"THE OLD LOVE
Poem That Influenced Chicago Society Woman,
After Third Separation From Husband, to
Return to Him Strict Conditions Are to
Govern the Reunited Household.
n::;t::t:::;nt::;n:tjnn:jnnn:jn::::::t:::n:ttttnnnnnnn::!tn:r.n:njr.t:njn:tnttu:
And In Ub home the human heart
It hnth n tmiBter spoil,
The old love tho old love
It workoth strong nnd woll;
Ay, woll and Hiiro It workcth,
V And cnHtoth oul nmnln
, . Intrusive shapes of ovll .
A sullen, Hpcctrnl trajn;
The Horpent, I'rldo, Ih crentcd,
' And Hnto hath llpn of Rail;
, Hut' (ho old lovo tho old Jove '
"Tin stronger t'mn them all!
l
it
H
mmmmm:mm:mmmmmmmtmmmmmummtmmmmmmm:mm:mmrf
HICAGO.Though given to
what Romo of hor frlcndM and
acquaintances cull nioronc and
contomptitouB vIowh and ten
otfl, llko tho members of a
Rent or Kcliool of philosophers
founded by AntlBthonoB, of
whom Diogenes waH a dis
ciple, Mrs. F. K. I'arkor, a Hoclety
woman of thin city, Ih to day a living
oxantplo of what tho old lovo will do.
In a novel hIio Ihih Just written nho
cnlln married life, a farce and lovo non
sonBlcal. Yet sho haH taken hack her
luiRhand for the third time, her latoHt
divorce milt having been dismissed at
her' request only recently.'
To Mth. Pnrkor tho search for per
fect content has aRRumcd tho over
lasting proportion)) of tho old quest
of the end of tho rainbow. Ab a prot
ty, vIvactotiH girl alio wna a leader In
.tho younger society Hot a fow years
ago and had ninny ndmlrorfl. None of
the glrlH nho enmq Ih contact with
waa happier, hut perfect content was
not In nlnglo hlcsHcdncHH.
alio tried to find It In that state,
tolling her friends that Bho would
novor marry, Soon afterward Pnrkor
appeared on tho sccno nnd hor-dccln-ration
novor to marry was forgotten.
To all outwnrd appearances, for n
time, peace and hnpplncss reigned In
tho now homo. Then tho young brldo
camo to tho realization that nho had
not yet found tho elunlvo "perfect con
tent." Marital life lost Uh glow and n
divorce suit followed,
Tompornry separation from hor hus
band and tho worry ovor hor caflo
grow Irksome to Mrs. I'arkor nnd a
reconciliation was effected. Hut It
was not for long.
Spell of Old Lovo.
The goHHlpR of tho South sldo Boon
had anothur talo of marital unrest In
tho Parker homo to discuss, and In
JiiBt as short a spaco of tlmo tho story
of another reconciliation. Thon enmo
a third Boparatlon, nnd now thoy have
"made tip" again.
"It's the maBtcr spoil of tho old
love," says ono of hor nolghbora.
"Tho dlvorco proccodlngtf woro ond
cd merely na a cunvonlcncc," Bays
WrH, I'arkor.
Hut the neighbor comes back with
tho j declaration that It Is love, oven
i if Mrs, I'arkor tries to mnko herself
bollovo that It la not.
The neighbor Is Mrs. A.E. Hoso, whoso
classmate Bho was In tho preparatory
Bcliool she attended and hor most li
tlnmto friend, Ellzaboth F, Elliott, Is
author of the stanza of poetry here
with reproduced. MrB. Hose Hunt tho
poem to Mrs. Parker booh after the
third separation, and Rho bcltuves that
tho truths contained in thoso few
lines awakened tho little love god In
Mrs. Parker's broiiHt and had soma
Jnllucnco In reuniting tho couple.
Mth. Parker 1b not optlmlHtlc re
garding her future hnppincsB. Sho
stated tho day following tho return of
hor husband to her homo that sho
doubted tho ofllclency of tho recon
ciliation, but deplored tho fnut that
thoro was no altornatlvo,
Terms of Reconciliation.
Heforo being allowed to acccopt tho
probation of bin wlfo and roturn to
tho beautiful South sldo homo, Mr.
Parker conceded to tho oovornl. de
mands of him, among which were tho
following:
Ho must make a full accounting of
the $50,000 dowor Mrs. Parker brought
him on their marriage.
Ho must mnko a full nnd binding
agreement as to tho finances In tho
homo In tho future.
Ho must npologlzc for IiIh pant ac
tions and .must promise to be good In
tho future
"Thero wcro mnny silly BtatomcntB
hb to promises to lovo and obey, etc.,
which wero novor considered," snld
Mrs. Parker, "but thoro wcro certain
requirements as to our relations to
which Mr. I'arkor agreed. Howovor,
I do 4iot enro to discuss them nt
length. It Is nono of tho public's
bunlness what agreements wo mado.
Our reconciliation Is complete nnd
successful."
"And happy?" wan suggested.
"I would not say that," replied Mrs.
Parker, "but wo arc living In tho
Bitmo houso."
"Do you contemplnto reinstating
your dlvorco proceedings?" wan nsked.
"It would not look well to relnstato
thorn now, but I may bo compelled to
tako such a stop later on If tho other
sldo of tho house does not abldo by
tho agreement wo have entered Into.
Tho dlvorco suit was ended merely nB
a matter of convenience"
Ono of tho charges ngalnst Mr,
Pnrkor In tho dlvorco proceedings was
that ho had not accounted for tho
$00,000 dowry, and Hho wants a full
accounting an Itemized Btntement
ns to whoro tho money went. Pnrkor
claims to havo used tho money In his
buslnoss. Ho Is at tho head of a firm
of auditors.
What appoars as a reflection of tho
moods of Mrs. Parker is contained In
tho story sho has Just submitted for
publication. The title, "Mnrltul Un
reBt," foroensta tho attitude of tho
Btory. Sho pictures tho fabled couplo
whoso "milk nnd water Bontlmont la
fed on moonlit nights and grows llko
a balloon, not In BubBtanco but In
alzo, to roBolvo Itself Into tho soml
ongogomont Btngo and llnnlly Into
mnrrlago."
For such uh these sho contonds
thero Is no contout. Tho glow of tho
moon wancB and tho glaro of tho Bim
of reality blinds thorn. No mnttor how
loose tho bond or how long tho chain,
It soon chnfos and becomes Bhort.
No Retreat for Woman.
Thoro la no remedy, sho declares.
If thoy aro divorced tho man may for
got, but thero Is no rotront for tho
woninn, Tho cloud of tho groat orror
In tlio problem of llfo forovor darkons
hor pathway.
Mra. Parker closes her fable of ro
gretB by charitably taking a lnrgo part
of tho blame upon hor own sex.
"Tho Just righting of tho wrong
should como from tho woman, ns t
hor usually rails the greater part of
tho blamo for making tho mistake"
Though Mrs, Parkor will not say
no, It Is believed by mnny that the
story la baaed unon her own hxiioH.
piicob on tho troublod and stormy sea
of matrimony. Among those who
hnvo had tho prlvllogo of rending tho
ndvanco sheets thoro la an Impression
that sho sought a reconciliation with
hor huabnnd bocnuBo Bho roallzed that
somo of tho blamo for their marital
mlathko rested upon her shoulders.
Another ronson for tho reconcilia
tion la booh In tho fact that sovoral
montliH nftor Mrs. I'arker filed hor last
suit sho undorwent a chaniro of heart
on the dlvorco question. Sho no longer
bollovoB In It, nnd did what Bho could
to rotard the growth or tho ovll by
withdrawing hor own potltlon.
Dwells on Divorce Evil.
Whnt Bho did wasn't much, when It
Is taken Into conaldorntlnn that tho re
cent coiibub for 1S07-190G brought to
light nearly a million divorces and
demonstrated that tho movemont con
stantly gains In voUvelty, but alio reola
that It will help a llttlo. Tho dlvorco
ovll Is also one of tho subjects of hor
story.
"About ono niarrlngo In every eight
la broken, at tho presont rato," she
sayB, "and In somo stntos In tho union
tho proportion Is a great deal hlghor,
probably ono In ovory rour or llvo.
This latter ract Is particularly true
or this aoctlon of tho country, tho con
trnl and mlddlo western Btatea having
from two to threo times the rato of
tho Atlantic states.
"An Investigation by tho department
of labor 20 years ogo showed that
nearly 400,000 divorces had been
granted in tho United Stntoa botwnen
the years 1807 nnd 1S8G, and that dl
vorcca woro Increasing 2 times na
fast as tho population. Tho broad con
trast thon waa between tho north nnd
tho south. Hut tho divorce rates of
tho north and south hnvo been con
verging, whllo thoao of tho enat and
west havo diverged. With tho open
ing of tho "quick and easy divorce"
mill In Itono, Nov., tho westorn Btntes
will soon bo In tho chnmplonahlp
class.
"Marriage nowadays la nothing
moro than a farco, In many Instances
a mcro business arrangement. The
conatiB figures on dlvorco wlpo out
mnny Tnlso Impressions.
"It Ib frequently assumed that mnny
couples who llnd their way to tho
dlvorco courtB soparnto precipitately
boforo thoy havo given mnrrlago a
fair trial. Hut tho figures show, and
usually figures don't llo, that tho aver-
ago Interval heforo separation Is some
thing moro than Oj years, and Is not
diminishing.
Do Not Separate Soon. '
"Moro than half tho couples lived to
gothcr nbovo four years, whllo In tho
mnjorlty of cases tho duration of mnr
rlago exceeded soven years. Thoro
foro It would bo rash to surmise that
peoplo aro forming risky and unstnblo
unions In full view of their easy dis
solution, mado possible by the laws of
moat atates.
"Not many sock dlvorco In order to
remarry, at loast, such Is not usually
tho enso as aomo persons would make
tho unknowing public bollovo," sayB
Mrs. Parker.
"In Connecticut, Tor Instnnce, during
a porlod of four years, tho numbor of
divorced porsona married was about
30 por cent, of tho numbor legally sep
arated In tho samo length of tlmo. In
Hhodo Island tho proportion wns ovon
less.
"Homarrlngo la ono of thoao cases
In which, ns Dr. Johnson expresses
It, 'hopo triumphs over experience,'
and It la not at all certain that tho
rato for divorced persons much ox-
cccda that for widows and wldnwors
of tho samo ngo. Certainly tho re
strictions that many states aro Im
posing on remarrlago do not scorn to
appreciably affect the divorce rate,
and tho only solution for tho ovll Is in
tho hands of those persons contem
plating divorce. Lot thoso who mnko
matrimonial mistakes suffer a llttlo
for their misstep Instead of niBhlng
to tho dlvorco court."
Tho poem that Is credited with
having dono something townrds re
uniting tho Parkers wnB widely copied
at tho tlmo, but now It Is forgotton.
Tho author claims n6 credit for hor
part. In abating tho dlvorco ovll by ono
enso.
"It was ono of thoao llttlo Jingles
that often run through my mind," Bald
Bho, "nnrt I dollght In scribbling thorn
down on any Bcrap of paper that may
bo hnndy. Somo of my family picked
this ono up and sent It to ono of tho
Chicago nowspapors, and somohow It
managod to escape tho wasto bnakot
and got Into print. If It helped 'to
smooth a rough path for somo ono I
mn heartily glad of It."
PROVED TRUTH OF ASSERTION
Kindergarten Pupil Qnve Demonstra
tion of Fact That She Could
"Undwess Herself."
it was tho opening day pf tho kin
dergnrton. Tho tenchor began by ask
ing each child what It hud learned to
do.
"James, what can you do?"
"Ploaso, ma'am, I can Bhnrpcn pen-
clla."
"That's very nice. William, what
can you do?"
"I can throw a ball."
"That'B splendid. Mary, what can
you do?"
"I can undwesa mysolf," wna tho
proud response.
"I'm sure that must bo a great help
to your mother, Mary. Rachel, what
can you ?"
"I can undwesa mysolf," Interrupted
Mnry.
"Yes, Mnry, that's very nlco, but you
mustn't Interrupt. Rachel "
"I can undwess mysolf," piped Mary.
"So you havo said twice boforo,
Mary. If you Interrupt mo again,
you will have to bo punished. Now,
Knchol, what can you do?"
"I tnko caro of my baby brother
sometimes, nnd "
"That'B lovely, Rnchol. Chnrlcs,
what can you do?"
."I can undwesa myaolf," persisted
Mnry coyly boforo Charles had tlmo
to answer. So tho teacher gently led
Mary to tho cloak room to meditate
on hor disobedience. Shortly nfter
ward tho doctor called to see If all tho
children woro well.
' Yes," tho teachor aaaured him,
"wo aro all well and happy this morn
Ing. Oh, all hut ono llttlo girl. 1
think thero must bo something the
matter with her tongue. Will you
look at It, pleaso? Mary, como hero
a moment."
Mary fluttered Into tho room minus
hor clothes. Waving her nrms she
said with childish glee:
"Soo, I can undwesa myaolf!" Ev
crybody'a Mngazlno.
His Harvest.
"Huh! you don't hopo to ralso any
vegetables In that back yard, do you?'
snoored tho Old Suburbanite "Why,
ovory carrot you rafso thero will cost
you moro'n a bushel of tho best pur
chased at tho market."
"Sure, 1 know that," cheerfully an
sworod tho uowcomor, resting on his
Bpndo. "Of course this us a garden
will bo a total failure, and I don't
enro a cuss If It Is. Hut I toll you
what, 1 shall ralso tho biggest crop ol
crispy, fresh appotlto, tho largest and
Juiciest hours of sleep, tho sweetest
and mellowest dreams, bushels and
I bushels or lino oxerclso, nnd barrels
or good health, right hero on this lit
tie patch. This crop, on tho whole,
ain't going to bo n failure. Not on
your life."
A Dreadful Possibility.
1 now como to tho mlddlo point of
my atory, which 1b thnt thoro mny bo,
artor all, possibly, no Smart Set. I
suspected this for a long time, hut
fought against It. 1 hated to think
thnt In n grand country llko this,
whoro wo havo everything that Is go
lug around nnywhoro whoro wo had
liberty, and freedom nnd taxes and
Buddeu death, to think that after all
wo havo been doing thoso few linn
dred yoars, wo haven't ovon got n
Smart Sot to fall back upon nothing
In fact to look up to. New York
Press.
Among the First Arrivals.
TJnrks What uso will tho south
polo bo after It Is discovered?
HJonks Oh, Bomobody will bo rnc
lng down thoro to get tho souvenir
postal card concession.
The Fifth Wheel
By INA BREVORT ROBERTS
(Copyright, by J. B. I.lpplncott Co.) '
Dinner was drawing to a leisurely
close A llttlo breeze, wclcomo nfter
tho hent of the day, camo Jn through
tho laco curtains and awnyed tho flow-
era on tho table, around which sat
Arkwrlght and his wlfo and their
guest, Oliver Carlton.
Thero wero not many ovonlngs now
adays when Oliver was not In what
had grown to bo called "Mr. Carlton's
plncc." "In town ho was always
dropping In on somo pretext or other
Into in tho afternoon, nnd they had
fallen Into tho habit of expecting htm
to remain to dinner.
Hero nt their summor homo othor
guests camo and went, but Cnrlton
Btayed on, occnslonnlly going up to
town for a fow days, but always re
turning sooner than ho had Intended.
That ho liked to bo thero was scarce
ly to bo wondered at. Tho Arkwrlghts
wcro a charming couplo; young and
rich, bosldca having a delightful way
of mnklng their guests welcome.
Ab fqr Carlton, that young man
talked hualncss with Arkwrlght, dis
cussed books with his wlto, and was
In many wnya u pleasant person to
have nbout.
Mrs. Arkwrlght roso with tho gentlo
grnco nntural to her and moved to
wnrds tho door, her hueband and Carl
ton following. Thcso two novor lin
gered at tho tablo after bIio left It.
In tho hall Arkwrlght loft tho others,
turning his steps In tho direction of
tho llbrnry. His wife's' eyes followed
elm.
"Won't you como out to tho garden
with ub?" sho nsked; "It Ib cooler
there"
"Yea, do come," urged Carlton; "It's
much too warm to stay In tho house
Arkwrlght Bhook his head; ho had
letters to write, ho gave as excuse
Carlton and Mrs. Arkwrlght passed
out to tho cool darkness of tho gar
den, whllo tho mnstor of tho houso
wont Into tho llbary, not to write,
but to Bit and think, with eyes staring
"I Thought I Loved You, Too Once."
at tho light and ono hand Idly drum
ming on tho desk boforo him, of tho
pair who woro In tho garden discuss-
ing nooks, no told hlmsolf with an odd;
blttor smile
There had been a tlmo when Ark
wrlght was wont to loko nmontr their
friends nbout tho congeniality of his
wife's and Carlton'a tastes, and to nro-
tost that ho was growing Jealous, but
that waa long ngo, boforo his oyoa
wero opened to tho truth.
Ho wondered how long the It had
gono on boforo ho hnd found It out,
how long ho had been that most nltl.
nolo of human bolnga, tho mnn who la
being roolod.
Thero waa no bitterness In his henrt
towards her, only deep pity nnd n
keen regret that ho had persuaded her
to marry a man bIio did not lovo.
Sho hnd told him this qulto frnnkly
bororo their marriage, hut It had not
mado him arrald. In tlmo, ho was con
fident, ho would bo nblo to win her
henrt; audi lovo as his must beget nn
answering lovo. ho rensoned In his
folly.
In splto of his pnln, Arkwrlght found
something ludicrous In tho knowledge
that Carlton had succeeded whero ho
had failed, ho who In tho outshlo
world waB called a successful man,
whllo Cnrlton woll, thoro wns nothing
ngalnst Carlton, hut then thoro wns
nothing to him either, Arkwrlght
thought.
Aa yet neither of tho pair Buspoctcd
that ho know. Ho had gono on ns
usual lotting thorn, If thoy took tho
trouble to think nbout tho matter, bo
llovo him Btlll tho fool.
Ho had a vaguo feeling thnt thla
pretonso of being blind was not tho
strnlghtforward courBo (and Ark
wrlght nbovo all things had always
prided hlniBolf on being straightfor
ward), and yet, nfter all, what could
ho do? What was thoro to do?
Perhaps somo tlmo In tho nenr fu
turo death would solvo tho difficulty.
Arkwrlght hoped bo nnd, slhco ho
scorned to bo n firth wheel, that ho
would bo tho ono to go, which was un
solflsh or him, when ono considers
thnt ho was woll and strong and did
not wnnt to die.
He did not blamo Edith such ro
sentmont as ho felt wns all for Carl
ton but it hurt him to havo to think
of hor as a hypocrite "Why neod sho
hnvo urged mo to go to tho garden to
night? Why neod sho always go
through tho pretenso or asking mo to
accompany them every whero?" ho mut
tered angrily, as, unable to remain
still any longer, ho roso and left tho
room.
Outsldo on tho porch ho was pacing
Impatiently up nnd down when ho
caught sight, Just lnsldo or tho long,
open windows, or his wire's Blonder
figure An Impulse which ho wlBhcd
to resist but could not mado him
pause In his walk nnd step through
tho window.
Tho room wns In darkness except
for tho faint, clear starlight, but
Edith was seated so that thla fell full
upon her face Carlton was not thoro.
Arkwrlght dropped Into a scat In
tho shadow. HIb wlfo must havo been
nwaro of his entrance, but Bho did not
speak for somo time Finally sho
Bald: "I am glad you aro here I havo
Bomothlng to sny to you, something
that I fear will hurt."
Arkwrlght drew n long breath. Was.
sho going to tell him that Bho loved
Carlton?
Mrs. Arkwrlght broke tho Bllcnco.
"I wnnt to toll you that wo cannot
go on as wo havo been," sho said. "I
suppose," sho went on In tho samo
soft tone, "you think that you lovo
mo. No, don't apeak yet. I know
what you would say: yon want to
swear that you worship, adoro mo, that
I nm tho ono woman In tho world to
you, but I havo como to feel that
mero words do not count ror much. It
Is acts that tell tho story. Had you
roally loved mo you wo,uld novcr havo
told mo so."
Arkwrlght set his teeth hard. Was
sho going to reproach him ror having
persuaded her to mnrry him? Well, ho
deserved It, ho supposed.
"Why did you do It?" sho questioned
with moro passion, moro anger, In her
voice than ho had supposed her ca
pable or feeling. "Why did you forco
yourself Into my exlstenco? I wns
happy enough as I wna, as happy as a
woman can bo who haa never loved."
Arkwrlght winced.
"But there, I must not bo unkind to
you'." Her volco had grown Inde
scribably tender. "After all, you aro
net more to blamo than I; Indeed, not
so much, and I know you nro sincere
In thinking that you lovo me. I thought
I loved you too once But now I
know that It wns not you I loved. In
accepting your attentions I waa only
yloldlng to tho deslro every woman
has to bo mado much of, to hnvo
thought, devotion, showered upon her.
What I mistook for lovo was moroly
being glad that you, someone anyone,
cared for mo. It was comparing you
with him that mado mo realize this.
Had ho been In your place ho would
novcr havo told mo that ho loved mo;
ho would havo gono awny and Buffered
In silence"
Arkwrlght stirred Impatiently In his
scat. Why could alio not havo spared
him a llttlo? It was blttor enough to
bo roproached with his own Bhortcom
lngs without having to hoar her lover'a
praises sung. Besides, would Oliver
havo dono thoBo things? Arkwrlght
thought not.
Ilia wlfo lennod forward and laid a
hand on his arm. "You don't know
how I hato to havo to Bay all this,"
sho whispered.
Arkwrlght shook her hnnd from his
arm.
"Of courso, you aro angry with mo,
but Isn't It better for mo to tell tho
truth? I do not lovo you; I lovo him."
Tho way bIio said tho last threo
words mado Arkwrlght dizzy with
pain. It Bhowed him how bIio could
love
"Of courso, I can novcr bo anything
to him now," Edith went on, "ror you
will always stand betwoen us; thnt is
my punishment; but It Is only rnlr to
him that you should go away."
Arkwrlght did not speak; Indeed, ho
could not, ror something camo Into his
throat and choked him.
Ills wUo went on talking. Would
sho never stop, ho wondered. How
much raoro was thoro ror him to hear?
"I know it Is a good deal to ask, but
I should llko to feel that you forgivo
mo ror tolling you theso unpleasant
truths and ror sending you away. It
may bo hard ror you to go, but, bo
llovo mo, you will find it harder to
stay. I nm suro or this becauao lr
you loved mo na ns I lovo him, you
could nevor havo borno It to bo so
much to mo, and yet bo llttlo. I think
I rolt this In a vaguo way rrom tho
flrat. That Is why oven when I thought
I loved you I would not toll you so."
Arkwrlght drew a sigh of rollof. Ho
was glad sho was tolling all this to
him and not to Carlton. It meant
much to him to bo nblo to bollovo In
her again.
HIb wUo roso to her root. "Como,"
sho snld In a volco 8ho strovo to make
matter-or-ract, "wo must not stay horo
any longer. Ho will bo wondering
whoro wo are"
Arkwrlght roso too, ami together
thoy moved through tho darkness to
wards a curtained doorway. Just bo
roro It Edith paused and ho folt her
hnnd upon lils arm again. "I nm Borry,
Oliver, I am Indeed," she whispered.
Ollvor! Arkwrlght rolt a suddon
dizziness. Oliver! Sho had thought
ho was Oliver Carlton all this time
Why then bIio must hnvo been talk
ing about him hor husband. Sho
must lovo him!
Alter a moment, when life mnd oxul
tatlon had given way to a groat peaco,
Arkwrlght took his wife's hand, and,
lifting tho curtain, drow hor into tho
lighted room boyond.