The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-10
LONG RACE FOR A WIFE.
Two Young Scandinavians Go Half
WAY Round the World.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dr. Hjelmar Sangstrund and Captain
Olaf Dahlin raced all the way from
Scandinavia to South Dakota TO marry
the same girl Bost lost.
Sangstrund is the son of wealthy
physician in the old country; Dahlin
Of big land owner of the same town.
The two were rivals for the hand of
Gerda Thorngren, the daughter of a
tenant of Dahlin's father. Three years
ago her family resolved to seek a new
home in America.
Sangstrund was then pursuing his
studies at the University of Stock
holm. His father promised him COM
potency and permission to wed whoso-
ever he would after he had taken his
degree, but threatened to cut him of
without shilling if he married sooner.
Dahlin was a lieutenant in the army
and feared that his chances of promo-
ton might be injured should he take
peasant girl to wife at the time.
So the young men agreed that neith-
er should press his suit for three years,
when Sangstrund's course at the uni
versity would be finished and Dahln
better able to defy public opinion with
out injuring his future prospects. The
situation was explained to Gerda, who
apparently aCquiesced in the arrange
ment But Gerda had a mind OF her
own and was not too well pleased at
the cody calculating spirit manifested
by both her lovers. SO she left them
with nothing more than an implied
promise to await their convenience.
Sangstrund and Dahlin supposed it was
an iron-clad contract, but she didn't
understand it so.
The Thorngrens settled on a farm
near Emery, S. ID. Three years passed
and true to his agreement, Sangstrund
notified Dahlin that he should leave
Hamburg on a certain day for Amer
lea. Dahlin was there, too, and the
rivals took passage on the steamer to-
gether. From New York to Emery
again they Travelled on the same trains,
but at Emery they separated with the
understanding that whoever reached
Gerda first should have her.
Their train pulled into town about
6 p. m, in the midst of a bowling bliz-
zard, and inquiry revealed the fact
that the Thorngren farm was twelve
miles north of the village. Dahlin
hired team and started to drive out
| alone. Sangstrund was more FORUM
| ate. The man to whom he applied for
horses told him that Chrstion Nelson,
a cOuntryman of his own. was Just
starting to drive to the Thorngrens,
where some kind of festivities were
to be held that night, and that he could
| probably be induced to take a passen-
| ger. He knew the road, and Sang
strund would run less risk of losing
| himself in the storm.
The arrangement was easily made,
! and the two started to learn the nature
Of the entertainment. Nelson was
! going to attend, but the latter was I'M
communicative and the subject was
| dropped.
| Five or six miles outside of town
! they passed Dahlin struggling through
| the snow drifts alone. Sangstrund
fairly hugged himself with Joy. He
| was less pleased when he reached the
Thorngrens to find a Norwegian minis
ter waiting to marry Nelson and Gerda.
| The latter was delighted to have him
| present as a guest, but evidently had
no idea of throwing her new lover over
| for the old one. Dahlin did not ar
rive until after the ceremony had been
performed. He was so angry that he
returned the same night to Emery and
thence to New York. Sangstrund
took his defeat philosophically and
stayed to dance at the wedding and
wish the newly married couple good
luck. He is still in Emery and will,
1t is said, soon take his former sweet
hearts sister Helma home as a wife.