The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-01-26
Decided Applicant Home on Condition
She Get Divorce and Marry Him
(Dade City Banner)

With strange woman holding title
to his hard-earned home and with a
blighted hope of taking unto himself
new wife, E. L. Leopold, of Hud-
son, faces the prospect of continuing
his lonely career as a widower and
of beginning life anew, at the age of
fifty-three.
Leopold owned beautiful home
near Hudson, which he had acquired
by long and arduous toll, and in
which he and his wife were living
happily until she died in the early
part of 1916. Their children had
grown up and moved away, and after
his wife's death Leopold was lone
ly and unhappy man. His home was
worth $4,000, and he had all the
worlds goods he needed, but this
lonely existence was telling on him.
I In March, 1918, he advertised in
Jacksonville newspaper for a house.
keeper who would like a good home.
In a short time he received a response
to this ad, signed by Miranda E.
Shear" of Sardis, Ohio. A regular
correspondence ensued between the
widower and the prospective house
keeper, in the course of which he con-
fided to her that if she proved to be
the right person he hoped to make
her his wife, and she said she was
will and would come and see if
things were as he said. A few
months later Leopold's heart futter-
ed with excitement when he received
the news one day that he was to meet
the train for the woman whose COM
ing, he felt, marked the beginning of
anew epoch in his life, in which he
was no mistaken as will hereinafter
appear. And when she arrived, he
was still more pleased, for she was
good-looking, was a versatile talker,
and full of energy.
She kept house for him awhile, the
meanwhile appraising him and his
property, and frankly admitted that
everything was just as he had repre-
scented it. And it was agreed that he
should deed the little home to her,
and that they would become husband
and wife, and would start in Florida
) life of new bliss; for she said that
though she had been married she had
not received out of life what she was
. entitled to, and she rejoiced that she
. was now about to come into her own.
For a minute the old mans heart
! leaped with joy at this happy out
come of his venture; but the next mo-
ment that same heart was throbbing
} with disappointment and pain as the
housekeeper told her aged lover that
she was going to do all that she
agreed to do, but that she had in Ohio
living husband from whom she
must procure divorce before the
marriage could be consumated. "All
right, then" the old man moaned,
you go back and get your divorce,
and return as quickly as possibly We
will then marry, and l will deed you
our home" Not on your tintype,
don't play the game tina. way" or
words to that effect was the quick
reply of the shrewd woman from
. Ohio; "how do | know you mean
business? You dee me the home
now, as an evidence of your good
faith, so that | will be sure that |
am not wasting time, and money in
getting the divorce and returning to
you" We'll, hadn't thought of it
that way; | guess you're right" the
: old man observed. He saw CLEAN
/ OF hope and pleaded, Then you will
get the divorce and come back to me,
! wont you" "Of course | will, you
I naughty boy, what do you take me
; for" she assured him. And they
hunted up justice of peace and the
/ deed was made, conveying to her his
home,
She told him goodbye and was
gone, and he was sad and lonely
! again. He waited with fond expecta
lions the news of the divorce and was
impatient at the delay. Her first
letters were couched in endearine
terms, and somewhat compensated
; for the postponement of joys; but
after time the letters became less
frequent and less fragrant. Leopold
became alarmed and took a train for
Sardis, determined to know the cause
He had learned that the true
name of his sweetheart was Stewart
!. instead of Shear, and that her hus.
l bands name was William Stewart
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