The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-21
A DISAPPOINTED LOVER.
A Rival as Well as His Business
in the Way.


left the city yesterday evening de-
jocted lover. He came to Roanoke on
Tuesday to see wcll known young
lady to whom he had been engaged for
five years.
She came from Hinton; w. Va. with
her parents not long since. 1t was there
that she met Mr.. Colt. Tho young
man pressed the suit, but the young
lady's mother told him she would never
consent to the match until he became
sufficiently wealthy to take care of
wife of her standing.
MIR. Colt was then an engineer on tho
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad between
Hinton and Clifton Forge. This bust
ness paid him good salary, but he
could not get rich fast enough, and de-
cided to enter into another avocation
He chose the saloon business, and set
tied at Richmond, Ky. lie was uni
versally popular, and soon made q host
of friends who patronized his bar. The
young man soon began to coin the
wealth which no was sure would make
him an acceptable sutton for the young
lady's hand.
In the meantime tho family had left
L.
Gott heard from her occasionally, and
often wrote that he was getting along
finely and would soon be able to claim
her as his own. He made an appoint
ment to visit her in May for the pur-
pose OF arranging the wedding, and
true to his word he appeared in Roanoke
Tuesday morning.
He stopped at Hotel Roanoke and
sent his card to the young lady. But
the mother got the card and the young
lady didn't know her lover was in Roam
oke. Mr.. Colt called around, however.
had consultation as to his proposed
plans for their future domestic welfare,
and said in short that he was now ready
to claim her according to promise.
But cloud of sadness ovcrshadowed
her face, and Mr.. Colt knew something
was wrong. Despite his pleading she
would not tell, and the anxious lover
became rather disconsolate and threat
ened to leave at once. This had the de-
sired effect, and she told him that her
mother now objected to the engagement
on account of his being engaged in the
liquor business
This explanation was not entirely
satisfactory to Mr.. Colt, who at once
sought the presence of the Directing
mother and laid his case before her
with unusual earnestness.
''ln Kentucky, my dear madam, my
business ranks on a par with any. Tho
society in which have been moving is
good as any in Roanoke. Now, why this
objection?'
But the devoted mother didn't care
anything about kentucky society or
kentucky saloons, and told the young
man in business-like way that she had
m Tod hor
to them till the end.
Mr.. Colt returned to his hotel and
spent the night very much disguised.
He never went near her yesterday, but
began an Investigation to see if there
was not another lover in the case, or as
he expressed it, "a negro in the wood
pile"
1t was not long till he found out to
his amazement that an old friend whom
he had known for years in Hinton had
been paying attentions to the young
lady. lie had come to Roanoke and
engaging in lively business had al
most amassed fortdne.
lie didn't run saloon and that was
what pleased the mother. On the other
hand, he drove spanB;ng team of horses
and took tho young lady out riding
every other evening.
What startled MIR. Colt was TO know
that his friend had met him on the day
before and on making inquiries as to
where the young lady lived, said he
knew nothing about her.
So this was the niger in the wood
pile. The mystery had been unravcled.
and Mr.. Colt returned to Kentucky yes
terday evening, rather blue over long
and fruitless trip, and said to TIMES
reporter THAI if matters didn't change
he wouldn't return to Roanoke.