Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-07-30


o graceful attitude against the conn
ter of an up town hotel office con,
versing in insouciant and nonchs.
liant manner with the naughty and
imperious clerk, as reporters always
do. when nice looking old gentle.
man, with just enough provincial.
ism in his appearance to show tia.
be vas not New Yorker, though
he might have come from phila.
delphia or any other rural district,
came up to register as il he had
been there before and wrote his
name and address. In few min.
utes the clerk had sent him of 10
his room with q hell-boy and re-
sumed his conversation.
Queer old chap he said, nod
ding in the direction of the depart
ing guest.
The reporter whirled the register
around to look at the name.
yes" he replied questioningiy.
Il see that he has signed himself
and wife. Where's the wife In
the ladies' parlor?'
That's the queer part of it,, con-
tinued the clerk with an evident
purpose of telling q stcry, and the
reporter becameinterested. There
isn't any wife. He's a widower,
and has beer for Is years, but he
has been signing it that way for the
ten years l have known him. He
is now 60, and was married at 40
and the romance is as prettySs il
is pathetic
'And unusual ventured the re-
porter, 'if he is faithful to the mem.
ory of one woman, and that woman
his wife. Widowers are not ell 30.
THAT is why this ones story is
the more interesting. Let me tell
you. AT rs he was a poor young
clerk in q western town and was ro-
mantically and deeply in love with
a pretty girl of2o. 1t may be said
that she was in love with him, too,
but he had queer notions, and as
they were both poor, and a rich
man was anxious to marry the girl,
he never told his love, but let con-
cealment, like a worm in the bud,
feed on his damask cheek, as it
were, and he pined in thought and
with a green and yellow melancholy
sat, like patience On a monument,
while the other man married her.
'At "a she was q widow and poor,
for her husband had dissipated his
fortune, and our friend here, still q
bachelor and as much in love as
ever, was q successful merchant.
This time he was braver, for he was
possessed of the sinews of war. and
within a years time he had married
her. 1t was rather hasty on her
part, possibly, but he had waited
long enough and was so importu-
nate that she compromised with
him on one year instead of the reg
ulations two of widowhood. They
came to this hotel on their wed.
ding tour and were here two weeks,
and one of the proprietors OF the
hotel informs me that he never saw
a couple more suited to each other
and better satisfied with each other.
After that he came TO the city in
the spring and autumn to buy
goods, and she always accompanied
him, and they seemed to be no fur
ther away from the honeymoon
season with each recurring year.
'At last, after the fifth spring
trip, he did not come, but his man
ager did, and he said that the wife
died and the husbands mind was
affected, though they hoped he
would ceme around oil right in
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 q sadder-faced man couldn't be
found anywhere. Tne old clerk,
who had been at the counter on his
previous visits, was there when hi
came again, aud after greeting him
pleasantly, turned the register
around for him to sign it. He re
sponded as usual, and when the clerl
looked at the name it was followed
as before by 'and wife, as he i,ad
been accustomed to sign it. Th.
clerk was about to call his attention
to it, but second thought prompt
ed him not to notice it, and he sen
the guest to the bridal chamber
the room he and his wife alwayl
occupied, as they did on their fra