The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-01
he second imstGllment follows i:
By ANNABELLE EGEL.

There was romance in our meet
ing. It was in September, 1907, on
September 10, to be exact. The
date is burned indelibly in my mind.
was employed in a tailoring shop.
was just getting out of my teens.
And he came in to have some
clothes pressed.
He came again and asked me to
go to lunch with him. He frankly
told me who he1was. He was then
employed at F'ord's.
At that luncheon he told me. Of
his two unhappy marriages. I have
| forgotten the name of his first
wife. But Mrs. Ella Flanders, wife
number three, from whom he had
| just been divorced, is now living
here in Detroit. Never an unkind
word did he say about his former
wives except to say the marriages
had been unfortunate" for they
did not bring him the love he
craved. He showered me with at.
tention. For three months it was
Ian amending round of theaters,
luncheons, dinners, and all at the
best hotels and cafes. He begged
me to go with him to cafes and
road houses, but I refused.
"COurted' Three Months.
Three months this ''courtship'
ran on. He talked about getting
married again-for us to marry
But 1 was young then, just a slip
of a girl. I didn't want to marry
then. I put him off and said we'd
talk about 1t later.
4 In January of 1908 moved, and
Walter Flanders snapped the key
of the house on his key ring.
Two months later he said: "You
poor little dove, you've been Gagged
up such a long time. want you
to see life, to meet my friends In
the East. We're going to New
York. Well be married later. Put
on your wraps and we'll go down
to the jewelry store and buy an
engagement and a wedding ring
Wear those and some time well
slip out and quietly be married and
no one will ever know but what
we've been married all the time"
did" New York.
I went to New York-alone. ]
stopped at the Union Square Hotel
and at his request registered az
Mrs. Walter Flanders, Detroit
Mich" He was to come on later
and he did.
And then. as he expressed it, 1--WE
did little old New York"
| Got to celebrate" he said
"cleanin' up a barrel of money"
Ten days of it. How 1 loathed
the shallowness Of it all. I longed
to be back in our little love cote in
Detroit. I could not bear the drink
ing parties that he insisted on
having.
"1'll never stop drinking as long
as they make it," he would repeat.
edly say to me when I pleaded for
his own good that he stop. "And
when the distilIers go out Of bust.
ness Ill start making it myself"
Home Again.
We returned to Buffalo. Then a
business trip for him to Cincinnati.
And then back to our home" in
Detroit. And the first night hack
he celebrated with a party" /
did not accompany him. In the
early morning he was brought in
dead as a statue. He weighed 24o
pounds. never knew I could be
30 strong. I lifted him from the
chauffeur's arms and carried him
to lounge. It was the super.
human strength that comes to a
woman called upon 70 help the man
she loves-and "WaIly" Flanders
was the only man in nv life. And
all that night I sat beside him and
placed cold congresses on his head.
And when he awoke and realized
all ne put his arms out to me and
said what 1 will remember to nv
dying day.