The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-03-15
SOME LETTERS TO
CYNTHIA GREY

Dear Miss Grey; In rcshfo W
gplker. Knowles controversy. lntro'
duced In your columns some tifhe
ago and revived 10 my mind by yes
.terday'r mention OF Miss Knowle"
mother, and her correct attitude h'
take H.
In my opinion. the truly despicable
me-nbcr OF society In he trio. so-caii.
ed. ia Pcrley Spiler. the betrayer OF
the trust Of two women-one ms
legally married wife. the ouher
doubtless believing that she wouih
become his wife. by her acknowlsds
ment. according TO tho press thht
she did not know he was "A married
man until the night before ne isit
England. Capable Of breaking MS
ancred troth In marriage. TO the wo-
man ne left behind. would he not be
likewise capable for selfish motive 10
persuade an innocent girl. whom he
had made believe he intended TO
marry, to sidestep the letter OF the
law, for accomplishing It's spirit he
perhaps challenging her patriotism
no less than her love for and loyalty
20 him. when the law OF England
and the clergy abctted such unions
for tho rehabilitation Of England,
English law legitnnatlzing child
born out Of wedlock. giving II the
fathers name and tho fathers
dowry. II any. earned Of war;
No doubt nhe expected TO marry
him, n he survived: and II he did not,
TO ieaitimatize the birth OF his heir,
as English law provided. To prove
It's parcrnity was evidently possible
for her TO do. Even Perley. In his
betrayal OF Miss Knowles. in his we'll
known duplicity. has not found II the
easier thing 90 do. 10 siigrnauze her
AS immoral. or tho child other than
hist lie evidently believed Il would
not be believed generally. or. for bet
ter reason: and 20 his belief Of her
rood character. no has persuaded
his wife and brother. and Guy. the
good man. Offered 20 legitimatize
the birth Of his brothers deserted
child by marrying It's betrayed
mother.
Perlcy Spiker, n moral coward. a
traitor TO his own manhood. would
be accepted into the church In Bait
more. we read. whilo the one true 10
her husbandto-be las she thought.
trusting him. and 10 their baby. dis
guising nothing. receives blame for
tho two families he destroyed. her
sin making his dupncity known. by
merely bringing his child TO its
fathers country. not disclaIming II
his, and claiming II hers.
She has malignod him. II In said.
in the face OF tho facts Of his disa'
vowaI Of his moral. Christian and
cyil obligations by his hypocritical
pretension that he was free TO WOO
and we'd
And of Mrs Spiker's attitude
crime committed In the name OF love
we have the plying contempt that
her sanctioning and condoning OF her
husbands iie-his broken vow--his
weakness and cowardice--his actual
betrayal OF his own country and its
army whom we Haunted as defenders
o. honor and womanhood in war up
on tho Huns. deserves A vcritable
Hun morally. concealed within the
ranks OF the clean doughboys. And
no military tribunal Judges his case.
10 brand him traitor 20 the moral
standards OF n soldier OF tho L. S. A..
or TO even censure him for the dis
grace no has brought upon his suffer.
ing families. whom the seas divided
until his child was born TO claim
him.
And he. the paterna disclaimer
disclaimer by dcfault--was at length
forced TO answer. And. Adam.like. he
says TO Eve. his wife. You speak
Z it's up to your And she excuses.
Justfies and pays the bill--financial-
iy. morally. socially.
A correspondent signed -