A Mysterious Romance, Part 2

When Ima went to Colorado in August 1905, so did Willis Reeve. He wrote a note to her on Cliff House stationery (undated, as was his habit), when she was late for a dinner date:          

You know I thought we were to go to dinner at six & get an early start--You certainly had better hurry or else you’ll incur my terrible wrath--

         WR

6:45

         Ima saved this note, along with his others. Presumably she went to dinner. She had a good time in Manitou--until Mr. Reeve left. She wrote to her brother Mike:

All my fun is over. Have been having a dandy gay time for the last ten days, but—boo hoo—everybody I know left yesterday and before. Had been to a dance every night for ages. . . .

Mr. Reeve was up a few days but went away some where with his sisters.

When Willis Reeve returned to Houston, his and Ima’s mutual friend, W. G. Harris, wrote to Ima, referring to a teasing letter he and Reeve had written to her earlier, saying that they had been “both so overcome & grief stricken over your absence we knew not what we did and are really not responsible for what we said.” (Alas, that letter has not been located.)

         In the fall of 1905 Ima saw more of “Renn,” which seems to have been a nickname for Willis Reeve. Among the Ima Hogg papers are several dance programs: the Annual Dance of the University German Club” on November 30, 1905, at the Driskill Hotel, a dance at Protection Hall December 7, and a cotillion program December 22 at Concordia Hall. The last two events were evidently debutante balls. Ima’s Concordia Hall dance card shows that she danced the first dance with “Renn.” She also danced twice more with him, and three with W.G. Harris.

         What became of Willis B. Reeve?