The Way they do it at Home.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3517, 22 May 1890, Page 2

The Way they do it at Home.

A Case of Divorce.

Agnes Hewitt, whim Mr Frank ■ Darbisbire -has just divorced for criminal intimacy with Mr George "Abington" Baird, of sporting notoriety, passed for some time as the wife of poor Lytton Sothern, a very handsome man, you may remember. When Sothern died Miss Hewitt posed as his widow," and soon afterwards young Darbishire (a oadet of the well-known ter family, of ,that name) becamam.. infatuated with her, Darbishire haoV then soma money,: also promising :' prospects (which going on to the stage destroyed), and the fair Agnes thought she might do worse than marry The disastrous season at the Olympic Theatre (which MisH Hewitt leased for soma, months followed, completely cleaning ou) Darbishire and involving him in liabilities which presently necessitated the filing of a bankruptcy petition. Husband and wife then went on a tour together in the Provinces, earning, between them £l2 a week. Darbishire was still passionately devoted to his wife, but she had long tired of him, and when the • wealthy Baird dawned on the enterprising lady's _ horizon she promptly resolved to, if possible, annex him. This did not, in the first instance, prove difficult. Baird believing Miss Hewitt (as she wss professionally . called) unmarried, had no objeotion to a liaison with the pretty aotreasj|' and" even went the length of half*--promising to finance another theatrical venture for her, The lady, thereupon, went all lengths with the gentleman-jookey, protending she was ill, and leaving her husband to aot alone, whilst Bbe and. «fc her paramour larked together at Newmarket. Having secured Daird, the next thing was to compromise him, and likewise to get rid of Darbishire. The astute creature effected both operations at one blow by hiding one of Baird's letters in a place where her Husband was sure to find it.

The discovery of bia wife's in. fidelity came upon Darbishire with the suddenness of a thunderclap, He Lad some time before found out that ; tbe woman bad' never been aotuallr married to Lyttori Sotbemj but, believing she bad been'true to 'big' dead friend, and knowing tbe laxnesa of the profession in suob matters, he blamed her less for the omission than the deceased. No suspicion tbat the fair Agnes was untrue to him crosssJL - the fond, foolish fellow's mind up'to> the time he read Baird's letter. Even then the poor husband tried to dis- : believe his senses. They had, so far as he knew,' only met Baird once Miss Hewitt did not' allow her husband to remain in any doubtlong. An .actress to.he: finger tips, she performed with much feeling the " I am discovered," "I confess all/ and " Leave me for ever," scene o, * domestic drama, adding acourate pa r. W tioulars df her .various.infidelities,, ■■■ But darbishire could be no'ionger blind,. ■■ Instead of 'the ■■ iptftestjng jj*i»Wthe m OeoJwous, soJwm,•

ing adventuress,: anxious .only to finger the rioli Baird'a dollars, Bisgußtod. Darbishire left hor, find Miss Hewitt 'promptly.instructed her solicitor to inform.'Mr'Baird• of the lamentable oatastropho whioh Lad overtaken lier. Alas I the best laid soliom.es, &c, &o. Boasting- at Koniano's ono night of his conquest, Mr George Baird sorrowfully i learnt that Miss Hewitt, instead of! r* being an innocent virgin, who had ** reluctantly succumbed to his irresist- , ible fascinations, w very much married. Suspecting mi3ohief (for had he not just • been mado the subject of a *' plant" by the Most Noble the Marquis of A.'a" missus"), he posted off furiously home, and

gave imperative instructions that Miss 4 Hewitt was never again to be admitted, When the lawyer's letter came he would have nothing to do with tho writer's .client, declined ;i|pgrily to see her, and roundly Asserted that she and her husband wore acting id collusion, and conspiring to rob him. In Court, last week, Sir Charles Russell, (for Baird) acknowledged the adultery, but pleaded in mitigation of damages that his olient was unaware of Miss Hewitt's marriage, He also accused husband and wife of aoting in collusion, but withdrew the charge after cross-examining Darbishire, who, too evidently, was . only another of the wretched woman's victims, .•:.'.' \JtP-- Miss Hewitt will be wise for the present to remain in chaste soolusion. Tho public is not squeamish in tho matter of actresses' morals, but the details of this divorce are difficult lo swallow without one's gorge rising. Poor Darbishire, whom she has ruined and dishonoured, looked tartbrnkeu.