St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-18
MRS. ROBERT L. STEVENSON
| Romantic Story of Her Marriage
to the Famous Novelist.

Kansas City Times.
An official high in the employ OF the
government. said to me the other day:
1.-The story of how Robert Louis Steven
son got his wife has never been told in
print, / believe. The story sounds
almost like chapter from novel, but
is, nevertheless, absolutely true III all
its details.
lin 1853 |, a young man, became inti-
maielv acquainted with Samuel G. OS-
borne, who was then private secretary
to Gov. Willard, of Indiana. Osborne
was a magnificent fellow i'll personal
appearance aDd magnetism He was
versatile, scholarly, witty, quick as the
lightning fash i'll repartee and flne
musician. That man could draw sweet
er tones from flute than any man L
ever knew. Well. in 1855 Osborne mar
ried black-eyed Miss Vandegrift; she
was not beautiful by any means. but
rather attractive. At that time he was
i'll the office of the reporter of the sn-
preme court of Indiana, and was max
ing good money.
''In 1861 James B. Beach, reporter Of
the supreme court, and Osborne. both
of whom had saved up few thousands
| OF dollars, started for Arizona. Sam
had his wife and two children, boy
and girl. and he took them along. Ar
rived in AriZolia. Beach and Osborne
bought mine with their savings and in
about month were offered 800, 900 in
cash for their bonanza. Beach wanted
to hold on for larger offer, and inside
of six weeks they could not sell it for
dollar. Osborne headed for San Fran
| cisco. and reached the Golden Gate with
| 81 i'll his pocket. He knew a good
deal of law and WAS a good stenog-
| rapher. one of the fastest ill the cOun
| try at the time. This accomplish
ment stood him in hand, for he was soon
making lots of money.and sometimes,
he used to write to ME, lie would get
| 81 ,000 for reporting single case. As
years went on the daughter and son
grew up and were sent abroad to fiLish
their education. The son went to Eng
| land and the daughter to France. The
| mother went to Europe and spent sea-
| son or two with them.
''The last time Mrs Osborne went
, over was in 1888, and then she met Rob
| ert Louis SteveBs0n-I believe il was in
| Paris. She at once wrote back TO her
| husband and told Of meeting the literary
| genius and told him of an affection she
| thought this more than merely platonic
affection, and, l guess, had good
reason to think SO. for he wrote
her that if she loved Stevenson
J to come back to Frisco and
| obtain divorce. She did this, and as
| soon as the divorce was granted the
! invitations for her marriage to Robert
| Louis Stevenson wele sent out. The
| bridegroom was in town during the
divorce proceedings. Osborne was in
| vited to the wedding, and he accepted.
| He appeared on that evening, dressed
fauitIessly. and having on his arm a
lady of rare beauty. The wedding over,
the new Mrs. Stevenson introduced her
new husband to her former enc, and
Osborne in turn presented the lady on
his arm as Mrs. Samuel c. Osborne! /!
He had been married quietly to her as
soon as the divorce was granted. Os-
borne would make no outward sign.
but the episode broke his heart. He
went to Australia and Stevenson to
Samoa. l never heard from Osborne
since. Tie places and men that knew
him know him no more, and l do not
know whether he is living or dead"