The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-08
MARRIED BOTH OF THEM
A GIRLS WAY OF BEING TRUE TO
THE OLD LOVE AND THE NEW.
she Consented to Clsndestine Mar
rage With Her Boy Lover and the
Next Day Married Her New Lover,
Physician.
From the Ne,O York Sun.

From the NetU York sun.
COLUMBIA, S. c., May 5.-Some time ago
there was a marriage in Blacks, S. c., be-
tween DR.. Atkinson, prosperous young
physician of Chester, and Miss Florence
Little, handsome and fascinating young
lady of Blacks The marriage had on one
occasion been declared off, because on the
wedding day Miss Little had absented her
self with Augustus Mintz, youth of 20.
Atkinson went to his home, but was in
duced to return by the fascinating girl, and
he married her The day after the marriage
Augustus Mintz published statement that
Mrs. Atkinson was his legal wife, and he
produced the marriage certificate Mrs
Atkinson denied this, but the doctor insti-
tuted an investigation, and in the mean
time he and his bride of three days occupied
separate apartments. His investigation
proved nothing, andfor three weeks he lived
in happiness with his bride At the end of
this time she confessed that she was not his
wife, and that she had married Mintz, but
had never lived with him as man and wife.
DIR. Atkinson sent her home.
Young Mintz did not know of the mar
Tiage of his wife until the morning after
ward, and then he refused to make an at
tempt to get her back. He has just written
a statement, which shows he married Miss
Little on the evening she was to have mar
gied Atkinson. He says:
From the many reports in circulation
through the press as to my marriage to
Miss Florence Little, l am prompted, in
Justice TO myself, to make true statement
of facts. l have always known her, from
which my acquaintance ripened and ma
tured into love that was no boyish whim.
Miss Little is of a 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,
i felt there was a bright future for me,
which was inspiring and an incentive to
every act of my life. Alasl the heart / be-
lieved so true and gentle proved false, as
my story will relate. Not word ever fell
from her lips, nor an act of hers led me to
believe my love was not reciprocated, and
always felt that was in the enjoyment of
that confidence, and that | possessed the
love of one of which l was little worthy
DIR. Atkinson, in the meantime, paid fire.
quent visits to his uncle, Allen B. Crosby of
Blacks, where Miss Little spent part of her
Eime with her sister, Mrs. Jacob B. Ross.
When they became acquainted his attention
TO her seemed to be no more than politeness
would require.
son Jan. IS received q note from Miss
Little from Gaffney City saying she must
see me at once. / could not from her refuse
such summons, and on the next day met
her at Mr.. Bryan Bonner's 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 and said: The task
is too great to tell you. am to be married
to anotherp Then her weeping grew more
bitter. She again spoke, saying:
Can be the instrument of violating an
obligation which has been held SO sacred
that l have felt our happiness and success
in life depended upon itl Can l break the
golden linkl Dear Gus, forgive me, | only
am to blame. | don't know myselfl Nv
wrong l cannot account for. Forgiveness
from you will make me again your happy
Florence
This was so astounding that it DUN
founded me. When sufficiently recovered
myself asked who my rival was She said:
'Dr. Atkinson, of Chester My ties to You
are the Oldest She reiterated: Forgive
me. liked all men that loved. / felt my
self kneeling at the shrine to pay homage to
the power of love- The link, suddenly
broken, was suddenly welded in fervent
love. told her the only obstacle to our
marriage before this was my youthfulness
and want of completing my education. We
then discussed the feasibility of a clandes-
tine marriage, until this could be accom-
plished, which was agreed upon and |
returned to Blacks with the full purpose of
revealing my plans to my parents. But the
idea of consulting them on such a course, or
even of marrying at all at my age and not
at all prepared for the arduous duties of life.
to break such subject upon the kind ears
of my parents, weighed so heavily that my
heart failed within me.
ION Jan. 30 received a note again to
come to my broken hearted Florence; come
and come at once. DIR. Atkinson will be
here on the evening train |, with my
friend j. ID. Goforth, in a vehicle with a
splendid pair of horses, drove against time
reaching Gaffney City at 10 O'clock a. m.
i addressed a note from John McKeons
Hotel to Miss Little at the residence of Ms.
Lumden, saying that would see her. When
j met her in the parlor at Mrs. Lumdens
with a pair of horses at the gate, | asked
her to take ride with me. She s,id:
"'Gus l have just been advised by a
lady friend not to ride out with you, but
will go at all hazards
''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 it grew late, discussing the
situation, she all the while avowing her de-
votion to me, and that every throb of her
heart gave me Its genuineness and sincerity.
She remarked, as we approached where the
roads separated, where the final conclusion
was 20 be had and the final step taken:
""This left hand leads to Gaffney City
and the right TO the Rev. Mr. Carters'
II suggested that the II ad to Gaffney
City was the Atkinson road, and the road
TO the Rev. Mr. Carriers was the Mintz
road, and, placing the lines in her hands, |
said: Drive the road of your choice She
gracefully refined the team into the Mintz
road. After driving short pace | seized
the lines and drove rapidly to the Rev. Mr..
Carriers, where / revealed to the reverend
gentleman the object of my unceremonious
call. He consented, and on leaving the
house he said to Mrs. Carter: Il am going
out to kill snakes The old lady, having
her suspicious, followed close by and Law in
ambush and was a witness to all the pro
reedings.
NV nile in the buggy, just at dark, the
Rev. j. u. Carter performed the marriage
ceremony between myself and Miss Florence
Little. At this moment nature very az
propriately drew its dark curtain around
as the clandestne marriage was performed.
and then the queeny orb arose in the
eastern horizon and threw its silvery rays
around our feet, and lit our dismal and
rugged way back to Mrs. Mary Lockhart's
took this as good omen. After reaching
Mrs. Lockhart's / assisted the then Mrs.
Florence MintZ 10 the house. and after bid
ding her good night drove tack 20 Gafrney
bal "a, NJ