The Topeka state journal., 1899-02-07
LONG RACE FOR A WIFE.
[Frorn the Philadelphia Inquirer. ]

IFroTn the Philadelphia Inquirer
DR.. Rjelmar Sangstrund and Capt.
Olaf Dahlin raced all the way from
Scandinavia to South Dakota to marry
the same girl. Both lost.
Sangstrund is the son of a wealthy
physician in the old country. Dahlin is
a 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 Stockholm.
His father promised him a competency
and permission to wed whosoever he
would after he had taken his degree,
but threatened to cut him off with a
shilling if he married sooner. Dahlin
was a lieutenant in the army, and
feared that his chances of promotion
might be injured should he take peas
ant girl to wife at the time.
So the young men agreed that neither
should press his suit for three years,
when Sangstrund's course at the uni
versity would be finished and Dahlin
better able to defy public opinion with
out injuring his future prospects. The
situation was explained to Gerda,N who
apparently acquiesced in the arrange
ment. But Gerda had a mind of her
own and was not too well pleased at
the coolly calculating spirit manifested
by both her lovers. So she left them
promise to await their convenience
Sangstrund and Dahlin supposed it was
an trOnclad contract, but she didn't un-
derStand it so.
The Thorngrens settled on a farm
near Emery, S. D. Three years passed.
and. true to his agreement, Sangstrund
notified Dahlin that he should leave
Hamburg on a certain day for America.
Dahlin was there, too, and the rivals
took passage on the steamer together.
From New York to Emery again they
Travelled on the same trains; but at
Emery they separated with the under
standing 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 a
team and started to drive out alone
Sangstrund was more fortunate. The
man to whom he applied for horses told
him that Christian Nelson, a country
man 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 passenger. He knew
the road, and Sangstrund would run
less chance 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 uncom-
municative, and the subject was
dropped.
Five or six miles out of town they
passed Dahlin, struggling through the
SnOwdrifts alone. SangStrund fairly
hugged himself with joy. He was less
pleased when he reached the Thorn
grens to find a Norwegian minister
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 arrive
until after the ceremony had been per-
formed. He was SO angry that he re-
turned the same night to Emery and
thence to New York. Sangstrund took
his defeat philosophica1ly and stayed to
dance at the wedding and wish the new
ly married couple good luck. He is still
in Emery and will, it is said, soon take
his former sweetheart's sister. Helma,
home as his wife.