She loves him. Although this man feels the thrill of a

new-found affinity he is too noble, too honourable to
declare himself. He flies from the presence of his

beloved. She flies after him, trampling, with superb
indifference, upon the fetters with which an unenlightened

social system would bind her. Now, what will a divorce
cost? Eliza Ann Timmins, the poetess of Sycamore Gap,

got one for three hundred and forty dollars. Can I --
I mean can this lady I speak of get one that cheap?"

"Madam," said Lawyer Gooch, "your last two or
three sentences delight me with their intelligence and

clearness. Can we not now abandon the hypothetical
and come down to names and business?"

"I should say so," exclaimed the lady, adopting the
practical with admirablereadiness. "Thomas R. Bil-

lings is the name of the low brute who stands between
the happiness of his legal -- his legal, but not his spiri-

tual -- wife and Henry K. Jessup, the noble man whom
nature intended for her mate. I," concluded the client,

with an air of dramaticrevelation, "am Mrs. Billings!"
"Gentlemen to see you, sir," shouted Archibald, invad-

ing the room almost at a handspring. Lawyer Gooch
arose from his chair.

"Mrs. Billings," he said courteously, "allow me to
conduct you into the adjoining office apartment for a few

minutes. I am expecting a very wealthy old gentleman
on busines connected with a will. In a very short while

I will join you, and continue our consultation."
With his accustomed chivalrous manner, Lawyer

Gooch ushered his soulful client into the remaining
unoccupied room, and came out, closing the door with

circumspection.
The next visitor introduced by Archibald was a thin,

nervous, irritable-looking man of middle age, with a
worried and apprehensive expression of countenance.

He carried in one hand a small satchel, which he set down
upon the floor beside the chair which the lawyer placed

for him. His clothing was of good quality, but it was worn
without regard to neatness or style, and appeared to be

covered with the dust of travel.
"You make a specialty of divorce cases," he said, in,

an agitated but business-like tone.
"I may say," began Lawyer Gooch, "that my prac-

tice has not altogether avoided -- "
"I know you do," interrupted client number three.

"You needn't tell me. I've heard all about you. I have
a case to lay before you without necessarily disclosing

any connection that I might have with it -- that is -- "
"You wish," said Lawyer Gooch, "to state a hvpo-

thetical case.
"You may call it that. I am a plain man of business.

I will be as brief as possible. We will first take up
hypothetical woman. We will say she is married uncon-

genially. In many ways she is a superior woman. Phys-
ically she is considered to be handsome. She is devoted

to what she calls literature -- poetry and prose, and
such stuff. Her husband is a plain man in the business

walks of life. Their home has not been happy, although
the husband has tried to make it so. Some time ago a

man -- a stranger -- came to the peaceful town in which
they lived and engaged in some real estate operations.

This woman met him, and became unaccountably infatu-
ated with him. Her attentions became so open that the

man felt the community to be no safe place for him, so
he left it. She abandoned husband and home, and

followed him. She forsook- her home, where she was
provided with every comfort, to follow this man who had

inspired her with such a strange affection. Is there any-
thing more to be deplored," concluded the client, in a

trembling voice, "than the wrecking of a home by a
woman's uncalculating folly?"

Lawyer Gooch delivered the cautious opinion that there
was not.

"This man she has gone to join," resumed the visitor,
"is not the man to make her happy. It is a wild and

foolish self-deception that makes her think he will. Her
husband, in spite of their many disagreements, is the only

one capable of dealing with her sensitive and peculiar
nature. But this she does not realize now."

"Would you consider a divorce the logical cure in the
case you present?" asked Lawyer Gooch, who felt that

the conversation was wandering too far from the field of
business.

"A divorce!" exclaimed the client, feelingly - almost
tearfully. "No, no-not that. I have read, Mr. Gooch,

of many instances where your sympathy and kindly inter-
est led you to act as a mediator between estranged hus-

band and wife, and brought them together again. Let us
drop the hypothetical case -- I need conceal no longer

that it is I who am the sufferer in this sad affair -- the
names you shall have -- Thomas R. Billings and wife --

and Henry K. Jessup, the man with whom she is
infatuated."

Client number three laid his hand upon Mr. Gooch's
arm. Deep emotion was written upon his careworn

face. "For Heaven's sake", he said fervently, "help
me in this hour of trouble. Seek, out Mrs. Billings, and

persuade her to abandon this distressing pursuit of her
lamentable folly. Tell her, Mr. Gooch, that her husband

is willing to receive her back to his heart and home --
promise her anything that will induce her to return. I

have heard of your success in these matters. Mrs. Bil-
lings cannot be very far away. I am worn out with travel

and weariness. Twice during the pursuit I saw her,
but various circumstances prevented our having an inter-

view. Will you undertake this mission for me, Mr.
Gooch, and earn my everlasting gratitude?"

"It is true," said Lawver Gooch, frowning slightly at
the other's last words, but immediately calling up an

expression of virtuous benevolence, "that on a number
of occasions I have been successful in persuading couples

who sought the severing of their matrimonial bonds to
think better of their rash intentions and return to their

homes reconciled. But I assure you that the work is
often exceedingly difficult. The amount of argument,

perseverance, and, if I may be allowed to say it, eloquence
that it requires would astonish you. But this is a case

in which my sympathies would be wholly enlisted. I
feel deeply for you sir, and I would be most happy to see

husband and wife reunited. But my time," concluded
the lawyer, looking at his watch as if suddenly reminded

of the fact, "is valuable."
"I am aware of that," said the client, "and if you

will take the case and persuade Mrs. Billings to return
home and leave the man alone that she is following --

on that day I will pay you the sum of one thousand
dollars. I have made a little money in real estate during