The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-10-15
Would You Wait
Six Ye ars After
Divorcing Your
Husband 10 60
After Him and
Bring Him Back?

Larry Clark unfolded the morning
newspaper He had enjoyed his break
fast only because he had left the news
paper in It's rubber band.
Or had he enjoyed his breakfast?
Hadn't it been spoiled by the dreaded
thought Of what the newspaper might
say? And there. spread out on his desk,
the front page Haunted Sylvia's picture.
A good picture, too. 8u then. 1t would
be Was there ever a time that Sylvia
didn't make good impression IN public?
Above and beside the picture was
printed the dreaded article. Larry
Clark. prominent divorce lawyer unable
to separate his business and home life.
Sylvia Moore Clark was granted final
decree OF divorce In the District Court
yesterday, making the second time IN six
years the prominent Mr.. Clask has been
the defendant In a divorce case, Six
years ago Frederick Hale CLARK obtained
a divorce on the same ground. mental
cruelty
Larry stared at the printed sheet with
eyes that saw nothing but the name
Frederick, his first wife. Like soaring
flame 1t burned itself into his memory,
opening a passagewas to the past What
an ass he had beenl He had reached
TO- the moon when he married Sylvia.
But what had looked so bright and de-
sirable had proved nothing but tar
nished brass. As he looked back, he
realized for the hundredth. or nearer.
the thousandth time, rederica Freddie
to him-had been the real thing-~the liy-
ing. shining sun that spelled happiness
for him
About month ago he had written
Freddie a note asking her to drop by his
office. He had wanted to tell her of his
pending divorce before she saw 1t In the
papers. But she hs.dn't come. And he
couldn't blame her. Why should she care
to have anything to do with him2
A BSENTLY he opened the expensive
y humidor on h desk, helped himself
to foil wrapped cigar. clipped the end
and lighted it. Idly he turned it around
between his thumb and first finger A
Scent cigar had been rare treat in
those days, when he and Freddie had
established his first office That was
fourteen long years ago.
1t seemed to him II had been In an
other life. in some other distant world.
even. He saw again that little pigeonhole
OF an office with its cheap oak desk two
chairs, bookcase with well-worn books
and the threadbare carpet. There hadn't
been even q waiting room, But then he
hadn't needed one
In those days client was as rare as
a mouse In a houseful of cats. He re-
membered how he and Freddie had
thrilled with pride at having an Office
Of his own. How they had even lived on
two meals day and gone without bare
necessities to scrapt together enough
money to pay the rent. They had been
too proud to accept help from their folks
And 1t had seemed worth 1t then. Every
thing had seemed worth the effort n
those days.
He glared at his present office and
sighed at the thick Chinese rug, mahog-
any bookcases whose glass doors revealed
leather bound books. the six carved ma
hogany chairs. his carved mahogany
desk, water cooler, stock ticker and the
several prize hunting sketche; on the
walls.
He scowled at the door into his library
where he knew any reference book he
could want was to be found; and at the
doos into the waiting room where Miss
Smith, his capable stenographer, held
court. Nothing seemed worth the effort
any more e-nothing
He had made a name for himself; had
been successful far beyond his and
Freddie's widest dreams. Looking back.
he found that all along the way he had
been spurred on by the voices of two
women. BY F'reddie's: "Of purse you
can do 1t, Larry. Why, you're as smart
as any man in the world, smarter than
most'' BY Sylvia's: Larry. I've simply
got to have more money. The house needs
redecorating." Or she wanted new fur
coat, new automobile anything to be
spending money
IN THE last six years he hadn't heard
: from Freddie. But he hadn't lost
track OF her. About two years ago she
had been in desperate need Of money fo1
her mothers funeral expenses Her folks
had suffered severely In the stock market
crash. The shock was known to have
been the cause OF her fathers very sud
den death. And then her mother!
lie had insisted her lawyer find a wa,
to supply the money without Freddil
knowing IL came from him 1t hadn'
been so difficult because she wasn't giver
TO asking many questions. she was
rather trusting darling about such things
A persistent knocking on his office doc
brought his attention back to the news
paper on his desk. Hastily he folded II