Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-11-08
ARoMAlWE ENDED.
The Sad Ending to a Touching
Story Of Unselfish Devo-
ton.

About a year ago the Times con-
tanned the story, SO far as it had then
progressed, of one of the most re-
markablc cases of womanly ambition
and manly and unsclfish love ever
told. To briefly recapitulatc the
facts: Some five years ago Licutcn-
ant Philip Reade, young army Off
Ger, while attending church in Topc-
ka. Kansas, one Sunday. heard in the
choir voice so sweet and musical, so
tenderly sympathetic that his soul
was touched TO know more of the
sweet singer. He sought for acquaint-
ancc, was introduced, aid found a
young lady struggling against the
hardships Of pccuniary misfortune TO
make Roadway. She was ambitious
to 60 abroad and study under great
masters in the foreign land of poetry
and song. Her genius, her aspira-
tons, and more than all, the nobility
of her character and her modest
worth, found ready admiration in the
mind of the young officer. He made
her cause his own, and SO readily re-
spondcd to every aspiration Of her
young life that he pledged his own
fortune to enable her to go to ITALY
and there finish her musical cduca-
| ton in the best school of Florence and
Milan. Poor in purse, but rich in
womanly pride, she declined to &C.
cept the gift ofso much money. Alone
and with the aid of money earned in
local concerts and private tuition, she
visited Boston, and further progressed
toward the fame which she longcd To
achieve. Her refusal to accept money
increased rather than diminished the
young officers regard for her, and he
renewed the offer of aid to Minnie
Beals, for such was her name, with a
propose! of marriage. They were
married in New York one morning
more than four years ago. From the
church the two went down to the
wharf, and Mt noon the fair bride
sailed for Italy, while the husband
started for Arizona, where he had
been ordered ON military duty. Ere
quent letters brought him tidings OF
her success. Her voice was like ;
"string of pearls said one renowned
Iimprcssario. Time wore on and sht
made her debut in the finest theatre
of Florence to dense assemblage o.
music lovers. Fortune seemed Il
lsmilc, and she secured an engagement
Ito sing in the leading theaters of Eu.
rope. Her singing in Constantinopl
elected the highest praise from tn,
press and the populace.
Having achieved this high and rar
success, the aim of her intense ant
laudible ambition having been real
lied, the heart of the bride turned TO
!. ward her devoted husband and he
western home. She fixed the date Q
J her departure from Italy early in Nc
vembcr. The husband, who had bee
ordered from San Francisco to Sal
, Diego. where he has charge Of a Mil
itary Tclegraphic construction part,
was looking forward with hi 9Th al
ticipations to a loving wife and a haI
py home. which only so true and Ill
= selfish heart as his can fully apprt
ciate. when one day a cable dispatc
was handed him. Brief as il was,
blasted his life. 1t read thus:
FLORENCE. italy To Philip Readc: MINI
died Sept. eth.
I That was all. And that is all-ul
!. less in the Hereafter there be SON
recompensc for the grand generosit
n which i'm this world finds no retur
q but utter bereavement and measurele
n grief.