Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-04
WHY HE NEVER MARRIED
GOV. CLEVELAND,s CHRISTMAS
ROMANCE.

Fickle Beauty-The Story as Told by
Him Twenty Years Ago.
ELMIRA, Jan. 1.-"People wonder why
Gov. Cleveland never married. said a
prominent hotel man from Buffalo, who
has been stopping few days in Elmira.
Few. if any, now living beside myself,
know the true reason.v
Cant you give some of the particulars,
Colonel"' said reporter, with whom the
Bufalonian was conversing.
"Well, yes," said the Colonel. II don't
think it will do any harm to repeat the
story as Mr.. Cleveland told IT to me many
! years ago, shortly after the occurrence
which has made him a bachelor, and is
/ likely to do so the balance of his life.
! This is his story as nearly as / can re-
member it. / was sitting in the hotel one
evening, along about 10 O'Clock, when
! Grover dropped in. l noticed he looked
somewhat pale and serious, although it
was Christmas eve, and most young men
! of his set were out making merry.
| "Whats the matter. old fellow?D
/ queried. You look bilious. Are you
out of sOrts!'
''No.'' said Grover, ''this is the ami
versary of a sad tragedy in my life. You
remember, don't you, my old chum
and roommate, Jim Harvey, ended his
life with a pistol ball four years ago to-
night?
swell, behind his tragic death lies a ro-
nance that binds his memory and my life
to the past, and brings up sorrowful
| recollectlons with each recurring Christ
mas eve. Four years ago tonight l sat
| In my room, on Washington street, wait
! ing for Jim to return. 1t was about $50
when heard his fOotstep on the stairs,
COMING RATHER UNCERTAIN,
as though he had met some of the boys
and taken an egg-nog or two. l heard
| him on the landing, and was about to
/ open the door when pistol shot rang out
and heavy fall greeted my ears. I
! hastily threw the door open, and by the
| light that streamed out from the room l
| beheld poor Jim about breathing his last,
with blood and brains ooZing out from a
horrible wound in his right temple. You
remember the excitement on that Occa-
sion, when the news spread through the
city, and the surmiSes as to what would
have led the genial fellow to do such a
rash act. Jim left no sign, nor spoke
no word by which l could judge of
his motive. l knew that he had a
sweetheart In some part of the city, but
couldn't tell where, as Jim kept that one
affair exclusively to himself. Just a year
from that night | learned the secret OF his
mad act. During the summer following
his death l became acquainted with the
most beautiful young lady 1 had ever
seen. If were an artist might describe
her perfect type of beauty. Her ewes
were of the deepest shade of blue, her
cheeks soft tinted as porcelain, while her
hair hung like StreakS of sunshine about
her shoulders. l was attracted to her
from the first. Her amiability and sweet
ness OF disposition, added to her grace and
beauty, soon made me
A DEVoTEE AT HER SHRINE.
Whenever an opportunity offered 1 was
by her side. She seemed pleased with
my little attentions, and by the time Oc-
tober hung her gorgeous mantle upon the
landscape l found myself madly in love
with the fairylike creature. 1 was afraid
to tell her 80, TOR fear of being rejected.
So | lived on in FOOLS paradise of hopes
and fears until Christmas time. l pur-
chased very pretty little trinket for a
gift for the woman who lived in my
thoughts by day and my dreams by night.
and, with conflicting emotions, l started,
on the first anniversary of my old chum's
death, for the house of my idol, deter
mined to ask her on that Christmas eve
to be my wife. arrived about 1880, and
was met at the door by the lady her
self. Her greeting was sweet and cordial,
and withal encouraging to my intended
declaration. The evening was passing
and yet delayed the all-absOrbing ques-
ton that seemed to be uppermost in my
mind. Ten O'Clock came. / arose to 90,
thinking l would postpone the declara-
ton for another day; but when she put
her hands in mine to bid me good night, |
couldn't restrain myself longer, but
blurted cut the words which
TO ME MEANT EVERYTHING.
"'A peal of merry laughter greeted my
proposal, and she withdrew her hands.
oh Glt ~
situation, until she said through her mer-
riment: " How funny!'
81 told her that l was in dead earnest,
and she replied:
So L know you are; but 1 was laughing
to think that l should receive a second
proposal just one year after the first, and
almost III the same Words
"'That was a sort of damper to my ar
dor, and with all the frigidity could COM
mand | asked:
"'Pray, tell me who was the rash youth
who preceded me by year, and what has
come of him?
"'With a heartlessness that 1 could
scarcely believe possible in one whom L
had learned to love, and in whom | had
never seen anything but goodness, she re-
piled:
"Oh, it was Jim Harvey, and he went
out and killed HIMSELF
"'If a knife had been thrust into my
very heart the pain and agony of that mo-
ment could not have been greater. My
nOble-hearted friend, to sacrifice his life
for such woman, and
TO HAVE THE TERRIBLE TRUTH
thrust upon me in such a painful man
ner. 1 could not find words to express
my feelings, until she laid her hand upon
my arm, and with a startled voice ex-
claimed:
'EsWhy, what is the matterY
"'Her question aroused me, and grasp
ing her by both arms, threw her with
all my strength to the floor, and with the
single d-n1urderesS!- hurried from
the house, almost a mailman. / never
saw her again, but 1 have since learned
that she married and removed to New
York. So now, my friend, you can I'M
derstand why am not out with the boys
tonight, and why am not in my usual
spirits
''That is about the substance of Mr..
Cleveland's story as he related it to me
twenty.years ago." said the Buffalo gen.
tleman; "and 1 am of the opinion that
that is the cause of the Governors bach
elorhood. At least he stated in cOnveFsa-
ton with me afterwards that his faith in
woman would never be revived enough to
ask another one to be his wife," AS the
Colonel was going away by the evening
train the reporter was compelled to leave
him without cleaning any further partic-
ulars of the coming Presidents Christmas
romance.