A FRENCH MILLINER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10289, 26 May 1919, Page 6

A FRENCH MILLINER

GETS £2OO DAMAGES FROM SOLDIER WHO JILTED HER.

The infatuation of a British soldier for a French milliner, Mddle. Noely Normand. whom lie met in France and to whom ho proposed marriage, ended j in a breach of promise action brought ! by the girl in the King's Bench recently (states a London paper). The jury awarded her £2OO damages. The soldier—Alfred Ernest Grant, Castletown road, Kensington—went out to France in 1914 as a clerk. Counsel stated that Grant met the girl at Nantes, where she was leading milliner to a largo linn. She gave up her work in order to marry him, and after buying her trousseau was £IOO out of pocket. Letters written by tho soldier in 1916 were very affectionate. In one he wrote: —'"'My Cberio Petito Noely.— Your confidence in me will never bo broken. I havo promised to marry you, and marry you I will as soon as possible after tho war." In another letter ho wrote: —"1 hope tho war will finish this year, hut while it lnsts, darling, 1 am saving money for our little home, and after all our troubles we will bo able to settle down with, I sincerely trust, a happy future before us, and I place every confidence in you, my little, darling, to be a loving' and faithful helpmate for me." Towards the end of 1916 defendant was asking plaintiff to send him back money-he had forwarded to her from time 'to time. She complied and sent the monov she had saved for him. Miss Normand then told her own story. She was unable to speak English, and her evidence had to bo interpreted. Grant cross-examined her. ''lf you were so devoted to me," he said, "why didn't ycu write me more than two postca.rds when I was at death's door in Netley Hospital, suffering fmm gastritis and nervous exhaustion?" "That is not true," said the plnintiff. "I wrote every eicbt days, when I d'd not write more often." Grant, in his evidence, said: "1 wns fool enough to become infatuated with her. She is a good-lookinjr girl: anybody would. I was never in company with her bv herself during the 'ix weeks I was stationed in Nantes. Her brother was always with her. I bought her a ring and gave it to her two or three days before T left Nantes. I certainly meant to keep my promise to this Indv. How could T keon mv promise when I was in had health? I thank, God I met my present wife,

who has helped me through three severe illnesses."

When tho jury returned their verdict Grant said: "She'll have to wait a long time before she gets it. I have no money to pay it."