The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-10-18
A Strange Romance.

k&&-F@&EESEE - uA1&&V AWMkAAAAAA00N A85&ssS%S
From The AtIauta Constitution
Dr.. Hardin, as his name shall Be for
this occasion [now dead, had but
lately arrived in Americus, Ga. from
Savannah. Being q gentlemen Of pol
ished address he soon found admis-
sion into the best circles Of society.
md at once became indispensable
all social gatherings. With the ladies
he was q prime favorite. With one in
particular he formed close friend.
ship, for it developed that he had
fought in the trenches with her broth
er, and it was into his arms that the
wounded man fell, when he was stag.
gered by the bullet which caused his
death.
One day Miss Julia, with her widow
ed mother, went out on that most
important duty of a woman's life
the purchase of a bridal trosseau.
Society had pretty well guessed the
curse of affairs. Congratulations
poured in upon the young lady, all OF
which she accepted with becoming
modesty. The groom expectant, how
ever, acted mysteriously. He never
made reference to the happy affair
with which his name was linked.
When a friend congratulated him he
looked puzzled, but offered no invita-
ton to proceed. s. F"
Thus weeks passed, until the date
popurlarly supposed to have been set
for the nuptials had gone by. The
doctor moved about the city in his
usual u%nconcern. The younglady held
her grief and disappointment sacred,
and ventured no word of censure or
complaint. In fact the mystery be.
came SO great that the question as to
whether the couple had ever been en-
gagged or not became one ofviolent 10.
cal agitation. .-...".
The soldier friends OF the young
lady's brother, feeling that she was
without male protection, determined
that she should not be impos edupon.
They met, to the number of a dozen,
late one evening, by the cotton ware.
house of Harold & Johnson, and
agreed to call or the doctor and get
an explanation. They reached his
room, and were told that he had gone
out not five minutes beforefo a walk,
and would not be back until after mid
night. In order to fill in the time un.
til that hour, the party went to Miss
Julia's house to consult her about the
matter. They were surprised to find
the doctor there, while near him sat
the young lady in tears.
One OF the men, maddened at the
doctors icy indifference, rushed over
to him and grasping him by the
shoulder, shook him violently, The
doctor yawned deeply; he arose, and
rubbed his eyes, and looking around
him in the utmost b~ewilderment,
asked:
elbow came I here? This is so very
strange. I went to bed in myroom at
8 o'clock, and thought until this mo,
ment that I was still there"
He was a somnambulistl
In the talk which followed the whole
matter was made plain. After hav.
ing visited Miss Julia twice, he began
coming at 8 o'clock, when he was not
expected. His name was somewhat
stiff and formal, but he pressed his
suit with perseverance,. He would
never make the remotest reference to
any other subject. He neve thought
OF leaving until a few minutes before
1 in the morning. His late hour in
coming, his late hour in leaving, al
ways seemed strange, but as his be-
havior was most circumspect, it
was not thought of after the
first few nights. Thus he proposed,
was accepted, and thedate appointed,
and passed it over. In his waking
hours he had no recollection whatever
of the events of the night before.
After the matter had been thus
made plain, the doctor said:
"Now, Miss Julia, since all this has
transpired in my sleep, Imay as well
tell you that your image has been i'm
pressed upon my heart all along. VIII
you consent again to my proposal
It was too plain that no opposition
existed there. Soon the license was
procured, the minister called in, and
the happy pair made one.
But one chapter more remains to
be told. When the yellow,fever broke
out in Savannah with such virulence
about ten years ago, DR.. Hardin was
once OF the most jealous in waiting up.
on the sick in that city. He never re.
fused the call of duty. At last he, too,
succumbed to the dread destroyer,
and he now sleeps with the silent ma.
jority.