
what it meant to her. Anything she
saws. I'll do" His eyes were straight
upon Maggie now. "She got the right
to do anything she pleases. III stay
aNay. If that is what she wants. I'll
never harry her nor bother. But ]
want her to understand that haven't
ever got over carin'-nO matter what
done, or where went. And If she'd
try me again
He said no more, but looked at his
wife.
"Oh, Neal. Neai!" cried Maggie, with
open arms.
Some one was laundering "Order in
the COURT" Some one was pounding
q desk with futile gavel. Alicia
Dearborn sat very erect and looked
at the scene. Maggie caught sighth OF
her.
'Jh. Miss Dearborn" she cried, and
her tin face beneath the brim OF
her cheap hat was like sibyPs alight
with inner glory, "oh, Miss Dearborn,
/ know it's trifin' / must seem to you!
But oh, you don't know, you don't
know! When man has put his mark
on your soul, there's no more chances
in the world for you apart from him.
You have to live with him, faults an
all It's in you, you can't get away,
you're his!"
''Will you, win you, get out Of this Z"
yelled a stout man in blue and brass,
who was trying to force the emotional
group from the room; and the judges
decision, which seemed almost SUPERB
rogatory, was handed down in the hub
bub.
In the corridor outside the court
room, Alicia found herself, when she
had dismissed the Brenahans to their
new honeymoon, standing with Pres
ton Jones. He said nothing yet con
corning the collapse of her attempt
to play providence. He was watch
ing her with hungry eyes, and her
>avoidance of his gaze, her haste to
escape the building, puzzled and in.
definably hurt him. When they
reached the steps leading down to the
street, she paused and spoke, her eyes
fixed steadily upon the row Of build
ings opposite.
preston" she said. cts useless.
Forgive me if you can Maggie has
brought me to my senses. What she
says is true. When mans mark Is
on your soul. you're his. You're his!
Everything else is make-beheve. Dig.
nifty, merit, pleasure they are all
drugs, Preston. to deaden you to the
truth I'm like Maggie. after all, a
poor, elemental fool like Maggie. Pm
going to write to-day to Joe to tell
him so. Imagine me, following from
the Amazon to the Ganges, or waiting
while he wanders; me, of the engage
ment books and the committee meet
ings! Forgive me, Preston, forgive me!
Don't make me look at you. / couldn't
bear to see your look now, Preston!
Think of having your only chance for
happiness bound up with so much that