"A VERY WEAK MAN"

♦ • Pretty Young Wife Solves Mystery of Garter

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative.) TATE played a grim jest on attractive little Constance Lenore • Fettes when it united her to John Alexander Fettes, drunkard, thief and unfaithful husband, on All Fools' Day.

IT was in' Auckland during the early part of 1924 that Constance was wooed and won, and on April 1 she went to the altar with the man whom she thought would make her happy. But apparently marriage meant little to Fettes. Three days after the ceremony he was on board a Sydney steamer* ostensibly on his Avay to a new job, and' immediately on his arrival m Australia he was arrested on a charge of theft. Fettes had weaknesses. And so it came to pass that he was sent to prison for twelve months for helping himself to his employers' money. Throughout that twelve months Lenore waited for him and six months after he came out of gaol, they moved to Wellington, where the girl's mother lived. Here, Lenore told Chief Justice Skerrett m the Divorce Court, she soon had reason to believe that Fettes was at his old games again. In the middle of February last she left their home m Clifton Terrace to go into hospital and on February 16 her baby was born. And even while his wife lay. there with her small treasure, Fettes was holding jolly parties where the drinks were many and the company even m numbers. When she came out of hospital on February 29 Constance found signs of these parties. The house was m a disordered state. And on. the floor of their bedroom she found a lady's garter. Taxed with infidelity, Fettes d,id not

women, he admitted, and one girl had become so drunk that she had been unable to go home. He himself had been drunk and they had been together until three or four m the morning. But he did not know whom she was. At about 3 a.m. he had called a taxi and had taken her to Ghuznee Street. Later he had repeated this story m front of Mrs. Hawson, Lenore's mother. But this time he had admitted that he knew the woman, though he refused to disclose her name. It would, he said, "only cause trouble." In a letter which was read to the Court, Fettes admitted his guilt. "It is no use asking you to forgive me," he said, "and I know that I have done you a great wrong. But I mean to be responsible for the support of my wife and child." Despite these fine sentiments, however, he had sent his wife only £1 since then. Lawyer P. W. Jaokson (who appeared for Lenore) : What sort of man was he? — He was a very, very, weak man. And what was his trouble? — Drink. When, he was riot drinking he was all right. Since you commenced these proceedings, he has got into trouble again? — Yes, he is now serving a sentence of six months' imprisonment for the same offence as before. Theft from his employers ? — Yes. The Chief Justice ordered the issue of the usual decree nisi, to be made