The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-06-20
TRUE TO HIS LOVE.
. HUSBAND WHO CHERISHED THE
MEMORY OF HIS DEAD WIFE.

thetic Story Told by n Hotel Clerk.
The Sun reporter was leaning in
graceful attitude against the counter of
an up town hotel office, cGnversing in
an lnsouciant and nonchalant manner
with the naughty and impcrious clerk,
rs reporters always do, when nice
looking cid gentleman, with just enough
p"1v:@cialism i'll his appearance to show
that he was not New Yorker though
he might have come from PHILADELPHIA
or any other rural district, came up to
the register as if he had been there be-
fore and wrCte his name and address.
IL few minutes the clerk had sent
him CEf to his room with IL bcll6oy and
tcsumcd his conversation.
Queer old chap" he said, rodding
in the direction of the dcpartir- guest.
Tie reporter whirlcd the register
around to look at the name.
"Ycs?" he replied questioni2~''y. II
SEQ that he has signed himself and wife.
Where's the wife? In the ladies' parlGr:"
''Thats the queer part Ct it, " contin-
ed the clerk with an evident purpose
Of telling story, and the reporter BE-
came interested. "Thcre isn't any wife.
He's a widower, and has been for 10
years. but he has been signing it that
way for the ten years | have known
him. He is now 60, and was married at
40, ard the romance is as pretty as it
is pathetic -
'A--d t,'Hsual, " vCnt1rcl the r2"ort-
cr, II f. = faithful II Ito memory If
cll2 NoE!@n, and this I,,.aan his wife.
Mid1WorS - net all s.. -
That i Why this o:,o's s, ~ is the
more Interesting l. ) IL tell yJu. At
% be N"s roar yCC"g clCrl: in Il west
III town ard vas dramatically and
deeply III love with Il r"t tty girl Ct 30.
1t may be sa!d that she Was in love
with him, toe, but he had queer no
tons, and - they were both poor, and
rich man VAS anxious to marry the
girl, 10 never told his love, but let can
"eal:aCnt. k worm IL the bud, feed
on his da:.l%.;,5 check, Il; it We're &nl h
pinned III thought and with gr, ! and
yellow melancholy sat, like patience on
monument, while the other man mar
RED her.
AT 81 she YVES Il widow and poor.
for her husband had dissipated his for
tune, and our friend here. still bach
2lor and as much i'll love rs ever, was
successful merchant. This time he was
drawer, fer he was possessed of the sin
Hws Of war, and within Il years tine
he had married her. ltwas rather hasty
IN her part, possibly, but he had wait
ed long enough and was 50 impcrtunate
that she compromised with him Oh C;!o
year instead OF the regulation two of
wldoWhocG. They came to this hotel
NJ their wedding tour and were here
two weeks, and one Of the proprictCrS
II the hotel informs me that he never
has seen couple more suited to each
other and better satisfied with each 9th
er. After that he came to tn" city III tie
sIring ard autumn to buy goods, and
she always accompanied HIM, and the
seemed 90 he DO farther away from the
honeymoon season with each recurring
year.
AT last, after the fifth spring trip,
he did not come. but his manager did,
and he said that the wife had died and
the husband mind was affected, though
they hoped he would come around all
right i'll time In the following spring
he came again, but he was not the same
man any more. His mind was clear on
all business matters, but he was queer
about his wife, and Il Sadder faced man
couldn be found anywhere. The old
clerk, who had been at the counter on
his previous visits, was there when he
came again, and after greeting him
pleasantly turned the register around
tor nm TO sign 1t. lie responded as usu-
al, and when the clerk looked at the
name 1t was followed as before by and
wife, as he had been accustomed to
sign 1t. The clerk was about to call his
attention to 1t, but second thought
prompted him not TO notice it, and he
sent the guest to the bridal chamber,
the room he and his wife always occu-
pied, as they did on their first visit.
During his stay Of week he had
very little to say, and if any reference
was made TO his wife he responded as if
she We're still alive and was with him
at the hotel. AT the table, too, he had
IL place Tor her, and her meals wcro
served as II she had been there to eat
them. When he was ready to go and