Smyrna times., 1868-12-09
.DISceIIUn eOUS.
The Romance of Bankruptcy

Under the above caption the St. Louis Re
publican tells a rather sensational story, which
we cOndenSe as follows
who is it. that does not remember the fnan-
cial crash of 1867? Many of our most enter
prsing merchants had to succumb to the pres
sure ofthe time. Among them was merchant
whom we shall call Smith His real name,
and some of the circumstances we are about to
relate, will doubtless be recollected by many
in St. Louis even to-day. lie kept an exten-
sive mercantile establishment on street,
and by his enterprise and promptitude won the
confidence of the best houses in the East and
| West.
He had young wife and three little child
ren. They lived i'll a neat little villa in fash
ionabe portion of the city, and the ncighbors
said that happier family did not exist in the
State of Missouri.
'lhe crash came; his debtors were unable
to meet his calls, and, as a consequence, he
was unable TO meet the demands of his credit
ors His first resolve was to make over the
villa to his wife and family and secure an an
nuity Of 5000 year for the support of herself
and children, and leave the city secretly. So
one night he sailed forth, determined to re-
build his fallen fortunes or perish in the at
tempt. PrOclamatiOns and rewards were of
no avail, and the universal verdict was, 'mys-
terious disappearance.
"Mrs Smith mourned her husband as dead
for two years. till she wisely concluded it was
useless to mourn any more, so she decided to
receive the long proffered attentions of VIM.
Bradford, an old bachelor, a companion of her
late husband.
But her happiness was not destined to be
perpetual, for VIM. Bradford was afflicted with
! consumption, and died during the last spring,
4 leaving his wife for the second time widow.
To her and his children fell his business, which
she converted into cash, realizing a sum that
: placed herself and her children in easy circum-
: stances.
During all these years what became O.
Smith? He made his way to Montana, anC
worked in the mines, where his intelligence
and enterprise soon put him on the road tt
N wealth Some years after he went there The
y small pox broke out among the miners, ant
n he caught the infection, from which he recov
= cred, but so pitted that his mother would no
have known him.
Last spring he struck rich vein, and be
Of held in the bags of gold dust around him enOug
in to liqudate all claims against him, and plac
"a himself and his famiy-lf they still were II
U. existence-in luxury for the rest of their days
ii, He sold out, packed up, and reached st. Loui
hbe y; about the lst of June.
is; "Preserving an incognito, he inquired fC
on on Mrs. Smith. Nobody knew her or knew @
her.
of ''At length he met person who was ac
S en- duainted with the circumstances Mrs Smith
IN second marriage and when Mrs. Bradford WI
be pointed out to him he recognized the form an
hss features of his long-lOst wife after some di
it it fculty he obtained an introduction to her, an
conceaIing his name and the knowledge of b
ted immense wealth, he woOcd and won her. 81
en- gave her consent to be his on the promise tn
al. the children of the two previous marrlag
should be well treated by him.
/ a ''On last Thursday evening, in the old will
nee a clergyman was summoned to tie the nupti
ing knot when the real name OF the new suit
sns s6e aud his former relationship were disclose
Of and, although the bride tainted, Il was ha
nee py reunion. lie was happy 10 see MS cnllue
'OV well grown in body, soul and intelligence in t
her intervening eleven years.
ait. sRt "The facts, which We have learned from {
and clergyman who performed the ceremony, are
the romance that beats Enoch Arden all to pieces