The Washington herald., 1913-12-24

arms about the neck of the dead man
and was weeping
"Re Was MY Soul Nate"
WHO are you?" DR.. curiett asked in
surprise
This is my home" she said. '1 be-
long here. He was mine. He was my
soul mate"
Puzzled by the presence of the woman
whom he had never seen, DR.. Curlett, a
brother-in-law of Couch, sent her into
the secret chamber which had been her
home for three years, and told her to
remain there until he returned for her.
In the meantime, DR.. Curlett was sum-
moned to the bedside of patient twelve
miles from Monticello. When he returned
Miss Brance had already faced Couch s
widow and daughter.
Here is Miss Brance's story as she re-
lated II today:
'T was happy in my prison because I
loved. 1 am Adelaide Brance. Ny fam
lily Is not to be disturbed. Who they are
and where they are makes no difference.
It is sufficient to say that my father and
mother are dead.
Melvin Couch held me in spell OF
love. and 1 did not rebel. loved him
more than life, liberty. or that thing
which the world calls virtue. Ny slavery
was sweet: the memory sweeter.
There were days of agony, but always
there arose higher the love that made me
forsake my freedom.
Supreme Right of Love.
She CMrs. Couch) may have been his
wife in the eyes of those who do not
know the supreme right of love. But in
his heart he acknowledged but one COM
panion. held that place in his life.
xx-ffa live IN a like the
one l have been living in? Would she
be thus self denied: would she be a will
ing slave; would she wear the clothes
that you now see on me, and care for
him like have? 1 will answer for you.
No; a thousand times no.
Go see that little cell I called my
home. and look at me. Would a legal
wife do this for any man? Nothing but
a Heaven-born love would compel n
woman to bear such self-denial
When first saw Melvin Couch fifteen
years ago, I knew at once that he was
the man for whom had been waiting all
these years, and he knew that l was the
woman for him.
Marriage means nothing to me. We
lived together and loved together. 1 first
lived with Mr.. Couch five years ago. We
then occupied rooms in the old Masonic
Temple Building which was destroyed by
fire in 1909 Everything l had was de-
stroyed. 1 was at Cooperstown at the
time of the fire.
IF had my way l would be buried
beside Melvin. I was beside him in life
and there must I rest in DEATH
Questioned as to a quarrel with Mr.
Couch on Saturday, Miss Brance said:
Eyes, that's true. I suppose you would
call it a quarrel. l wanted to go to
Goshen for the holidays and he objected
No, no. / can not do without you now,
he said. No, not for minute
LonEed for a Child.
"I used to sit by the window for hours
and watch the people in the street. My
greatest Joy was to see the little children
at play. / had a great longing for a
child, a child OF my own, but 1t could
not be.
II cannot talk more. 1 cannot talk
about the man except to say that he was
strong, masterful, and sometimes cruel.
But he was kind and good to me and
loved me.
He gave me no money. I never knew
him as a sweetheart. When he died all
wife came and denounced me. 1 grew cold
and I told her 1 was his love"
Miss Brance told her story in a very
low tone, almost in whispers. She ex-
planned that during her three years Of
exile in the little room ad-
joining Couch's office she had never
spoken above a whisper.
when people were in the office" she
continued, 81 didn't dare move. I was
afraid even to breathe hard, or to turn
the pages of a book"
Despite reports to the contrary, Miss
Brance is tonight remaining in the los
pital ward of the Sullivan County Hos
pital here, on her own accord. She is
free to walk out whenever she feels
able to do so.
Il will remain she said, until my
lawyer former Judge Smith, dlsposes OF
the mortgages / hold. When I leave
here I will go away where I am not
known. I will not return until I return
to die on the grave of the man I loved"
Mrs. Couch and her daughter, Miss
Louise, a pretty, dark-haired, blue-eyed
girl in her twenties, refused to talk to
reporters today. Friends OF the family
assert that Miss Brance is on the verge
of nervous prostration.