Early Career
A few years later, while in Omaha, Nebraska, Rose met a young Virginian named Gray Latham. Visiting O'Neill in New York City, Latham continued writing to her when she went to Missouri to see her family. After Latham's father went to Mexico to make films, he went to Bonniebrook in 1896. Concerned with the welfare of her family, O'Neill sent much of her paycheck home to her family. With it her family built a 14-room mansion.
In the following years O'Neill became unhappy with Latham, as he liked "living large", including gambling, and was known as a playboy. With very expensive tastes, O'Neill found that Latham had taken her paychecks and spent them on himself. After having her money stolen by Latham, O'Neill moved to Taney County, Missouri where she filed for divorce in 1901, moving to Bonniebrook permanently.
After a short period of time O'Neill began receiving anonymous letters and gifts in the mail, eventually learning they were coming from an assistant editor at Puck. She married Harry Leon Wilson in 1902. After a honeymoon in Colorado they moved to Bonniebrook where they lived for the next several winters. During the first three years Harry wrote a novel, for which Rose drew illustrations. One of Harry's later novels, Ruggles of Red Gap, became popular and was made into several motion pictures, including a silent movie, a "talkie" starring Charles Laughton, and then a remake called Fancy Pants starring Lucille Ball and Bob Hope. Harry and Rose divorced in 1907.
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