Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-09
A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE.
This Widow Would Have Given ssThe
Quick or the Dead' Another Ending.

From the Kansas City Star
All who have read 1.-The Quick or the Dead
and who has not?-will be particularly inter-
ested in 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 fittingly apply to the story Of
j. 5. Martin, who recently went to Cincinnati
from Wayne county, Ohio, and established
himself In business. The facts given
related by himself, and their verify is beyond
question.
During the best DAYS Of the centennial young
Martins sisters, two handsome girls, came to
the city to visit their brother and the big show.
Being unable to obtain accommodations for
them at his clearinghouse the brother took
them to a fashionable bOarding-house in Gar
field 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 little lady in widows weeds. As
she raised her softly yelled eyes until they
rested on the face of the young man she
started back covered her face with her hands
as if to shut out the sight before her, uttered
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 at the woman in black, only to
find her dark eyes fixed upon him with strange
intentness. Later the lady was introduced to
him, and the cause of her strong interest in him
became apparent, as she explained that upon
opening the door in answer to his ring it
seemed that the apparition of her husband,
who had died about year previous. arose be-
fore her, strong was the resemblance be-
tween the dead and the living. Never had she
seen so striking-so marvelous-a resemblance,
both in form and feature, as the young man
who stood in her presence bore to him she had
buried twelve-month before. Even voice,
movement, and gestures were identical-noth-
ing lacking to complete the picture of the
lamented dead She had been SO startled that
her heart stopped beating, and she had all but
swooned away.
Young Martin was strangely moved as the
lady described her feelings and dwelt on the
resemblance between ''poor Dick" and him
self, and felt a 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 boarding-hou even after the
presence of his sisters ceased to be an excuse
for calling. OF course he was encouraged in
this by the evident enjoyment the lady found
in his society.
One evening she told him her husbands
mother was in the house-would he like to
meet her? Replying afirmatively he was
nshered into the presence OF stately white
his face than she shrieked
MY God! what is this? Has my poor boy
come to life? No, no, it cannot be! Take him
away~ and she lapsed from Mysteries into a
faint. 1t a dramatic scene that those who
witnessed it will never forget. She soon re-
covered her equanimity, and like her daughter
in-law, was strongly attached to her sons liv
ing double.
The sequel is none other than the reader al
ready suspects. She learned to love him for
the resemblance he bore to her dead hero.
And newell what to some men would have
seemed like playing second fiddle, was unal-
loyed happiness to the impressiOnable young
man, and now they engaged. When the
balmy zephyrs of spring have waited old Bo-
reas back to the land of the northern lights,
the license clerk will issue matrimonial per-
NIT to ]. 8. Martin and Mrs. Ellen W-m.