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’??»»• HrltM’ men’* HMehiM, —J\ -: ; y ( > _ r _._:i i iju... \ \ / / "'"' - . . jhi \ } \ j/£-————— -I; .. i. vX*^>- v,'Kfe^> x \ W TogKS^SL^J| iJu f V muni a / & flK ■ML St w w Xz4 -i \ Xy- < A Vk £l9 W\yw^ : .■ YV , J ■ ■ $ / ■ jt ■ ■ 7. Atjfc'SMMML j "' L wMHhH >mhHHsw JISrBM^^/W'<- HBKH B flßßgSgftk was indeed VgmEM ,w / Wp' -.-»ding divorce of most of —-A its terrors. The Alfred JY J \j v anderbiits could now laugh in the monster’s / face and snap their fingers at its teeth.” . \ THEIR. Plg-HUPTIAL DIVORCE Ho? the Interesting Alfred Vanderbiits | {Each Divorced Once, Most ot Their ■ j| Friends and Relatives Divorced Too) Have Planned to Rid Themselves of Divorce’s Annoyances if They’re Ever Divorced Again London. Sept I<’ Ifi the midst of the truly regal preparation for the advent oi a VanderbH: heir reports of a curious pre-nuptiai divorce agree ment entered into by Airs. Margaret Emerson McKim and Alfred Gwynne Vinderbiit a few days before their marriage in 1911 are current among the friends of the interesting couple. From the terms said to be included in this pact it would seem that American fashionable society has really made an innovation in the ancient code of courtship. From time immemorial the man and the maid have been supposed Io be too much in love with each other to contemplate anything but an un interrupted term of marriage Do not the fairy books say. “And then they lived happily ever after?” In fact, it used to be thought indelicate fcr a girl even to ask what her lover's prospects were —and the lover would never have thought of inquiring into his beloved’s dishar monies of temper. The very idea of thinking abou’ divorce while still in contemplation of matrimony would hav° been deemed outrageous. And yet it. would seem that the Vanderbilt forethought is more or ■ess enlightened. The girl nowa day? informs herself very fully upon. h»r lover’s financial standing and his prospects before she weds him. Eugenics are to the fore with their coldly scientific idea of mating. Matty men when they become mar red get insured for the benefit of their wifo and he prospective fam ily ‘‘Tn the midst of life we are in death!” Therefore, it would that the Vanderbilt id°a. detri mental *o romance ns ft may seem Is. after all. highlv sensible and r’'s A *h'al and nn to date “How the divorce tferm has af fected the families.” Mr Vanderbilt is the first man of his class to at‘empt to solve certain divorce problems before marrying. Os course P is impossible to draw »P any contract and set of regula tions that would have any legal T aiue in this country without run ning the risk of being convicted of collusion. Mr. and Mrs Vanderbilt have evi dently satisfied themselves that their agreement will help them both materially in the event of a divorcs suit, and their friends say they are Perfectly satisfied with it. It was, too, the most natural thing for this prospective bride and ?nom to be the pioneers in such a movement. The divorce records on both sides presuppose a tendency to divorce in any member of both families. On the immediate Van-, derbilt side there have been two di-1 ’orces and two near-divorces. Mr. Vanderbilt himself w'as divorced by hi? first wife. Elsie French Vander bilt His uncle William K. Vander b It. was divorced, his first wife later marrying Oliver H P. Belmont. His cousins. Willie K. Vanderbilt and the Duchess of Marlborough. _ ' • "Z ♦ ° L —•—- ♦ are separated from their domestic partners. On Mrs McKim's side the record showed “everybody was doing it.” Her sister Mrs. Jack Horner, di vorced her husband and married James McVickar. Then her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Emerson. w r ere divorced and each lias since mar ried again. Mrs McKim's divorce occurred just before that of her parents. Thus each member of her family has passed through the divorce court. With these records before them the prospective bride and groom, so the sto.ry goes, decided to take this most unusual step. A week or two before the marriage was to be cele brated in the quaint little village of Reigate Borough. England, Mr. Van derbilt appeared at Mrs McKim’s country estate with several very legal looking documents and hfs lawyer. “In the midst of courtship pre pare for divorce.” There was the marriage settle ment and a new will to be signed, and then this divorce agreement was brought, forth and discussed in this manner, according to friends who are fully acquainted with the deta’ls: “We must do all we can to avoid any divorce complications. We have both suffered from too much pub licitv and newspaper notoriety. It behooves us. therefore, to fore stall any such publicity in the event of our marriage proving un successful,” announced Mr. Vander bilt. Mrs McKim nodded In assent and pointed out several things to be considered. "We must arrange the financial side, then, so that there will be no fight over alimony —poor mother was always in hot water over her allowance!” “Quite right,” responded Mr. Van derbilt. It was. therefore, arranged that Mrs. Vanderbilt, the bride, was, in event of divorce, under no condi tions to talk to newspaper people or to give out any information about herself or her husband. Mr. Vanderbilt, on his side, was not to talk to any newspaper people on any subject but horses. While their marriage continues happy and they live together. Mrs. Vanderbilt’s personal allowance is to be, approximately, one hundred thousand dollars a year. Mr. Van derbilt is to pay all house and sta ble maintenance. In case of divorce. If Mr. Vander bilt is at fault three million dollars are to be settled on his wife. Each girl child is to receive one million and each boy three millions. It is further specified that each child ehall spend six months with each i parent —no matter what the causes of separation. In case of a son, his entire education is to be arranged by the father. If Mr. Vanderbilt secures the di vorce, or it is secured by Mrs. Van derbilt. although she be at fault, her allowance will be one hundred thousand dollars annually, Mr. Van- derbilt to pay all expenses for the children and to arrange for their education. These vital questions fully con sidered, there were several minor ones to be settled. Not a stone, it is said, was left unturned in Mr. Vanderbilt’s grim effort to do away with the divorce troubles that have so annoyed his family. During his previous matrimonial episode every step he took, every breath he drew, was construed as bearing in some way on the divorce case. He did not intend to have this happen again. If he took a long and un expected journey and his wife fol lowed him on the next train the gossips said that she was chasing him. “In our life together.” said Mr. Vanderbilt. “I must be able to travel as I please, without any in terference.” “Most assuredly.” said his future partner: “and I. in turn, must be al lowed to spend as much time in Paris as I wish, without question from you.” ' % “Agreed. Neither your visits to Paris nor my journeys into the un known are to be considered as grounds for unhappiness,” was Mr. Vanderbilt’s statement. This was a great step in the right direction. Many wives, in society and out of it. make themselves ter ribly unhappy when their husbands seek one-sided vacations. This un happiness frequently leads to the divorce court. Husbands in the millionaire class often object to their wives spending much time and money in Paris, and their ob jections frequently lead to the same bitter end. Mr. and Mrs. Vander bilt have discounted this danger by their plain and concise pre-nuptial pact. “Absence must not make the heart grow colder.” In her first marriage Mrs. McKim suffered keenly when her husband reproached her for her devotion to yachting. She would often go with her father on long cruises. Mr. Mc- Kim objected bitterly. There were quarrels and so much unhappiness that at last Mrs. McKim had to give up yachting. With this in mind. Mr. Vanderbilt made further stipulations. “I do not like your fad for cruising, but if you must live on the water I will provide you a beautiful houseboat, where you can spend as much time as you please, and this will not cause me to seek divorce.” “Very well; then I shall not com plain when you devote yourself to your horses and when you go on your coaching trips,” was Mrs. Mo- Kim’s counter-plan. In this stipulation both Mr. and Mrs Vanderbilt showed their ap preciation of the fact that husbands and wives should display toleration for each other’s pleasures. There was one thing more to be consid ered —friendships. "You must be friends with my friends if we are to avoid the hazards * of the divorce mill,” said Mr. Van derbilt ‘Of course,” said Mrs. McKim; ‘•your friends will be mine and mine will be yours. If you flirt with any of my friends I wUI not object, and if I flirt with yours you are not to object.’ This matter of the friendships of husband aud wife is no trivial one. Many marriages are wrecked be cause husbands refuse to like their wives’ friends aud vice versa. it was frequently said that Mr. and Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Vanderbilt’s parents-in-law. laid their first trou ble to the fact that neither would make friends with the other’s friends, in Mr. Vanderbilt's case this was also true. His first wife wouid not fraternize with his friends. ■mO-w |W' ' ' HasWMr . < / ■ I1 Mrs. Alfred G Vanderbi't, Whose Unusual Forethought Is Reported to Have Created the Pre-Nuptial Divorce Pact idea. , _ C» Indenture tnade the .... day Os I9rl> i ;';Jj MriTt’K Bitted (Jwynne <>f the City, ? I ■ . County ami h'tate of A'?.' Ya-h. /'<:-•'v of the first I'crt, and K?" et f.thetJ>oU ♦/ Baltimore, Afaeyland, C.( llu seroitd fart. lyitHtSStib: lUbercas, the forties la this a</reet>tent eoMemplate I eiitei‘ingthe Myil>&nds of-malrmiony\and ■? <•■<<:<:<■■: ■>. I > lUfcmas, . they ei.. both mindfid of the many pitfatis T \ y zaltkh iieset-the >i,at' 'al path, and are desirosu of priding against them as far as tray l>e possible, and liJIKIW, t'-e ,’onial records of t’.;eir respective > S famlHes is such as to make it ertremely doubtful whether they may/ , I suii e.’d -a si'i'h i/edies. and I \ OJbereas. iff /'■ ■•vcu‘ nt untoteard eouttngeHcu-s -adiiclv'l \viay maw it d.sira'd,. f or the emtraetitig parties to sever the I JynOfriage r e, it is the desire of the contracting parties to avoid as far f t as pessi'-h- the usiia,’ aittioyarce, pubheify and tincertainty peftainiug I . / io di voice litigdtiQH) Row for the better securing A tentioiis, and -n consideration of thd sum of One Dotlar. ImH j of the United Stales of America, each to the other Ol the reccrpt whpreof is hereby acknowledged, a»(^' -- IJl * \ of the tiliettuil promises J It i$ Hittti,} Ip ';‘ ''Yy -is -. .><«•. i - v ■H' I . A - x ; / iniiiiimmni iflffiFg ! . - ■. : - 'all ’ ■ ;' : ; :- '' * ' ’^ ; S “’SrW -; :,;r !' . ‘ * % mßs3zs?§a - A? d:. -. ; - ■ z .? : r ' Z ’ l ’’ ' SniIMBMWFI.k 1 .k -WflH agpffiiy ’ 'W v "jp’' KMp-vL &' 4*3 v• * ''&' vv ■ v L - Ayi>ft~JkV cAS./A * - .'®?p:.i?HßMK§s;'’‘ -bA;tSST-. iOS% J& fw ' i' A Charming New Picture of Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt (nee Margaret Emerson McKim). Many of the stipulations In this Thus in lonkine nnr fnr ih.u z“‘SE“ legal ground for divorce But tbit h ti,„ir . hat inay actually lead to one! The n Vappv and l‘" S ?i" d °^*‘ CtS t 0 ! 1R ‘ hat - hateS tO there seems every reason It wHI be s< e his wife wear it, and, perhaps. Society mav take the «t«na *» J secs anothei woman at this moment dnorce pact helned ° a wearing a hat (hat makes her look lumws-perh ins thN ™„ A i‘ l^ Wh ? ss»3 SKV& “