Part 15

Judge Peebles Sets New Pace for Untying Nuptial Knots.

Cupid went down for the count in the courtroom of Circuit Judge James M. Peebles when five couples were legally separated yesterday afternoon between 3 and 4 o'clock--about ten minutes for each case. This is said to establish a new record in Cook county for rapid-fire divorce. The cases, which were uncontested, were as follows:

Rachel Sieglinde vs. Max Sieglinde; abandonment.

Harmon A. Darroch vs. Lottie Darroch; infidelity.

Mary Stiles vs. Jonathan Stiles; drunkenness.

Georgia Connor vs. James Connor; drunkenness.

Sarah Bush vs. Oscar Bush; drunkenness and cruelty.

None of the defendants appearing, the decrees were entered by default.

Georgia read the item twice and smiled bitterly. So her divorce was one of the "rapid fire" variety! They said it had taken ten minutes. She knew it had taken ten years.

And Bush, Darroch, those other people--might they not also have walked in Gethsemane? Was this what the papers meant by their humorous accounts of "divorce mills"? She had received an especially vivid impression of Mr. Darroch and never would forget him. His case had come just before her own. He had spoken in a nasal, penetrating voice and she heard plainly every word when he testified. He was a short middle-aged man whose young wife, after ruining him by her extravagance, had run away with a tall traveling salesman. Even after that Mr. Darroch had offered to forgive her and take her back. But she wouldn't come. Then finally he divorced her, as the reporter put it, with record-breaking speed.

The day after her decree was granted Georgia Talbot Connor and Mason Stevens went by automobile to Crown Point, Indiana, where, with Albert Talbot and Leila Frankland as witnesses, they were presently assured by a justice of the peace that they now were man and wife.

She was compelled to cross the state line for the ceremony because the laws of Illinois forbade her remarriage within a year; and she thought that she had waited long enough, the state legislature to the contrary notwithstanding.

The party of four, when they returned to Chicago had a bridal dinner in a private room, with white ribbons and cake. When it was finished Georgia kissed L. Frankland for the second time in their lives. The first time was in the automobile on the way back from Crown Point.

"Good-bye, Al," she said to her brother. "You must come to see us in Kansas City soon."

"Yes, indeed," said Stevens.

"I certainly will," promised Al.

"And mama," she spoke a little wistfully, "tell her we'd like her to come too if she would. Tell her, Al."

"Yes, all right."

"I'll send you something every week for her. Maybe, I'm not sure, maybe I'll keep on working."

"Maybe you won't," Mason interjected with conjugal promptitude.

"Don't be too sure," she laughed, "and anyway, if you don't behave nicely I can always go back to L. Frankland."

When the man and his wife were alone in their room he returned to the moment of their betrothal.

"Dearest," he said, "when the priest went out and left us--"

"Yes."

"I felt almost as if he were trying to lay a curse on us."

"Yes, that was the meaning of it."

"When he said you couldn't receive absolution."

"Yes, our--their teaching is that without absolution a soul in sin is damned eternally."

"And you will never be afraid?" he asked, almost fearful of his wonderful new happiness.

She pressed her husband's hand against her breast, so that he felt the strong and steady beating of her heart.

"No," she answered him, "I will never be afraid. For I believe that God will understand everything."

THE END.