The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-30
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
plucky Conduct of Young Massaehu-
sets Girl.

actual fact is richer in material Tor nctlon |
than the deepest recesses of the most Ter
tile Imagination In 1875 woman came |
to me and told me the following remarka-
bic tale:
I'm 1861. when | was still in school and |
but Is wears of age, was living with my
parents in Massachusetts town BOARD
ing with them was young man Win
whom associated considerably. One day
we were sleigh-riding in nelghDoring
town tope Their, when he made me propo-
sition of marriage and Iged its immediate
acceptance and execution. After some
hesitation | consented, and we went at
once to the nearest minister, who tied for
ms the matrimonial knot. No one saw US
save the minister and wife. both of whom
were over 20 wears of age, and TO whom we
were entire strangers We came back
then to my parents house, but told them
not word of what had happened Cs-
tensibly we lived as before, but secretly IN
orr new relations of husband and wife.
After a few weeks / mustered up. courage
enough to sound my mother for the pur-
pose of ascertaining how she would re-
ceive the news of our marriage should we
reveal it, So strong dislike did she ex
press regarding my husband when limited
at the possibility of becoming such, that
mvcoarage vanished. and l gave up all hope
of renewing the subject. But the neces-
sity promptly taking some decisive step
was soon made apparent to me. At this
iuncture, my husband saying that he had
ACCOMPLISHED his intentions aud satisfied
his designs, basely and heartlessly deserted
me and enlisted in the army. what was
to do? After much thought l decided to
oct leave of absence from home on some
Dretext or other. So | asked the permits
sion OF my parents, when summer arrived,
to spend my vacation at the nome OF
schoolmate in Vermont town. They
consented. and | went to a town of moder
ate size in Vermont, where | was utterly
unacouainted and had no schoolmate what
ever Arriving at the station | asked t.
he driven to the doctors, and in his office
told him of my sad situation, and asked
him to find q quiet place in which to board.
He was very kind and did for me these
things and more. But concealed my
identity from him and everybody else.
Only the people with whom l boarded
knew of my presence in the town. Finally
nv child was born, and adopted by gen
tlenau and lady whose kind offices had
been secured by the doctor, but who knew
nothing of me. Then | wrote to my par
ents, saying that had been sick, though
not seriously, and had lost good deal OF
a..
to travel did soon return, and no one
has ever suspected the object of my jour
ney. | graduated from school and am
now employed as bookkeeper in store IN
this city No one dreams that l am
married woman, and you are the only
person to whom have told any portion of
nv story. Since my child was born the
only external reminder that / have had OF
nv experience occurred one day when /
was startled by the entrance into the store
where am employed of the couple who
adopted my child, accompanied by the
child itself; and l assure you that when the
little one picked up some tri1e from the
lady and said to me, "Can have that,
Lady?' it was the most trying moment OF
nv life. and only with the greatest exer-
ton did / retain my self-control.
But why dc you come to me with your
story at this late day." interrupted L.
What can I do for your
'Simplv because" she answered, my
| husband from whom / had never heard
since he enlisted in 1861. appeared before
me about a week ago and demanded recog
milton of his relationship. l refused to
have ANYTHING to do with him, since which
he has been harrassing and annoying me
in every possible way, and live In fear
that nv poor mother, now an Invalid, viii
in some way learn the facts and die in con
sequence of the shock. I come to you,
sir to learn if there is a way by which
to avoid this calamity"
81 considered the matter, and finally
advised her to leave the city on a
vacation of thirty days, telling no one
where she was going, except her mother,
to whom she should give such reasons for
her departure as would disarm suspicion.
A few DAYS later she came to my office
about 9 O'Clock in the morning and said
that she was to leave for New Hampshire
| on the II O'Clock train that day. She
went. but three DAYS afterward appeared
apaip in nv office, much to my surprise.
e.What are you doing here again?" asked
! l.
.tShe replied: "You advised me better
than YOU knew. left, as I said would,
nv the II o'clock train. When it reached
| a certain CITY where all the trains stop, n
stranger entered the car in which / sat
and anked in a loud voice, Is Miss -----
! in this carp The name that he mentioned
| was nv own ] was much startled. but
| felt at once that my husband had noticed
| nv departure and the direction of my jour
| nev and had followed me. However, not
wishing to play the coward after a fourteen
wears struggle for independence, | re-
| solved to face the music, and responded
| to the strangers question. Follow me,
| he said, somewhat peremptorily / obeyed.
and he conducted me to buggy drawn by
a pair of horses foamingawith sweat. We
got in, and he drove off at tremendous
| rate. not saying werd. Finally he stop
/ .>o5 hofara q houap which he told me tn