The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-10
RUTH BRYAN'S AFFAIR
Unhappy Fate Of William Us
Daughter.
HER WILLIE" HUSBAND
Tilted Girl Talks of Their En-
gagement.


Miss Cook is one of the villagers, as
they are known to distinguish them from
the true .Newportians who live there two
or three months in the year. The VII
layers differ little from each other in OBJ
security, and Miss Cook might have passed
all her days without attracting attention
beyond that which visitors bestow upon
q very pretty girl had 1t not been for tn.
misfortune thrust upon her.
1t is tragic to any young woman to he
fitted; TO have that bitter experience give
her national notoriety is overwl1sln ingy
bitter Miss Cook has been compelled to
! endure not only these humiiatiors, bit
one even greater. The man whom che
loved, whom she expected TO marry, rot
only deserted her, but he said things
about her publicly. He said that she did
not tell the truth; that she was a VIC
tim of romantic imagination.
This is the punishment of Wiihelrira
Cook for falling in love with William
Homer Leavitt, whose occupation was
that of a portrait painter, and whose
civil condition was that of widower.e
Some unkind folk have been spiteful
enough to say that his marriage ha,
changed both, that his occupation now
is that of son-in-lsw TO William Jen-
nings Bryan, much TO Mr.. Bryans dis
TASTE
The marriage of the eldest daughter
o. Mr.. Bryan to Leavitt brought the
young man fame that his art has never
conferred upon him. Tho fact that Mr..
Bryan bitterly opposed the match ADDED
to the public interest. When it became
known that Leavitt was engaged to Miss
Cook at the time he was married to Miss
Ruth Bryan, ever so many thousands OF
people became deeply interested in the
young woman who lives in Newport, but
who is not in society" The Cooks did
not give publicity to facts, it is only fair
to say, and notoriety has caused them
greater suffering than did Mr. Leavitt's
marriage. General interest has been vast
~ stimulated by the conflict in veracity
between Miss Cook and Miss Leavitt
Leavitt denied that he had ever been en-
gagged to Miss Cook; she declared they
we're engaged. Leavitt said specifically
mat not only had he never promised to
marry her. but that he knew Miss Cook
specifcally-had even slighter acduaint-
ance with the members of her family
Furthermore, Leavitt declared that he
bad no communication with Miss Cook
Since May IS last
So far as the public is informed that
Ia the situation up to now. Miss Cook
had been willing to drop the whole un-'
happy affair in the hope of returning 20
the peaceful obscurity in which her life
had been passed. But the indirect re-
Elections of Leavitt have at last caused
her to speak out in her own defense.
Unfortunately for Leavitts assertions,
Miss Cook has carefully preserved all the
the letters he has written her, habit not
uncommon with women who are in love.
md these seem TO make toward the utter
confounding of Leavitt, showing pretty
conclusively that he and Miss Cook We're
engaged that he had consulted his moth
cr about the marriage ard that she had
given her, consent.
Furthermore, the letters show that
Leavitt wrote to Miss Cook as late as
July 5, when he was in Lincoln with the
Organs
There has been talk about a breach of
promise suit, but Miss Cook viii take no
legal action. In the nrs; pace. the no.
toriety, would keep her unpleasantly if
the case came 10 trial In the second
place, a verdict for damages would not
be worth the paper upon which it is writ
ten. for Leavittt is without resources. 1t
would be impossible to collect a penny.
AS for personal vind,cation, Miss Cook
believes that letters in her possession are
sufficiently convincing.
One letter is dated Taunton, Mass.
April 90. and II appears to have been
written at $50 in the morning. II is ad-
dressed My Own Sweet Billie" and in it
Leavitt says:
Get TO work, sweetheart get to work
and stop dreaming. l am not coming to
see you again for long time. because it
= 50 much more difficult each time to say
''good-by." And what Is the use of say
Ing il at any rate? We arc just losing
(s.c) al the precious time.
/ saw mamma this morning and If had
seen her sooner. should have been much
money in. for she is helping me by paying
some OF the bills. and. Of course. paid
the ones which were overoharEed. If YOU
scould see me now you would see me in
rage. i am thinking Dunn and not Damn
this time.
She wants us to wait until fall too
then we will have the house TO go into.
and she says it will take her from now
until then to get things ready. l have
nothing TO get ready.
That extract seems 10 be conclusive evil
dence that Willie" Leavitt and billie
Cook were engaged.
1t is true thst Leavist did not know
Miss cook very long. although the homes
Of both here in Newport. His father has
had Photograph gallery in Thames
street for many years. OF course, VIII
lage photographer in Newport belongs 10
the villagers. and A. L Leavitt is much
respected among them. He has kept out
OF this controversy, the talking for the
family being done by young Leavitt and
his mother.
After Wi lille" was graduated from the
high school in Newport he went TO Bos-
ton. where he studied art Tor three years.
He returned Ia Newport. where he Sc
cured several orders fer portraits. When
Che young man was twenty-four-that Is
about nine years ago-he married the
daughter Of a rich merchant in Alpena.
Mich. and Immediately afterward the |
young couple went to Paris, where Leav- |
lit studied law for four years under Ger
ouae and other masters. lie was not es-
peciaily industrious. but he has real tall |
ut. and he made considerable progress. |
After five years abroad the Leavitts re-
turned 20 this country and soon after the |
young wife died. leaving all her property
e Their only child. a son. who died last |
January IL the home of his grandparents |
= Alpene>-
= After his wlfe's death the young artist |
made his home principally with his par |
nGts In Newport. lie secured several |