HIS BRIDE

NZ Truth, Issue 1146, 17 November 1927, Page 7

HIS BRIDE

HER MISTAKE

ORDERED OUT

Florence's Second Venture

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Rep.) ♦ "You should not have been such an old fool!" was the opinion expressed by Magistrate Hunt at the Auckland Maintenance .Court when making a separation order with maintenance m favor of Florence * Elizabeth Best, a woman of 63 and bride of eighteen months. •; ' "T QUITE agree with you, your worA ship," responded the woman from the witness-box— and there -was no apparent reason to . doubt that she meant what she said. , Unhappily for Florence Elizabeth, her second matrimonial venture — she was a widow when she met Richard — did not result m the silver-haired romance that has so often brought' Cupid's whispers round the fireside of Darby and Joan. '

Instead of a husband's soothing companionship m her waning years, she discovered that she had made a mistake which' necessitated her facing the court to" tell the magistrate her troubles. From the evidence of a witness taken at Huntly, Lawyer Rice, for the complainant, gave a very descriptive account of . the homei conditions that had driven, his client to take legal action for separation and maintenance. Alfred James Kendrick, the witness, deposed that he was the manager of the Glen Afton Brick and Tile Works and during the month of March this year was boarding with Mrs.. Best at the two-roomed shanty occupied by the complainant, her husband and two sons — step-sons of Mrs. Best. The sons were employed by witness. "The habits of Best were not what you would call a man's habits towards an old lady. I mean with regard to his tongue and the way he let the boy, George (aged 21 years) abuse the old lady. . "Best was not a sober man. I have seen him drunk four or five times m the one month I was there. "That is, he "was the worse for drink on two occasions. He then got very abusive and cantankerous.

"I cannot say how often lie took drink, but he had it m the house, as well as otherwise. . . He bought a case at a time, not a bottle. What I saw him have at the house were cases of wine."

The statement went on to say that Mrs. Best did not drink and had often to refuse her husband's persistent demands that she should drink with him. "On more ' than one odcasion h* ordered her out of the house "As far as I was concerned, I had to be satisfied, as there was no' "other place to go to. There were two rooms and a tin place built on at. the back. . . • "The kitchen was the dining-room and living-room and was flooded when the rain came down the chimney." i The furniture, according to Kend'rick", consisted of a table, two or three chairs and a form. . ... "Mrs. Best is a good, homely old lady, clean and tidy. When she was troubled I have seen her absolutely break down and crying, go over to her next door neighbor and tell her all about it." Answering cross-examination conducted by LaM'yer Rawson at Huntly, Kendrlck had stated that Mrs. Best was not given to going out a great deal at night and he would swear that she had not attended a dance while. he was with her. ; "How did they /.come to get married?" inquired the S.M. "Was it by advertisement?" "No, sir," replied Lawyer Rice. "They met m the ordinary way."

"TWO OLD FOOLS"

From the witness-box, the elderly complainant told of her eighteen months of drudgery and unhappiness. She had, she stated, forfeited two pensions when she married Best. Together with the old-age pension, she had been receiving a pension for her son, who was killed at the war. The S.M., addressing Lawyer Vialoux, asked: "Do you suggest that these two old fools' can live together?" Counsel replied that his client wanted his wife to return to him and had offered her a home. "He's so highly tempered," broke m the elderly wife. "You never know when you haye got him." Counsel for defendant inferred that his client had no objection to a separation order if maintenance were not asked for, but Lawyer Rice assured him that the wife was certainly asking for maintenance. Best finally consented to pay his wife 10/- a week out of his £ 5 odd a week. "On what grounds shall I make out the separation order ?" asked the clerk, turning to the S.M. f'Oh, I don't know — failing. to maintain, I guppose."