Afraid to ask her parents' permission or seek the waiver, Bell either obtained an illegal abortion or induced one herself and died of complications from the procedure, or else died following a spontaneous abortion which might have been triggered by pneumonia.
Afraid to ask her parents' permission or seek the waiver, Bell most likely obtained an illegal abortion or induced one herself and died of complications from the procedure. Less likely is that she died following a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) which might have been triggered by pneumonia.