Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-07-12
FLIRA's TWO HUSBANDS.
she WAS Happy with Either and Mar
ri"d Them Both-A Georgia Girls
DileuIuln.

S"me time ago, says correspondent OF The
..c0 YOrt San, there was a marriage in
Blacks 5. c., between DIR. Atkinson, prosper
Gus young physician OF Chester, and Miss
F""ence Little, II handsome aud fascinating
Young lady of Blacks. The marriage had on
cue occasion been declared off, because on the
wedding day Miss Little had absented herself
with Augustus Mintz, youth of % Akin
son went to his home, but was induced to re-
lurn bv the fascinating girl, and he married
ler. The day after the marriage Augustus
Mintz published IA statement that Mrs Atlxin-
son was his legal wife, and he produced the
marriage certificate Mrs. Atkinson denied
this, but the doctor instituted an investiga-
ton, and in the meantime he and his bride
of three days occupied separate apartments.
His investigation proved nothing, and for
three weeks he lived in happiness with his
bride. At the end OF this time she confessed
that lie was not his wife, and that she had
married Mtntz, but had never lived with him
as man and wife. DR.. Atkinson sent her
home
Young Mntz did not know of the marriage
OF his wife until the morning afterward, and
then he refused TO make an attempt to get
her back. He has just written statement
which shows he married Miss Little on the
evening she was to have married Atkinson.
He says:
From the many reports in circulation
through the press as 10 my marriage 10 Miss
Florence Little, am prompted, In justice to
myself, to make n true statement of the facts.
| have always known her. from which nv &C.
quaintance ripened and matured into love
that was no boyish whip. Miss Little is OF q
| respectable family, a woman OF beauty and
many attractions. She was reared an orphan;
that heightened and excited my sympathy,
! and, from our engagement one year ago, l felt
there was bright future for me, which was
inspiring aud an incentive to every act OF my
life. Alasi the heart believed SO true and
gentle proved false as my story will relate.
Not a word ever fell from her lips, nor an act
OF hers led me TO believe my love was not re-
ciprecated, and always felt that was in the
enjoyment Of that confidence, aud that pos.
sessed the love OF one OF whom / was little
worthy. Dr. Atkinson, IN the meantime, paid
frequent visits to his uncle, Allen b. Crosby,
OF Blacks, where Miss Little spent part Of her
time with her sister, Mrs. Jacob b. Ross.
When they became acquainted his attention
TO her seemed To be no more than politeness
would require.
ION Jan. q received a note from Miss
Little from Gatfeny City, saying she must see
Inc at once. | could not from her refuse such
summons, and the next day / met her at
Mr. Bryan Bouners, and went with her TO
| Mrs. Mary LOcKhart's her sister, who lived
few miles In the country. She seemed sad all
the while; but soon those black eyes softened
into liquid beauties, when she sobbed aloud
aud said The task Is too great TO tell GU.
am TO be married to anothcr!" Then her
weeping gre" more bitter. Sue again spoke,
saying:
"'Can be the instrument OF violating an
| obligation which has been so sacred that l
| have felt our happiness and success IN life
depe uded upon It! Can | break the golden
linki Dear Gus, forgive me. | only am to
blame. l don't know myself Ny wrong
can not account Tor. Forgiveness from you
will make me happy again your happy Flor.
ence'
''This was so astounding that it dumfound-
| ed me. When sufficiently recovered myself
| asked who my rival was. She said: DIR At
kiDson, of Chester. MY ties To you are the
Oldest She reiterated: Forgive me.
liked all men that loved felt myself kneel-
| lug at the shrine TO pay homage TO the power
| OF love. The link, suddenly broken, was sud-
denly welded in fervent love. Iold'her the
only obstacle to our marriage before this was
| NV youthfulness, aud want of completing my
| education. We then discussed the feast
bility OF clandestine marriage, until this
| could be accomplished, which was agreed up
| Ou, anu IeIuTncu 10 DldCkb WIN the
| purpose OF revealing nv plans to my parents.
| But the Idea of consulting them on such
| course, or even marrying at all at my age and
not at all prepared for the arduous duties OF
life, to break such a subject upon the kind
| ears OF my parents, weighed SO heavily that
my heart failed within me.
ION Jan. 80 received a note again to come
| to my brOken-hearted Florence: Come, and
come at once. Dr. Atkinson will be here on
the evening train l, with my friend J. d.
! Goforth, In a vehicle with a splendid pair of
horses, drove against time, reaching Gaffenv
City at 10 o'clock A. NJ l addressed note
| from McKeon's hotel TO Miss Little at the
residence Of Mrs. Lumden saying that /
would see her. When l met her In the par
| lor at Mrs. Lumden's with a pair of horses
at the gate, asked her to take ride with
me. She said:
"'Gus, have Just been advised BY lady
friend not TO ride out with you, but l will 60
at all hsZards'
"Seizing her hat we were soon in the We
| hicle and fast left Gaffney City behind us.
We drove around the classic hills OF Lime
stone Springs, this once beautiful summer
resort until IL grew late, discussing the stu
/ alton, she all the while avowing her devotion
| to me, and that every throb OF her heart gave
me its genuineness and sincerity. She re-
marked, us we approached where the roads
| separated, where the final conclusion was to
be had and the final step taken:
"This left hand leads to Gaffney City and
| the right to the Rev. Mr.. Carters.'
| 81 suggested that the road To Gaffney City
| was the Atkinson road, and the road to Rev.
Mr. Carter's was the Mintz road, and, placing
the lines In her hands, | said: Drive the
| road of your choice. She gracefully refined
the tenn into the Mintz road After driving
a short space seized the lines aud drove rap
idly 10 the Rev. Mr. Carter's, where ] reveal
ed to the reverend gentleman the object Of
| my unceremonous cal! lie consented, and,
on leaving the house he said: Il arm going out
to kill snakes The old lady, having her sus
picions, followed close by and Law In ambush,
and was u witness TO all the proceedings
"While in the buggy just Mt dark, Rev. j.
q. Carter performed the marriage ceremony
between myself aud Miss Florence Little. At
this moment nature very appropriately drew
the dark curtain around as the clandestine
marriage was performed, and then the queen
~ orb arose In the eastern horizon aud threw
its sllvery rays around our feet and lit our
dismal and rugged way back to Mrs. Mary
Lockharps. took this as n good omen. At
ter reaching Mrs. Lockharts l assisted the
then Mrs. Florence Mintz to the house. and
after bidding her good night drove back 10
Gaffney City, believing that our sacred ties
would hold through life. DIR. Atkinson, who
had come at the appointed time, was still
there, but left soon for his home. During
this time the wires were flashing with inqul-
ries between Blacks aud Gaffuey. Where is
nr AtEinaOu1 Wbfol,