The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-17
A CINCINNAll -BARBARA.n

A Widow Who Would Have Satisfactorily
Ended "The Quick Or the Dead"
EGBSal city star
All who have read 1.-THE Quick or the
Dead"-and who has Rot2-will be par,
ticularly interested in u little Cincinnati
romance that has Just reached the
climax Of betrothal.
Once again the trite saying that truth
Is stranger than fiction Is made use Of as
the only words that flttingly apply to the
story OF j. S. Martin, who recently went
to Cincinnati from Wayne county, Ohio,
and established himsellin business, The
facts are given as related by himself, and
their verify is beyond question,
During the best days OF the Centen.
NAL, young Martins sisters, two hand.
some girls, came to the city to visit
their brother and the big show. Being
unable to obtain accommodation for
them at his boarding-house, the brother
took them to fashionable boarding
house in Garfield Place. Here he called
Of an evening to escort them to places Of
amusement,
One evening strange face met him
at the door-a charming, glowing face
that mirrored the soul Of n little lady in
widows weeds. AS she raised her soft
ly Veiied eyes until they rested on the
face OF the young man she started back,
covered her face with her hands us II to
shut out the sight before her, uttered n
little scream OF amazement and seemed
about to faint, but rallied quickly and
invited her vis-a-vis to enter.
Frequently, during his stay in the
house Martin glanced ut the woman in
black, only to find her dark eyes fixed
npon him with strange intentness.
Later the Indy was introduced to him,
aud the cause OF her strong interest In
him became apparent, and she ex-
planned that upon opening the door In
answer to his ring II seemed that the
apparation OF her husband, who had
died about year previous, arose before
her, so strong was tho resemblance be.
tween the dead and the living, Never
had she seen so striking, so marvellous
resemblance, both in form and feature,
as the young man who stood In her
presence bore to him she had buried
twelvemonth before, Even voice, move.
ment and gestures were Identical
nothing lackingto complete the picture
OF the lamented dead. She had been so
startled that her heart stopped beating,
and she had all but swponed away.
Young Martin was strangely moved us
the lady described her feelings and
dwelt on the resemblance between
"poor Dick" and himself, and felt sort
OF relief when his sisters came in and
carried him away. But he had been
fascinated and continued his visits to
the Garfield Place clearinghouse, even
after the presence OF his sisters caused
to be an excuse for calling. OF course
he wAsencouraged in this by the evident
enjoyment the lady found In his society.
One evening she told him her hus.
bands mother was in tho house-would
he like 10 meet her2 Replying atiirma-
lively, he was ushered into the presence
OF n stately white-haired woman. No
sooner did her eyes rest on his face than
she shrieked:
"My God what Is this? Has my
poor boy come to life? No, no, 1t can.
not bel Take him away!' and she
lapsed from Mysteries into faint. 1t
was dramatic scene that those who
witnessed will never forget. She soon
recovered her eQuanimity, and, like hef
daughter-in.law, was strongly attached
to her sons living double.
The sequel Is none other than the
reader already suspects. She learned
TO love him for the resemblance no bore
to her dead hero. And newell, what
to some men would have seemed like
playing second fiddle, was unalloyed
happiness TO the imprcssionable young
man, and now they are engaged. When
the balmy zephyrs Of spring have waited
old Boreas back 10 the land Of the North.
ern lights, the license clerk will issue .
matrimonial permit to ]. S. Martin and
Mrs. Ellen VIM.