Year: 1859

Shortly after the Revolutionary war, a GER
tain man was keeping tavern in Trenton Nj.
He had two daughters, his only children, and
both of them said to be comely lasses. One
day a French gentleman, with rich equipage,
rode up to the tavern and ordered dinner
One of the daughters alluded to waited on him
at the table, and be was so fascinated by her
actual charms, or so mollifed by the good
liqnrs of mine host, that when he had finished
his dinner he offered the young lady his heart
and his hand. She called her parents in to
hear the singular offer, when he told them that
he was widower, that he had property and
that he loved their daughter. whom, with their
permission, he would wed in form as soon as
they could reach Philadelphia. He moreover
asked them to go with him to that city, and
see the marriage properly performed. Within
an hour the parents, with their daughter, were
in the Frenchman's carriage on their way to
Philadelphia, where the marriage took place.
Not long afterwards Monsieur set sail for
France with his pretty young bride.


Many years passed away without any tidings
from the young lady who had entered into
marriage under such circumstances. Both her
parents died without hearing what became Of
her, and her sister was married to man named
Cook When Rev. Mr.. Armstrong was pas
tor of the church at Trenton, several letters
came to him from London lawyer acting for
: this lady, and asking what had become of her
sister. Was she married? To whom? And had
she children? In these letters the lawyer sta
ted that the Frenchman treated his wife with
the most considerate affection, but that his
/, tod hnrs
intrusion upon them, and made her very unhap-
py. Her husband hearing how it was, cured
the evil by threatening to disinherit them. In
due time he died, leaving her in her own right
enough property to make her independent
She afterward removed to England, and was
there solicited in marriage by wealthy gen
tleman, a widower, with grown children
| She told him her only objection to his offer
was the fear that his children would make
her unhappy. He called them together
and stated the matter to them with this very
positive alternative: "I mean to marry this
lady; if you will treat her with respect which
is due my wife, I viii now give each of you SC
many thousand pounds; if you will not, 1 will


cut you off with shilling" Such induce


ments had the desired effect, and she was mar
ried second time. In a few years her secont
husband died leaving her very fine estate il
her own right. By the generosity of her two
husbands she had been made independently
rich, but she had not single heir, unless he


sister had children. Hence the London law


yers letter.


1t was ascertained that the sister married


one Ellis Cook, and man of that name livet
in Hanover, Morris county, but Mrs. Eli
Cook did not answer the description For
long time all the inquiries would lead righ


back to the Ellis Cook in Morris county. A
last another trail was found which led them t
an Ellis Cook in Vermont, whose wife prove
5 to be the long sought for sister. Meanwhil


the wealthy woman in England died; and he
!, property went into the English treasury unit


On heir could be found for it.. a lawyer i