The Washington times., 1922-10-17
PASTOR LEEDS
WIFE. bLAMES
SOULFUL ELLEN
Declares Love That Separates
Husband and Wife Is un-
Worthy Passion.

so-called spiritual love for Ellen Reid
IL just a delusion to excuse his deser'
ton of me. don't believe in It. /
intend to save him, to win him back
through my forgiveness. shall
never give him UP to the girl who
has robbed me OF his love-
This Is the view of Mrs. Frederick
Leeds. wife of the former rector OF
fashionable Grace Episcopal Church.
New Haven. who hunted three
months for her missing husband and
finally found him in the Hotel Lenox.
Boston. with Miss Ellen Reid. a
former church worker.
Mr.. Leeds insists that his love for
Miss Reid is as lofty as that Of
| Dante cor Beatrice.
Miss Reid declares that, while her
love for the former rector Is entirely
spiritual, she hopes his wife will
obtain a divorce so that closer
| companionship will be possible.
| The girl and the minister will ap-
pear in municipal court. Boston, to-
morrow.
Shows Strain.
Mrs. Leeds received a reporter in
the picturesque rad brick. ivy.lined
rectory in New Haven, in which she
has been living alone since her hus.
bands resignation from the minis;
! try.
She is robust of build, but shows
the strain Of suffering. Her face is
pale and perceptibiy lined. Her red.
dish'brown hair lis plainly arranged.
Her gray eyes are sad.
Up to two years ago my com.
panionship with my husband
was ideal" Mrs. Leeds began. I'VE
had so much in common. He has a
wonderful mind. a keen intellect.
We were very happy.
/, First Blow.
I'VE had a great future in the
| church. He had a chance to become
spiritual leader. Everything was
in his favor.
ut has been said there were
other women who came into his
life. This is not true. Miss Reid
was the first and only woman who
ever came between US. He first met
her two years ago.
soon after Mr.. Leeds met Miss
Reid he began to change In his atti.
,
fection was slipping away.
He spent hours with her in this
little library, while I was left alone
in another part Of the house. He
didn't want me around when she
was there. He wanted to talk to
her. to her alone"
At his time Mrs. Leeds said. the
| rector became more pronounced In
his advanced views as to church doc
trine.
Differences Crop Up.
ct could not in conscience agree
with him in these IDEAS" she said.
1T seemed to me that the faith in
which l had been brought up was
the true faith. didn't like these in.
novations. these Celebrations OF cere-
mony.
But apparently Miss Reid under.
stood and sympa thized with him. 1t
was only little while after this
that he engaged her as his Official
secretary.
That put an end to our compan'
ionship. saw his love slipping
away from me day after day.
"One day I accused him, face tc
face. Of giving me up for a younger
girl. He denied It. He said his
friendship with Miss Reid was onl'
Of a spiritual nature.
| II might have believed this II he
had not continued to seek her com.
panionship at the expense Of mine.
All this time his influence in the
church was waning. He was arous.
ing the hostility Of his own parish.
Decides to Resign.
Finally, he told me that he was
going to resign. I was heart.broken.
1t meant the downfall of his career.
the ruin Of all our hopes. But
nothing that ] could say would con.
vince him Of his error.
Il do not accuse him of having
been forced to resign from the min
istry. l know that this was a volun-
tary act. He went out of the church,
not because of his friendship for
Miss Reid, but because of his own
| wishes. He left the church with
clean hands and a spotless reputa-
ton"
A short while before DR.. Leeds left
the ministry, she said, she demanded
the resignation of Miss Reid as his
secretary. This, she said. was be-
| cause she believed he was self
I deluded' concerning the quality Of
his love.
Mrs. Leeds story will be continued
| (Copyright 1922 Roston Adyertiser