The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-10
HOW A TRADITION
BECAME A CERTAINTY
BY DONALD CHAMBERLAIN.
copyright, 1903. by American Press Asso-
citation

kCopyflBnl iSu5, Dy American Press Ags0-
ciationl
When about 1880 in Virginia a little
girl baby came to Colonel and Mrs.
st. Leger the colonel, whose ancestors
had come to Virginia from Georgia, IN
sisted on naming his daughter after
the latter state. Little Georgia was
assigned a nurse. slave named Rose.
There are certain children who seem
to have been transplanted from heav-
en-, and Georgia was one Of them.
From the time she could toddle she
was adored by her fathers slaves.
first Of all by her nanny" She was
an only child and heir to one Of the
finest estates In the Old Dominion
When Georgia became Of marriage
able age she had many suitors, from
among whom she chose Edgar Bedell,
q young attorney. Bedelrs ancestors
had lived in the north from the time
they had landed in America in 1890
After being graduated at college he
had gone south to tutor the sons Of
wealthy planter. meanwhile studying
law at the University Of Virginia.
Colonel st. Leger made It a condition
Of his marriage with Georgia that he
should remain In the south
In a year child was born to them.
1t lived only two days, but the brief
stay Of the little stranger in its pas
sage from the known TO the I'm.
known made great change for the
Young couple--that is, a great change
occurred at that time. for before the
mother appeared again to the world
the father had left Virginia for his
former home In the north, never to re-
turn. No one outside the manor house
saw Mrs. Bedell for many months aft
er her confinement, and when she re-
sumed her position as a well woman
she neither visited nor received any
except the slaves on the plantation.
Among these she went as before, but
with blighted look on her face. No
cause was given for the change In her
or the departure and continued abb
sence Of her husband. Whether her
father and mother were cognizant of 1t
no one knew, but it was evident that
the blight, whatever it was, had fallen
on them as well as on the young cou.
Pile
Ten years passed. and new gem
Grafton was growing up Those hear
ing Of the Bedell case, as 1t was called, |
naturally assumed that something to
the dlscredit Of one or the other had |
occasioned the separation of the we'd
ded pair. But IL zach were the case
nothing that gave color to this sus
picion ever leaked out. Besides, those
who had known Mrs Bedell as Georgia
st. Leger would not admit that any
thing discreditabIe could ever be at |
tributed to her and, as for her hus-
band, planter returning from the
north reported him as a prominent
and much esteemed member Of the
bar Of New York.
Bedell had spoken in the highest
terms Of his wife, but did not even
refer to the cause that had separated
them. Mrs. Bedell never mentioned
her husband. but did not give out the
slightest hint that she had any cause
10 be dissatisfied with him.
Colonel st. Leger died and was soon
followed by bis wife, leaving Mrs.
BedeIl large estate She left its
to an oyerseer who had
long enjoyed her fathers confidence
This was noted By many who were
hungry for her secret, they having
been curious after her fathers death
to know If Bedell would not return
and manage the estate for her
Mrs. Bedell died at the opening Of
the civil war Her husband was pres
ent at her funeral Many hoped that
be would at last drop some hint as to
the cause OF his having left his wife,
but he spoke never word and as soon
as the burial had taken place left for
his home. He was followed the next
day by letter from an attorney stat
Ing that his wife had left him her en-
tire estate.
Bedell never took possession Of the
property till four or five years later,
when 1t was nearly worthless He be-