Show r WOMAN MAN STORY IS DISCOVERED IN CAll TO ARMS Posed for Seven Years as Husband of Her Sister LIFE IS MADE EASIER Colonel Who Vho Hears Case Declares Her to Be Bea Bea a ua Little Brick By l MARY BOYLE OREILLY Special Cable to The Tel Telegram gram LONDON Sept 23 The The wars war's most romantic story and andone andone one of the strangest is that of the woman man-woman Alice Francom whose secret of living two years I as a man was discovered only when she confessed it on on the eve of her medical examination to join the troops In Flanders I 1 am only the first of or many million workers who know life Is easier for a aman aman aman man than for a woman was the plea of the woman man-woman before the military tribunal and she was dismissed with sympathy and praise Seven years ago at the age of 25 she had married in Lancashire a carman carman carman car car- man who proved worthless After five miserable years her second baby having havIng having hav hav- ing died she decided to leave All she asked was that he leave her alone He lie unwilling to be thrown on his own support hunted and persecuted his young wife Friendless and frightened Alice sought Bought refuge with her sister only to learn that the poor girl facing disgrace disgrace disgrace dis dis- dis- dis grace in the immediate future was secretly planning to leave home The two determined to disappear to together together together to- to gether and to cover their trail Alice decided to masquerade as a man Short slight with a high pitched voice and fine tine hair cut short she was able to defy dery In 1912 women left Liverpool Li and a a. young man with his wife landed in London and took lodgings And Alice now Albert I Francom rancom learned that as a a man she had a a. far wider choice of jobs and could earn better wages for less work worl Also she found employers more willing to teach male their trade her Berts boss never suspecting identity taught her and andas andas andas as a man she was able to act as superIntendent superintendent superintendent super super- of the shop She made a good foreman and got the work done on time Presently she commanded good wages and rose rapidly in her employers employer's esteem After the birth of or the sisters sister's baby the family rented a little home The childs child's mother kept house bouse use and daddy earned a living for all Then came the war and the national registration act To tell the truth meant loss of wages home security The woman man-woman registered as Albert Francom 32 married with a wife and child dependent upon him Then he was called up for service but his employer appealed for his exemption l as an indispensable man This appeal refused a yellow ticket was sent the disguised woman She rec received it as a godsend realizing that thata a separation allowance would support her sister and the baby and that she in Flanders would be safe from her husbands husband's search Next day Albert Francom was ordered ordered ordered or or- dered up for examination before a medical board She obeyed without protest believing the examination su su- su Ten minutes In barracks proved her mistaken and she nervously nervously nervously ner ner- asked to be examined in vate But military doctors docto who pass men daily dally have no time for faddists The doctors refused The man broke down and confessed herself a woman Pending investigation of her extraordinary extraordinary extraordinary story she was officially de do- tamed Military police presently proved the truth of her statements The Tho womans woman's second I interview with the military authorities was different different dif dlf- dif dif- ferent from her first A colonel who heard the case declared her a little brick and wished her many years of happiness After four y years ars of happy prosperity as a a. man Alice Francom a woman worker of more than ordinary ability with some difficulty found a situation in the Midlands There she sho was immediately joined by her sister and the baby BUT tho the three had to go back to lodgings For even In wartime a working woman In England cannot earn as much as a working man |