The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-10
among whom he gained a considerable ac.

among whom he gained considerable ac-
quaintance.
l William Homer Leavitt is a short but
| fascina ting young man. a brilliant CONVEX
| sationalist, a charming and delightful
| companion. Two years ago when he was
given the order to paint portrait of
| Gen. Joe Wheeler, young Leavitt thought
his fortune was made. And he and his
| little fighting southerncr became fast
| friends. Gen Wheeler loaned the black
| charger he rode through The Cuban cam
paign to help him in his work 1t was
while riding this animal that Leavitt was
| thrown and carried to the hospital, where
| the Newport society folk showed him
| many attentions.
Gen Wheeler was so delighted with his
portrait that he persuaded Bryan to give
| Leavitt a commission but in the mean
| time orders came in slowly. and the young
| man was forced to rely chiefly upon his
parents
| Mr.. Bryans future son-in-law did not
| meet Miss Cook until February Of March
| last. Her family are unpretentious,
worthy folk, whose New England thritC
has enabled them to be comfortable on
| a small income. Mrs. Cook is active IN
the King 5 Daughters. Her daughter, who
is twenty-four. had prepared herself to
teach music She has been described as
being "sweetly pretty" There is force
behind Miss Cooks sweetness and her
lovely face.
| Having met her, the courtship prog
resscd rapidly. Newport is as dull and
gray in the latter part of winter as it is
| lively and beautiful in summer, and 1t is
easy TO understand how one who had
! lived in Paris for five years might, be
| hopelesgely bored in a summer resort
when it is at the lowest ebb of the winter
| inactivity
ut was not long courtship'' Miss
Cook said, when she decided to give to
The World the letters to vindicate herself.
Mr.: Leavitt made love to me almost
from the day we first met, and those
who know him know how attractive he
can be- think The Is one of the most
charming and fascinating men l ever met
when he cares to be-
1T was only Very little time after our
meeting that Willie asked me to marry
him. I did not consent at once. He urged
me particularly because he was going
away on a trip, and he said he wanted
It settled before he, left me. But ] held
back, because Thought ] had not known
him long enough. i went to the train
with him. and he urged me again and
again promise ito be his wife. But L
would not then:
He did not. remain away very long
then, and when he returned he renewed
his suit with more insistence than ever.
He overcame my objections-it wasn't so
very difficult, for l loved him with al
my heart-and we became engaged on
April 10. A girl never forgets the date
when she becomes engaged.
1--WE could not marry at once. because
he was too poor We talked It over lot.
planning for the future. He was to work
very hard during the spring and summer,
and he expected TO make a good deal of
money, enough to start our home when
we were married in the fall I expected
to work at my music after We were mar
ried, and l was sure that between us we
could get along. i was not afraid of pow
erty; don't think woman ever is when
she truly loves a man, and ! looked for
ward with the greatest pleasure to work
ing with him.
Mr.. Leavitt left Newport on April %
to go over to Taunton, and it was from
that place he wrote ne the letter l have
shown you Whenever he went away
from me he wrote me from nearly every
station at which the train stopped. In his
letters he always saia something about
our marriage. i.
The commission to paint Mr.. Bryan's
-, I, ;ax-
He was sure that it would bring him
sudden fame and fortune. He told me
it would, solve all our difficulties. He
started fer Lincoln IN May last. and his
mother and / went TO New York to BID
him good-by. He wrote me from neatly
every important city on the way to Lin
coin, afYectionate, charming letters, in
which no constantly referred to the time
when we could marry. And while he was
in Lincoln, ne wrote me many, many let
ters-such letters as a woman loves to
receive from the man she expects TO
marry.
Mr. Leavitt has said publicly that he
had no communication with me after the
latter part of May. Here is letter which
received from him, which, you see, is
postnlarked Lincoln. July 81
Lincoln, July 5.
My Dear Billie:
Il an very heartsick, discouraged and
dispirited, that is all. It's n case OF being
down when expecting to go up, and the
lesson is we'll learned. No more 'get-rich- |
quick scheme win be INDUCED il by me.
''Nnl YOU send me the old Boston ar
ticle. together with the drawings? L !
have friend on the paper here and 1
may be able to get my fare cast from it. |
You can put q piece OF Dashboard behind /
II, so that the drawings won't break. !
and send it registered mail.
The weather is the fiercest on record. |
1t IS almost impossible 10. breathe. Hore |
to see you in Newport soon. With love. |
WILL"
Il sent him the pictures he asked for.
continued Miss Cook, and one OF than |
was printed later in 4 ST. Louis paper" |
Some question has been raised about I
different statements credited TO Lc3vitt |
after his marriage with Miss Bryan. !
Nothing could give a clearer understand /
ing of his attitude than a letter written +
by Leavitt from New Orleans. under the /
date OF December. last. in which he says:
Articles running through the press at 1
the present moment have been credited to /
YOU and 1 must insist that you at once t
contradict them in terms which can show /
the felsity of the original statement.
You being n man of family, must /
know that no young lady who cares for /
anything whatsoever for her moral repu +
tsticn would rush into breach of prom
ise case for it can mean but one thing. /
and you have done Miss Cook a great in !
Justice in starting such a report, and l 4
can scarcely believe that the Cock family
would stoop to anything SO low.