The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-01-27
DIVORCE GLVEN TO
AdlRL or ElEVEN
She Had Been Married Two Years
Ago ~ Il Man Who vasS over s
sixty. IssS s8aSs.$

npighton, ID, jan. 25. Gertrude,
Trnsty Ileeper, d 11.year.old girl Of
siis village has Just been granted ia
decree Of divorce from John Leeper,
/ So years d age IL; whom she was mar
rieA two years ago. \
The ehild. who became a wife
Nhsn she was only nine years 4 old
mig has become a divorce at II, still;
IL r. skirts that fall scarce to her
Iynses and wears her luxuriant brown
hair In pigtailsr3 down her back, and
as she rs fond gof dolls and takes a
as keen delight Hi playing with them
as any other child 81 her tender years
despite tie fact that she has stood up
NJ the altar and ssolemnly took athe.l
VOWS which made her the lawful we'd.
ded wife of& man seven; times her
own aise:
When t@cS9 years i ago 'Gertle's
iTrnsty promise ca I'D love, honor, cher;
islt and obey the imam who was old
enough tosbes her grandfather n man
tray;beardsd y sra .halred and bent
With the storms or Well:nigh three
score Years and ten, she presented an
odd sisht those who Witnessed the
ceremory s y. " ;fi:
The bfid egroom looked his age, and
the bride slooked$ hers IDS she stood by
4 him with herr head scarcely coming
vi, ,tiss elbow. 81 "a AS.
4 GeftssIae IS Jan orphan and had no
brothers or sisters ito look after her.
she had friends; for everybody Stin:
Brighton loved this sweet sunny,
tempered Winsome child shut those
frisnds ere passive rather than ac-
ike and hen Leeper made the.
sfpeking roposal that Sshe marry him
none 81 item aid Saughts 70 save her,
from 50 Rnnnat lral fate.
+ Never had Y d man a smore trustful.
dbedfent diligentI wife than had John
feepes. She acc ompanied slllm from
Brighton to Arkansas soon after the
larriag and there. I'M a slittlei VII.
lage, she insisted him to establish
and maintain a home. 1t must have
been q dull, lonely life for the child.
wife hut ny ever did she complain Of
her lot, never did she meet her hus.
band then he came home at night
with other than a bright, smiling
lace; never did she fail TO have his
meals cook ed / and on the table
promptly at the appointed hour; new.
: rdid she fail to keep her house clean
and tidy; ever did she fail to darn
the holes IA his socks, sew buttons on
his clothing when that was necessary,
of 10 discharge any of the other wife.
" duties ~ fell TO Sher? lot to do. Other
hildren passed by her door, on their
way to school aorl on some childish
pleasure BEN, but Gertrude never
thought % going with them or hav-
= il,g ought to- do with them or their
y IT
sports, forS she was q wife.
Lespars remained lin the Southwest
ior someth thing more than a year, when,
IN company with his wife; he return
ed stostown H event to Washington,
In this State, and i there Gertrude
made friends who persuaded her to
thIssa tition for divorce,
HE child did not readily fall in
Nth tile PROF osal: 1T is true that she
bore him none y Of that love which
wives commonly bear their husbands.
She had mot loved him when she be-
cane hls wife and he had not in;
spiredsE herSwith love, but lie had not
been cruel oaher;;s he had given her
Ii home and sheSfelt In duty bound 10
stand gby him. Her friends insisted,
hove var, and finally She yielded to
rgimportunities and did So
did not take the judge long to
decide what he should do. When
ma learned from the evidence offered
the plaintiff the circumstances un.
ders@hich the Smarriage had been sol
emnizeda ehes quickly signed decree
! tlivorce Keeper offered no dc.
Tense Thus, Il Gertrude Trusty, after
being two years! q wife has become a
child gain. y * II d
What was ITO become Of her when
she had been granted the decree Of
a Divorce was the serious question. But
was soon settled by kind family
N Brighton. The Divorce is now In
the home 81 R. I. Davis Of this VII
lage and there she will be cared for
tn she attains her womanhood. Mr..
and Mrs: Davis have not legally
adopted her but they have practically
done 80, and she will be treated by
them as their own child.
Gertrude sis as happy in her new