Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-09-30
A Foolish Young Wife.

posted at one of our principal hotels a
young and beautiful girl about nineteen
years of age. She had no baggage and
was apparently in great distress. 1t
was with trembling and chOked voice
that she gave her name to the night
Clerk and desired to be shown to a
room. In the morning the landlady OF
the hotel waited upon her, and after
considerable difficulty elected the fol
lowing history of her troubles: Her
name she gave as Etha Adams. She
had left her parents home, near Lima,
Sandusky county, Ohio, one week ago,
the restless, dissatisfied bride of a
young farmer, who had been given to
her as her husband They had been
schoolmates together in childhood, but
of late years they had been separated,
she attending school at Oberlin, he
working on his father's farm The
marriage was not Objectionable TO her,
neither was it her choice. The young
couple were married and took the train
at Norwalk for Cleveland, where they
took passage via the lakes for Chicago,
intending, As she states, TO visit some
friends OF her husband near Elgin, Hi
noiS
The steamer was crowded with gay
and festive cosmopolitan crowd, includ-
ing preachers, gamblers, farmers, trad
erS, tourists and "Schoolmarms. The
evenings were long and pleasant and
the company sociable. In the party on
board were party from Buffalo. among
whom was a good looking, well dressed
youth, not more than twenty-five years
of age, TO whom the young wife was IN
troduced George ID. Rankin and
Mrs Adams" soon became very friend
", and to pass the evenings away Mrs
Adams, who had been nurtured i'll the
lap of tree-lOveism, proposed a game OF
"Planchctte. The mysterious board
was produced, and as she says, lit
worked to a charm. They played with
the trinket every evening upon the cab
in table, and from it she learned that
Mr. Rankin was her true husband, and
that nothing should intervene TO keep
them separate. Through the miSchiey-
ous "Planchctte' Rankin planned IN
elopemcnt at Milwaukee, and flight to
his friends in Colorado The StOld
young farmer, busy with the fast youths
on the torecastle and deck, noticed moth
ing unusual in the close intimacy be
tween his Etha and young New Yorker,
nor did he suspect anything when she
asked and obtained from him his well
filled pocket book. The New Yorker
and Mrs Adams took short walk
while the steamer touched at Milwaukee
and of course forgot to return y fast
night train carried them TO Chicago,
and then on to Quincy, where they tar
ricd in concealmcnt to watch for and
elude pursuit While there Rankin oh.
tanned possession of her money, ahhoun
ting to nearly $1,000, and exchanged a
worthless gilt ring fora valuable dia
mond one-a gift from her mother
They continued their journey on Mon
day, and all went well until they reached
Cameron, when her affinity" Rankin
left her as he said, 'for few minute,
TO smoke in forward car" He did not
return; the train moved on, but he came
not. Mrs. Adams became anxious; she
called the conductor; he had note for
her, written on one of Rankins own
cards. Ii read:
DEAR GIRL-I am called suddenly
away from you. Return to your "hub-
by" at Elgin until | call for you. Au
revoir. GEORGE
The train brought the shamc-stricken
wife to Kansas City without baggage or
means to return home Her dream OF
love was suddenly broken, her cup OF
Joy dashed aside, and she now realizes
the first bitter lesson of human dcprayi-
ty and the folly of "Planchette.
Fortunately, she remembered that
her mother had friends living in the
city, and yesterday, by the aid of the
police, found one of them in Mr. ID. Z.
Jamison, proprietor of a railroad boar
ing house in the Bottom. There she
will remain until her husband calls or
sends for her
Tur \Nnu,S ppopt Dprss Tho