The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-12-26
CHILD MARRIED
At AGE Of NINE
Is Widow at Ten and Enjoyed
Her First Christmas
SANTA CLAUS'S PACK
FURNISHES A REMARKABLE
YULETIDE STORY-GERTlE
BECOMES AT LAST A
REAL LITTLE GiPL.

Des Moines, Ia, Dec. 25 Married
at g. divorced at 10, her first Christ
mas tree when a grass widow at II.
little girl in short skirts danced
with glee about a candleIighted and
gifl-ladon tree in cozy nome in
Brighton, Iowa, tbs mornn-. More
over this was the first Xmas tree IN
The life Of ths little girl, whoso hair
hang in pigtaiIs down her back.
whose skirt does not reach 70 her
shoetops and who yearned with all
he eagcrnes5 OF young girls heart
CT dolly that opens its eyes ana
avs Mamma" and Papa, '-thi,
little girl stood up before the altar two
ears ago and became the Wife Of a
nan seven times her age.
Gertie Trusty is the girl, wife and
widow all in one, who knew her first
zeal Christmas Tree. Other little
girls her age have known of SAINTS
Claus for years, while Gertie Trusty
las been cooking three meals day.
farming her husbands socks, wash
ng. ironing and sweeping. Now that
he has been a wife and rs widow
jertie just become little girl.
At the age of Gertie Trusty be-
came the wife of Johg Leeper, whose
IS years were evident in face and
1gure The bride-elect, as she stood
5efore the preacher and promised TO
obey her liege lord and be a faithful
wife to him, was an odd sight. Her
lair, brushed straight back from the
orehead, parted severely in the mid
lie, was gathered IN the inevitable
pigteil" braids of young giTlhood
md struggled down the line Of dress
buttons at her back. AS for the
lress itself. ii was no creation OF the
nodiste The wedding dress injunc.
ion. something old and something
lew; something white and something
llue, was d.sregarded in Gertie
rrusty's case; everything was old,
he wedding dress was the everyday,
,hort-skirted dress. There the little
nine-year-old girl stood by the side
If the sixty-fye-yearo man and in
piping treble answered, Il Will to
the solemn words of the preacher.
Gertie Trusty was Mrs. John Lcep-
er from the time she was . until
hortly after she had passed her
enth birthday. She was good aud
'aithful wife 10 the best &C ar ahili-
y. She followed hoT h,isDand to
Arkansas, and there IN a little village
she helped him establish tho new
lome. Life settled down into COM
nonplaces. other little girls passed
IN their way to school, yodeled or
rilIed and laughed in childish glee as
they coasted and bobbed on the snow
covered hills or danced away to the
picnics Of the good old summer time.
But Gertie Trusty Leeper was a wife
md there was housework to do, SO
she stolldly stayed al her tasks.
Almost a year passed, and tAe
4eepers returned 10 Washington
'owa.
Gertie Trusty was induced event
Ially TO sign a petition for divorce.
1t did not take long for the Judge t.
iecide
What to do with her now that she
was literally born again was . CUES
ion. soon settled by a kind-helrted.
charitable family. In the family o.
r. L. Davis of Brighton, Iowa, Gertie
Trusty found home. There. day by
lay, though she knew wfely duties
and responsibilities she was taught
childish pleasures and pastimes For
he first time there were p'cnics with
)ther children of her own age. who
will not be wives for 10, Is, 20, %
Tears yet. Recently there have been
oobbing and skating parties. Gertie
Trusty has learned TO be young
girl. For her pleasure the Davises
provided a Christmas tree. It greet
ed her sight when she awoke Christ
mas morning. On II were candies
nuts. grlish knick-knaeks, a beauti-
ful doll-one that said mamma" and
''papa" to the grass widow who has
never yet played with such doll