FIRE-FIGHTER AND HIS FLAME.

NZ Truth, Issue 358, 4 May 1912, Page 5

FIRE-FIGHTER AND HIS FLAME.

BURNING PASSION WHICH HE COULD NOT CONQUER. SbPERINTENOENP O'BRJEN SKfDADDtfS Tfl THE PAGIftC SLOPE. A Fireman m Love — Thai Minx Madame Mixner — Fair, Fat, Flabby, and Certainly Forty— Something About the Runaway Pair— A Baptism of Blood— Wiiere They JWet— O'Brien Gets a Thrashing— What He Told "Truth" — Deserts His Wife andY Cripple Child — Putting One and Two Together— -■ "A Fool There Was" — j*, Mrs Mixner Likened to "The Vampire"— A Too Trusting Wife— Still Willing to Forget and Forgrve.

For -the-past week or so Wellington has been having a giggle to itself and wondering why men will persist m making fools of themselves over a bit of skirt. Indeed, one may wonder, but ever since the "rib" of Adam "kidded" him to take that a.p-ple, it's been the same old game. Invariably, when a man makes a mess of things over woman, the man, just like Adam of old, turns roirod and says that the woman j save it to Mm, just as if that is any -- ixa?s»?> for his raakiixg; &-n s>«s of. hixrt-.-vlf. •"l'\-i:.i b ■"■ cfoesn"! im?rv.d x-o wote >i^>= <oo ;t)i«- •icc&si.'jn. i><?>-'&ijs*? rrv:-'y IW-"-""•■i>g' wo's ro*o ; <i m* i '»" : b«si«.i«-F. thr-p •iir; rosarfc 'A r <.* <M»:><;S'ii t*iv!win. t:t>i.>Jow Uio ipSEsrut£*M£a" I'eatiofl W-eiikss-ton is giggling tbas week is the fact that without any ceremony SUPERINTENDENT WILLIAM S. O'BKIBN, rrf the Wellington Fire Brigade, gave up -a. comfortable, steady position, and chose to wander off m tSie direction of Amiessea, at least there is a 1 violent presarnrption that such is the case. Not cn-ly has the Superintendent sloped, brat . simultaneously there has disapiwaiied from this "Gay Paris of the SovxSx" 1 Madame Alberta Mixner, pianisfce, -and her seventeen-year-old son..^ Rotting 1 one and two together, dt looks , as if the gay fire-fighter 'has fled wit-h , ADberta and her boy, and -color is lentto ;jthe suggestion by the fact that forsome time past there has been a scjiaidal attached to O'Brien's name, because he parted from his wife and cMlri and sought the society of Albootja, who is well-known m musical amd theatrical circles m Wellington, aawd whose prominent Welfingtonian beat*: indicates strength of mind, and •vaiho is certainly - fair, fat, flabby and faaaty, if she isn't more. Now Alberta is- mot an oil- painting, and if common soissip can be given credence, she paribrts an<3 pads, wears a wig, and geiberally isn't the sort of ■ iSWEET BIT OP FEMININITY Iraiite to awaken m an unemotional tosaax all tbe fierce burnings and yearn-Ingss-of an unrestrained passion. Howe is a funny sort of thing-. "When the youth of sixteen or seventraeir as smitten, it's given out as calfkme, frnrm wliich tlie boy or girl will ercuErg-e just as if it were whoo-ping-i-avgzit, measles or any other ailment to w&ach young flesh is heir. Love is Wtecrd, as a general role, and when the aaserage young man pours forth his tender tale and is accepted and mar.rites and sets up house and goes m for a-ifiaanny, he's no longer blind, because if saffjyfhing at all he is awakened to a centre of his responsibilities, and to eucoeed m life has .to see things very cleacry. There are other sorts of love. Theue is the love that is devotion, nay, woE&hdp itself.- That's the sort of affair that is sublime and read of m cheap novels. You get iove m the kitchen, m the parlor, and maybe m the veastk-iiorise. As a matter of fact, Ixrwe is everywhere. It's a sort of perm -which no insecticide or any other specxafe preparation can kin off. Then, finaHy (although purposely "Truth" omaite numerous brands) there is the gwtHty love, which some view seriously, atb&as wink at and scoff at and jeer 'e±r tout when that sort of affair ends m fine ■ DESERTION" OF A WIFE AND A CHILD. it i£i- serious, is sad and is shameful. There are Jots of places where love may Burk. Soldiers and sailors seem to ne pmone to it; even policemen fall victims to the wiles of the little chubby kid called "Cupid," and, m the world of romance, it's generallytfce brave man. ■who on the last page lands the mustard m the rich heiress. . Now, when j-oii come -to think of it, the man who is liable to bo called out at any hour, m rain, shine, snow and. sleet, ti fight the ravages of Fire, is about the bravest man of the lot. Yet he is never repicted as a romantic hero. He is a bra.v& nta.v., a stern, rugged hero, fighting all he knows to save the lives and the property of others. He is never suspected of being m love, and a firefigiiter ip love would seem. a. ludicrous creature. Yet the mournful truth has *o be told, Wellington's ex-Superin-tendent of Fire Brigades, a man' with a justly earned reputation sis a firelighter, has fallen m love with a false and ftckle, fat and flabby female, and has forsaken his own loving wife and j child. With Superintendent O'BTien it looks a« if his "flame" was one he ..fxnild not subdue; he was consumed, •eppa-jrenUy, BY A BURNING PASSIOX wlhich he-coula not conqner. The man liar? made an ass of himself, and docs nclt deserve, and is not receiving, any

the Theatre Royal she was recently drafted to St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, where nightly the Fullers gstve a picture show. She had a "stiddy" job ; tinder the Fuller' management, and all j vent well un till Friday evening of ! iast week, when Alberta wtus posted as missing-, and, by a.bsonting herself from, her post greatly inconvenienced the Fuller proprietary, so much so, that when during 'he week a "Truth" man ventured to ask Mr John Fuller, jnr., what had become of his pianiste, his ! wrath for one so young and generally J so amiable was fearful to behold. | To come, however, to the serious part of tho matter, "Truth" wishes to .mention that O'Brien's breach of the ' moral code became so flagrant a few \ months ago that his poor wife and child were practically forced to leave him. Husband and wife separated because of his foolish infatuation for Mrs, Mixner. and a deed of separation was cirawn up MRS O'BRiiSX WAS MADE AN ALLOW AN CX, while O'Brien continued m his cjuarters at the Fire Station. Some months ago,- because of O'Brien's carryings-on with Mrs Mixner, the brother of Mrs O'Brien jjave the Superintendent a sound thrashing, and for a woek or so O'BTien's eyes were m mourning. 'Truth," as usual, got the strength of things at the time, and O'Brien's version was sought. He was naturally n verse to publication, and, giving

fhat Mrs O'Brien received an - intimation that nor husband had not been a.t t.he station on the previous night, and her first ihou-g-ht was of suicide, because of recent months O'Urien had j seemed to be m a trance', and generally was not himself. The "mystery," if | such it ciari he termed, was partly | cleared up on Monday last; when the Town Clerk, Mr J. H. Palmer, also received 11 letter from O'Brien intimating his resignation. It is altogether a sordid story. O'Brien h;-s very foolis-hly allowed himself to be overcome by a weakness for a woman, who is certainly not beautiful, whoso reputation is not of thy best, and who, generally, was jfuytd by all who knew her. What there is about her TO FASCINATE THE FIREFIGHTER "Truth" doesn't know, and if is not at all unlikely that O'Brien will regain his senses ere he reaches America. Ho ins left a wife far more prepossssing than (.he minx, and, so far as "Truth" knows, tho man was greatly attached <o his little daughter. Naturally, "Mrs O'Brien i.s upset, but she is taking tht> best possible view of the situation, and rioas not harbor any evil thoughts of tier husband. She. is willing to forgive and forget if he asks her pardon tot the grave .md great wrong of which he is guilty, ano again, naturally, she has no pleasant thoughts for the vile woman who has rcrt>bed her of her -hus-

Now a little history of the Superintendent nray -not be amiss. He comes from a tire-fighting family. He was apprenticed to the fire brigade at MtMvern (Vie) when a boy, and eventually became officer- in -charge-. Six or seven years ago the Wellington City Council decided upon appointing a deputys;jperirttendenl under Captain Hugo, ■ and O'Brien was chosen. He came with excellent recommendations, and the city was congratulated on having secured the services of such a .splendid •officer. O'Brien, however, was practically baptised with blood m this city, because many will remember the dreadful fatality which occurred In Lambton-quay some years ago th-roug-h the collision of the motor chemical engine with an elderly female. O'Brien and another were charged with ma.n • slaughter, b»t a Grand Jury wisely retrained from finding a true bill and putting O'Brien and his subordinate on trial. Subsequently to the appointment of Captain Hugo to a Government'position as Inspector of Fire Brigades, O'Brien was appointed Superintendent and there can be no doubt that m his capacity, O'Brien gave general satisfaction, or. at least, did so up tIH q-uite recently when trouble arose because the Superintendent ALLOWED ANOTHER WOMAN to snpplAK* hi-s -wife m his affections, and introduced the woman to the station m defiance of all moral customs, thus giving rise to scandal and, generally, setting a very bad example to the young bucks under. his command. However, as Superintendent of Fire Brigades, it was O'Brien's duty to inspect the fire appliances at the theatres Of the city, and to generally supervise and instruct the firemen on dnty. If was m the exercise of . his nighty functions that the Superintendent came m contact with Mrs Alberta. Mixner, who, .a couple of years ago, was piaxt*sk°- r..fc J-r'vs Majesty's TKveff-tre. ■ •oirHroosy Plicr. /.hco. Vw.vCii i>v iferire- ■ .f.-.W»fe..y b"tni D<«oo» P i.it). "tio r*sn ihf. i Kovstl Pfiy. tire*:. »>.n s>.nd. oft! sin-w itveo • Atofrf.t^. hi. » i>ec\ft yiwktte-o*.«oi' ~&p i&B&M-s.-L cl W- eJtlxu-s-to'ii ajid ay liti qmt© reoewtiy, ftg^nreol ea the Fxjiier Vaudeville programme as "Musical Zkirectress." Albertta m her way wasnt a bstd sort of old, or middle-aged girJ, si>e was battling for a crust and more than once it was "Truth's" pleasure TO SOUND A NOTE OF PRAISE on the tuneful way., she tickled the piano, and, incidentiy, she wasn't above a little flattery over -her piano-playing. Xndeed, having: mentioned Alberta, "Truth," wants to finish her off. From

and her boy left Wellington for ' Frisco that same afternoon by the steamer Aorangi. Mrs. O'Brien, on Monday morning, received a letter from O'Brien preparing her for a shock, and requesting her to call on a city lawyer where a sum of money awaited her. It was, however, on Saturday morning

"Truth" to understand that all was forgotten and forgiven by his wife, ' Truth" very considerately consented to let the matter drop. Unfortunately, since then O'Brien and Madame Mixner or Minx Mixnar, carried on their intrigues, and the last seen of them m Wellington was on Friday afternoon, when they were espied having afternoon tea m a Willis-street establishment. The last seen of O'Brien by his wife was at about two o'clock on the same afternoon, when he called at her lesidenc-e, and after a short chat pro- \ raised to come up on . Sunday to nee [her and the .-hild, a girl of 10 years, and, sad tJ relate, j AN INCURABLE CRXP-PLE. Nothing definite is known, but it is suspected that O'Brien, Minx Mixner