The Editor's Bag

vites and encourages a separation of man and wife as a source of pecuniary profit." Mrs. Montgomery appealed and the case was heard at the March, 1910, term of the Springfield Court of Appeals. After due consideration, Associate Judge Argus Cox wrote an opinion in which he declared the contract to be within the restrictions of public policy, remain ing in full force, and giving Mrs. Mont gomery a right under the laws of Mis souri to sue her husband, notwithstand ing his arguments ot the contrary. By Judge Cox's decision, the judgment of the lower court was reversed and the case remanded for a new trial. At the second hearing in Laclede county, Mrs. Montgomery was awarded judgment for $500 and the costs of the prosecu tion. In the second appeal the husband bases his argument on another instru ment of writing, by which, he says, his wife, for the sum of $25, signed away her rights to recover on the original bond. Mrs. Montgomery answers that she did not understand the import of the release when she signed it. The instrument was crudely drawn, as fol lows: "Both of the above named parties have been dissatisfied, and agree to separate by the said J. P. Mont gomery paying to the said Martha A. Montgomery $25, and they further acknowledge that they both agree to the above contract this 2d day of De cember, 1907." Fraud is charged by Mrs. Montgomery against her husband. She says she was told that the second paper was merely for the purpose of releasing Mont gomery from the original bond until he could prepare a home for his family. By bringing forward witnesses from among her neighbors to swear to the

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same thing, the wife proved this point to the satisfaction of the court from which the case has been appealed. A CALL FROM THE OFFICE THE old gray-haired attorney closed his heated argument to the jury. Then, wiping the perspiration from his face, he turned to the young attorney representing the other side and most politely asked: — "Will you excuse me, Mr. Baughman, just for a moment before you begin your argument. I must call up my office at once." Baughman hesitated for a moment, and then, not wishing to appear to the jury unfair to his adversary nor dis respectful of old age, he smiled a willing assent, and turned to watch the effect on the jury. He therefore did not see the twinkle in the old attorney's eyes as he turned to leave the room. Five minutes passed, and the old attorney had not returned. Baughman grew impatient. He began to walk back and forth, continually rolling his chain between his fingers, looking at his watch and glancing at the door each time it opened. Ten minutes passed, and the old attorney had not returned. Fifteen minutes passed. Twenty minutes passed. Baughman was getting suspicious. "I wonderwhatis keeping him," he thought. "Is the old man really stooping to play a trick on me? Is there any reason why he should not want me to go right on with my argument?" he asked himself. "No," he thought. "He is too kind an old man to play a trick on me," and so it was that Baughman would not let himself become angry. Thirty minutes passed, and then the old lawyer stepped into the room and began a most profuse apology to all. "I just simply couldn't get my office,