(2 of 3)
Scoop No. 3 came last week from news-writing Newbold Noyes, a second cousin by marriage of Mrs. Simpson, a son of sedate President Frank Brett Noyes of the Associated Press, and a part-owner and associate editor of the Washington Star. About a month ago he cabled Cousin Wallis, asking if he could be of service to King Edward and herself. She cabled Cousin Newbold to come on over. He dined in Mrs. Simpson's London house on the night of his arrival with her chaperon Aunt Bessie. Cousin Wallis was spending the weekend in the country with King Edward. After dinner, conscientious Aunt Bessie left Mr. Noyes in London and drove out to stay Monday night under the same roof as the King & Mrs. Simpson.
On Tuesday, Cousin Newbold was in vited to dinner at Fort Belvedere by the King. They dined about 8 o'clock in the evening and that afternoon the Bishop of Bradford had just uttered the fatal words about His Majesty's lack of church-going which brought Mrs. Simpson into British newspapers as the King's intended wife and occasioned His Majesty's abdication ten days later. Cousin Newbold found Cousin Wallis "still as gay, still as witty, but now she smiles more often than she laughs . . . diamonds and rubies . . . two orchids . . . bruised and sick at heart . . . ripened and matured. . . . She is 39 years old, other reports to the contrary. . . . She hates cats and flying and sham and winter sports (although she has tried them in company with the ex-King).
The King as he then still was, entered in the kilt, refused the old-fashioneds prepared by Mrs. Simpson and addressed her Aunt Bessie as "Aunt Bessie," Mrs. Simpson addressed the King as "Sir," according to Cousin Newbold who presently gave King Edward his "professional opinion" that 70% of all U. S. newspaper stories about Mrs. Simpson had been favorable.
Cried the red-liveried butler: "His Majesty's dinner is served!"
The King directly and gravely told Cousin Newbold of the "impossibility of contracting a morganatic marriage in England, of his resolve at any cost to marry Mrs. Simpson, and by implication of the impossibility that she should be Queen. The only remaining course was abdication and His Majesty's intention was made perfectly clear.
In very much lighter vein—and this cousin Newbold reserved for the fourth daily installment of his account, tucking it away unobtrusively—King Edward later evinced what seemed to be the part-owner of the Star a sense of humor "American" rather than "English." His Majesty was graciously pleased to utter to Mrs. Simpson's second cousin by marriage these words, related by Cousin Newbold as a merry royal jest:
"I understand that in your country there are certain marriages where the bridegroom has to be—shall we say, cajoled. You didn't by any chance bring a shotgun with you, did you?"
A shotgun was no part of cousin Newbold's equipment and in the most positive manner he affirmed over each dispatch which he wrote and syndicated and on landing in the U.S. last week that "both the King and Mrs. Simpson have authorized this series." It was Scoop No. 3.