Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-10
MRS. JENKINS.
The ROmanca OF the BaIIet-GirI Who
Married an AdmiraI's Son.

From the Indianapolis Sentinel. Sept. 29.l
Last night frankie Christie began an
engagement at the Metropolitan Theatel
as premier danseuse. She will be re
membered as the one who was married
to Pressly Jenkins, the son of Admiral
Jenkins, in July last, and about whom
the Washington reporters and CORE
spondents wrote so many accounts. Last
evening a Sentinel reporter called on
her and learned the latest chapters OF
the romance. FRANKIE" is a perfect
blonde, about twenty-six or twenty-seven
years Of age and has a fine figure. She
uses elegant language, and converses in
manner which proves her assertion
that she was well educated. Her rela.
tions live in New York city. but she has
not been to see them since she entered
the profession of dancer. They met
first at the Theater Comique in Wash.
ington, last March, and we're married on
July 7th, in that city, as she showed by
the wedding-ring which she wore. The
rest of the story is in her own language
as nearly as can be remembered.
" Pressly's father heard of our marriage
few hours after the ceremony and came
to us. Pressly, in answer to his father 8
demand that he should leave me, said
that be would not do so. | then told
him from what / could see of the out
look he had better, but he replied that |
was his wife, and his place was with me.
We lived together for two weeks, during
which time his father had threatened to
cut him off and the papers were full of
the story. Some even had my picture in
them. Pressly went with his father
then, we having a mutual understand
ing. He told his father that if he would
let him have what he inherited from his
mother that he would then go into some
quiet country place and not let the mat
ter be made so public. Pressly was
nearly set frantic by those newspaper
reports and the publicity the marriage
created. | wish you knew him. He is
sedate and digni6ed. He has learned
the world through his fathers absence
most of the time, and his mother having
been dead some time. However, his
father would not consent to let him have
his inheritance before he came of age,
which will be one year and three months
from now AS | said, we had an
understanding, and we separated His
father sent him to Carlisle, Penn,
and four weeks ago procured divorce
on the grounds of desertion. He then
sent him to the college at Bethlehem in
Pennsylvania, where he is now. | have
not seen him for nearly two months
now, he having been at Carlisle and in
Washington until | came here. There
never was anything like a delusiou be-
tween us, and the papers in Washing
ton spoke highly of my conduct in the
affair. l understand Pressly's nature
thoroughly, as he does mine, and we
conld live together for years and never
be startled by anything coming up in
lives or characters to create any bad
feeling. He was brought up in society
in all the glare of Washington, and is
tired of it, and / know he loves me,
knowing me as / am, and | do him. l
will wait patiently until he becomes of
age and as he writes to me a divorce
will not stand between us. have faith
in his love, as | said | know him so well,
and | know that it is no young boy S in
fatuation. He has an old head on
young shoulders. He writes to me every
other day, and if you call around to my
boarding house will show you his let
ters, which will go far to remove the
credulity with which you look upon this
affair.
She would then sit silent for a while,
occasionally speaking in marked terms
of her husband (which she still calls
him). After telling the above, and seeing
the look of interest and astonishment
(the latter, it must be confessed, was at
her bearing and language) with which
it was received, she said interrogatively,
quite a romance, is it not2 Yes, it is a
romance. We met so singularly. He
was introduced to me by Mr.. Stoddard
one night at the theater, aud he walked
home with me, but never met him at
the theater. Neither did l ever see
any of his family, excepting his father,
on the one time, just after we were mar
ried. His father never sent any word to
me, but Pressly always told me every
thing that occurred. / did not expect to
come here when | left Washington, but
was going to New Orleans. am going
back to Washington in four weeks, as we
have a grand ballet there then. | will
work on in my profession until he is Of
age. l never received cent from him,
but have made my own living. 1t will
hurt him when he gets my letter telling
him / am here at the theater. | have
not lost a night since we we're married.
Very few of these people you see about
you know my story" she said sadly as
she looked around at the actors and ac-
tresses. Thanking her for her kindness
the reporter left her standing among the
gay men and women, looking like one
who was lost in the throng of apparen-
tly careless people.