The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-07
Mss VALIER just ESCAPED.
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Csris hsd lrsn ssa' of lpyHuNs ~,
tu.pia ~ the s%etilne N Nlss Esgfh ffsin
Water AMI hn,~r n it,Nnea. . Nkhlhss
town, Cdru law Wv. Nhich sss ~ hsva
tah~n plae~ ~ th~ brrn~ n Nlss wstefs
fH'hrF, ~tetier' n Waiter ~ in NaNH
Fulton aveuue. Mount Vernon las' nlshf,
and Nisa Waiter and her mother ecrr chat.
tina plea-antly ovef a bundle ~ cupsrs,uls.
tory LISTERS tho, bad inst cpwe ~ The brids
wh~n 4 sr-rlal delivery letter eas handed
10 NJ Walter witch informed him that hia
prospective son-ln-law already had = wife
from whpm he had never he~n divorced -
and q child living In Philadelphia
The letter that -toptrd - abruptly he
PREPARATIONS for Mas Walters vridlna
was from John T. Thomson, who IL yice.
president II the Pennsylvania Fire In.
puTahce Company and lives ~ at57 Hayer.
ford avenue, Philadelphia, In what ia known
therr ~ the rich mems colony The
letter further told Mr. Walter tha, Downes's
real name was Henry v. Robson. hut that
he had had u changed 60 Downes after he
had been accused II Icing mixed up in q
forgery scandal in 1901
mir. Downep. who. ! learn, IL to he mar
riod 70 your daughter on Wednesday even
ing Mr.. Thomson's letter continued. was
married to my daughter Mary in 1898.
and she has u son. born TO them two years
after their marriage
The letter was brief, but the paragraph
| Just quoted impressed Mr.. Walter enough
TO cause him to hurry from the house TO
call up Downes at Middletown on the tele-
phone before telling his wife or daughter OF
the contents OF the letter just received from
Philadelphia. Mr.. Walter called up the MIDI
dletown Office OF the Hubbard Motor Com.
pany, of which Downes is secretary and
| treasurer, and Downes came TO the phone.
do you know Mr.. John L. Thomson OF
Philadelphia?" was Walters abrupt be-
ginning Of the telephoning. and the CUES
| ton was followed by q perceptible pause
at the Middletown end Of the line.
Yes, | know Mr.. Thomson Downes
answered after the slight delay.
We'll, what have you to say to this letter
| received from him to-day" asked Mr..
Walter, who then read the letter. sQuick,
is that true?"
NO, it isn't altogether true-that is,
] did marry Mr.. Thomson's daughter
was the answer Mr.. Walter says he received;
but we separated and my wife got a divorce.
I've tried to forget that part OF my life be-
cause it was a very unhappy union. When
/ get down to Mount Vernon I'll explain
everything"
Mr.. Walter did not wait for further ex-
plantations but hung up the receiver and
hurried down to the Office Of the Walter
| Cigar Manufacturing Company, OF which
he il president, at 1898 Second avenue.
Manhattan, and did some more hurried
telephoning around town. From BUSH
ness friends he soon learned, he said, that
Mr.. Thomson stands high among insurance
| and financial men in Philadelphia and that
everything he said could be relied upon
absolutely.
Before returning to Mount Vernon,
however, Walter got Thomson on the tele-
phone at the Walnut street Office OF the fire
insurance company in Philadelphia. Dur
ing the ensuing conversation Mr.. m
went more into detail than he had in his
letter. He said that Downes, or Robson,
was born in Philadelphia about thirty-two
years ago of ID good Quaker family. Two
years after the marriage OF his daughter
and Downes the son was born and all went
well until the following year, when Thorn
sons son-in-law was accused Of having
forged come notes. Then he deserted his
Young wife and baby, oms said, and
d~isa
Later the Thomsons learned that he
was living in Middletown, Conn, where
he was known as Il lawyer that did prac-
,i,,lI,, ~, Ianal work hnt Unya big fima
principally to the business of the Hubbard
Motor Company. After the forgery charge
had been brought against him the Downes
family, consisting of a young sister OF Thorn
sons son-in-law and a brother, felt the
disgrace 80 keenly that the entire family,
the accused included, changed the name Of
Robson to Downes.
Thomson then told Mr.. Walter Of how he
had learned Of the coming marriage from q
newspaper clipping which had been mailed
last week to the Thomsons by a Brooklyn
woman. The Thomsons had been mad
unhappy by their own daughters mar
rage and they straightway decided TO
prevent the sacrifice OF the Mount Vernon
girl, il possible. The address Of the Walter
family was looked up and Mr.. Thomson's
letter followed.
When Mr.. Walter had learned this much
he started back TO his home in Mount
Vernon, which all this time was being
decorated with plants and flowers. and
braced himself for the hard task before
him Of telling his happy. pretty daughter
and her mother that the wedding must
not take place. Before going to the Grand
Cent raj station, however. he hurried to q
printers shop and had q number Of cards
announcing the ~postponement OF the mar
riage stricken Of, and left word that these
be hurried to his home for mailing as soon
as they came from the press.
Miss Walter waA having lots Of fun I'M
packing the wedding gifts and with her
mother helping to direct the house decora-
tons when her father arrived. Something
in his manner as he entered the dining
room caused the smile Of greeting to leave
his daughters face and she quietly walked
over to him and waited.
After the, first violent sobbing Of the
hysterical girl had passed over the father
and mot her induoad her to m In had