St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-20

SI ried the other
~ morning, it was the
second time that he
and the frail woman by his side had
taken upon themselves the VOWS which
| made them one. The romance of their
lives is like the imagining of fertile
Drained stOry-writer, and is one more
| striking proof that truth is stranger
| than fiction.
1t was in June, 1857, that George Lin
hard, promising young farmer of
| twenty-one, who had inherited from his
father what was snug little fortune in
| those days, first began his addresses to
Ada Sedgeley, a farmers daughter of
sixteen, who was then one of the rural
bellies of Stark county. She seemed to
favor him until dashing young South
erner, named Henry Sealman, who
claimed to belong to one of the best
families of South Carolina, appeared in
the neighborhood and became rival of
| the honest young farmer for her hand.
| Then she seemed to forget that Lin
hard~eyer existed, and his suit would
| have Jared badly but for Ada's
father, who brought such pressure
| to bear upon his fair daughter
that she at length unwillingly consented
to become Linhard's wife. 1t was very
evident, however, that her infatuation
for Sealman was complete. The latter
seemed greatly affected by the loss Of
his sweetheart, and disappeared shortly
before the wedding.
The honeymoon had scarcely passed
| when Mrs. Linhard received a letter
purportlng to come from an old school
mate, who had gone to reside in Illinois,
and who urged the newly made bride to
| pay her visit. With her husbands
consent Mrs. Linhard left home oStensi-
oily for that purpose, but never from
that time until to-day was she seen in
the vicinity of her old home.
When the time set for her return had
passed, her husband and her father
made effort to find her, but without
avail.
Three years passed by and then the
deserted husband married again.
The father of the missing bride had
never recovered from the shock of his
daughters disappearance, and had died
brOken-hearted man within a wear
after its occurrence, leaving to his SON
ln-laW property amounting to 10000
all he pOSSeSSed-With the condition
that the legatee should never relax his
efforts to find his missing wife. and
that when found, no matter how great
her otfenses might have been, he should
make suitable provision for her.
When the civil war broke out in 1861
Linhard was one of the first three.
years men enlisted from Ohio. He
passed unScathed through many battles,
but at Gettysburg he received what the
surgeons feared would prove mortal
wound. His wife, whose tenderness
and truth had consoled him for the dis.
appointment and unhappinesS of his
first marriage, fastened from her coun-
try home to her husbands bedside, and
during the long weeks that he lowered
between life and death, nursed him with
unremitting devotion. He at length re-
covered sufficiently to be taken home,
and when another month had passed he
rejoined his regiment and served to the
end of the war.
His wife'S health had been under
mined by her long vigil at his bedside.
She fell into a slow and gradual decline,
and not long after Lees army had sur
rendered and her husband had been
mustered out of service. she died.
Wireless for the second time, George
Linhard seemed to lose interest in all
things around him, and in his great grief
to shrink from all human companion
ship.
For the past twenty years he has been
silent, solitary man, trusting the con
duct of his affairs almost wholly to
nephew whom he had adopted, and
whose young wife was the only other
inmate of his quiet household.
A few weeks ago there was placed in
his hands letter addressed to his dead
father-in-law.
AT sight of the familiar handwriting
he trembled and grew pale.
1t was from the long absent wife OF
his youth.
Hastily breaking the seal. he read that
che n rThn a
her wretched life, prayed her fathers
forgiveness and implored him to take
her back to his heart and home.
The letter was dated at st. Louis, and
within few hours Linhard was on his
way to that city. What passed between
husband and wife at their first meeting
is, of course, known only to themselves.
1t has since been learned that Mrs. Lin
hard eloped with Sealman, who over
came her scruples by an Indiana divorce
and marriage with him. After a few
years of wretchedness and poverty lie
had cruelty abandoned her and she had
gradually sunk lower and lower until al
last she had resolved, like the prodiga
son, to arise and go to her father.
The sight of his first sweetheart and
wife, whose memory, in spite of him.
self, Linhard had fondly cherished in
his heart throughout the long years, re-
kindled all the ardent passion of his
youth.
He forgot and forgave everything,
and in the dusty little room which
Squire Ormond calls his office, George
Linhard and Ada Sedgeley repeated the
same VOWS of love and constancy that
they had made to each other three de
cades ago.
Despite the long years of suffering
through which she has come to peace
and rest at last, Mrs. Linhard'S face i:
a beautiful one still.