The Washington times., 1919-07-13
Vas It Worth the 500, OOl
a Year ALimOny and TtCO
Mansions Worth
81, 500, 900 for Mr.. Kendall
TO Be Free from Wife No. I
So He Could Marry and
LiUe the Simple Life

UFHEN Lyman B. Kendall, multi
M millionaire Wall street operator,
and his talented wife, the former
. Nellie Ballentine, daughter Of one Of
Idaho's Governors, were divorced two
months ago, their friends were astonished
1.-The pair had always seemed to get along
together so peacefully.
And when it was announced that Mr..
Kendall had given his former wife 100000
a year alimony, or the interest on $1,000
600, and a million dollar New York home
containing $1,5O0,OOO worth Of furnishings
and art collections, and an estate at Bar
HORROR appraised at $4,000, 900, both friends
and public were astonished at the un-
paralleled generosity.
A day or two after Mrs. Kendall got her
ished to find she really never had wanted
the divorce. She said so at length in the
newspapers.
And finally everybody was uncommonly
sastonished when, the ink upon the divorce
decree hardly dry, news came that Mr.
Kendall had married Miss Betty Lee, q
very pretty and youthful actress!
Could 1t be that this last development
had anything to do with the divorce-par-
ticularIy could it throw any light upon Mr..
KendaIrs extraordinary generosity? If so
how?
Mrs. Kendall at first had said that she
was the most amazed woman in the world
at her ex-husband's second marriage
I'm so surprised that it takes my
breath away!" was the way she put it. No,
she said, she didn't know Miss Lee, and
certainly her name had never been brought
up during the divorce proceedings. No,
Lyman had never, never once mentioned
her name while the arrangements were
being made or at any time
It really must have been a shock because
Just week or two before, when she had
found herself wondering why on earth she
had ever gotten the divorce, she had said:
Il have a feeling we may patch it up yet.
know he is very fond of me and misses
me Just as I miss him. My friends laugh
and say Lyman viii be counting me again
soon"
But unless Mr.. Kendall is a speedier
Wooer- than even the hero Of the famous
Three Weeks" he was, alas, at that mo-
ment counting fair Betty Lee in her old
Georgia homei
Now why. with all the perfect frankness
and amity with which the divorce was
carried out, did Mr.. Kendall not mention
the actress to Mrs Kendall; say quite
frankly, indeed, that he intended to marry
her? For u is inconceivabIe that the Wall
Street operator, keen business man of
great forethought that he is, should have
made up his mind all in a moment to wed
Miss Lee. Why did he so carefully keen
her hidden from his wife?
II Mrs. Kendall had actually believed
that her husband was going right of to
take a new bride would she have gone on
with the proceedings? Or, going on, would
she have been contented with the $4,50O.-
00G In property and income from $4,000, 900
.nat she received?
What Is the mystery Of that generous
slimony? After a few days Of thought
the Georgia ceremony Mrs. Ken
ial1, although this utterance was at var.
ance with her others, hazarded that she
rad believed Lyman was going to marry
again; knew, indeed, ''for some time that
lyman had been making expensive pres.
'nts. But always thought Il was another
Foman."