On Tuesday, July 24, 1934, Charles O’Keefe came to a decision and contacted the newspapers. Day after day had stretched on endlessly in Clementon, New Jersey, but not a word of news had come from his wife, Elizabeth. He had no idea where she was or what had happened to her.

The following morning Camden’s Morning Post ran the story, along with Elizabeth’s picture.

“The woman, Mrs. Elizabeth May O’Keefe, 28, of 53 Woodland avenue, has been missing since 4:30 p.m. last Friday, when she left her home to visit her ill sister in the West Jersey Homeopathic Hospital. She was last seen by her father-in-law as she was waiting for a bus at the White Horse pike, Clementon.”

When his wife failed to come home Friday night, Charles had pleaded for help from authorities in Philadelphia, Camden, and the state of New Jersey.  The police had checked with the hospital, of course, and learned that Elizabeth had never reached the hospital. “Relatives and friends of the woman were questioned, but gave no clues as to her whereabouts,” the article continued. “All Philadelphia and Camden hospitals were searched with the thought the woman may have been stricken ill on her journey.”

This news sent Charles O’Keefe into a tailspin. He had no idea why his wife would leave home voluntarily and he didn’t believe that she had. She only had a little money in her purse. He worried that his wife had met with foul play.

The papers described Elizabeth as 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 139 pounds. In her picture, she has beautiful finger waves in her hair. “She is of stocky build and has blue eyes and light brown hair. She was wearing a blue dress and hat with a veil, light shoes and stockings and was carrying a bundle.”

Who knows what was going through the mind of Charles when he read over the Morning Post article on Wednesday morning, five days after his wife’s disappearance. He was probably praying he would learn some news about her.

And, some news came. We don’t know how it arrived. Maybe someone telephoned him or stopped by his house.  But someone somehow brought him tidings of Elizabeth.

This brings us to the conclusion of the story from Thursday’s Morning Post.

“Mrs. Elizabeth May O’Keefe, 28, of 53 Woodland avenue, Clementon, reported missing by her husband, a coal and ice dealer, Friday, was located yesterday in Atlantic City. The husband, Charles O’Keefe, said he traced his wife to an Atlantic City hotel through a postcard she sent to a girlfriend.

“‘I located her today, and she said she had felt she wanted a vacation,'” O’Keefe explained, adding that his wife accompanied him home.”

I couldn’t find anything more about this couple but I think Mrs. O’Keefe’s return qualifies as a happy ending to the story! I will say, I bet the conversation on the way home from Atlantic City was really interesting.

Merry Christmas all!