The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-22
TRUE TO HIS LOVE.
A HUSBAND WHO CHERISHED THE
MEMORY OF HIS DEAD WIFE.

His Wife Was Still With Him-The Pa
thetic Story Told by n Hotel Clerk.
The Sun reporter was leaning in u
graceful attitude against the counter of
an up town hotel Office, conversing III
an insouciant and nonchalant manner
with the naughty and imperious clerk,
rs reporters always do, when nice
looking old gentleman, with Just enough
provincialism in his appearance to show
that he was not Il 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 wrote his name and address
In q few minutes the clerk had sent
him off to his room with o bellboy and
resumed his conversation.
Queer old chap" he said, nodding
in the direction of the departing guest.
The reporter whirled the register
around to look Mt the name
"Yes?" he replied questioningly II
Zee that he has signed himself and wife.
Where's the wife? In the ladies parlor?"
That's the queer part of it," contin-
ued the clerk with an evident purpose
of telling n story, and the reporter be-
came interested. There 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, and the romance is as pretty as it
is pathetic.
And unusual" ventured the report
er, IF he is faithful to the memory of
one woman, and that woman his wife
Widowers are not NIL so.
THAT is why this ones story is the
more interesting. Let me tell you AT
20 he was a poor young clerk in west
ern town and was Economically and
deeply i'll love with pretty girl of 20.
1t may be said that she was in love
with him, too, but he had queer no.
tions, and rs they were both poor, and
rich man was anxious to marry the
girl, he never told his love, but let con-
cealment, like worm in the bud, feed
on his damask cheek, as it were, and ne
pined in thought and with green and
yellow melancholy sat, like patience on
a monument, while the other man mar
ried her.
''At 81 she was widow and poor,
for her husband had dissipated his for
tune, and our friend here, still bach
elor and rs much in love as ever, was q
successful merchant. This time he was
Drawer, for he was possessed of the sim
ews of war, and within years time
he had married her 1t was rather hasty
on her part, possibly, but he had wait
ed long enough and was SO importunate
that she compromised with him on one
year instead of the regulation two of
widowhood They came to this hotel
on their wedding tour and were here
two weeks, and one of the proprietors
of 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 the city in the
spring and autumn to buy goods, and
she always accompanied him, and they
seemed to be no 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 husbands mind was affected, though
they hoped he would come around all
| 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 a sadder faced man
couldn't 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
for him to sign it. He responded as usu-
nj tl,d IL
name it was followed as before by and
wife, as he had been accustomed to
sign it. The clerk was about to call his
| attention to it, 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 q week he had
very little to say, and if any reference
was made to his wife he responded as if
she were still alive and was with him
at the hotel. AT the table, too he had
place for her, and her meals were
served as if she had been there to eat
them. When he was ready to go and
came for his bill, it was made out as
usual, and he paid for two people with
out comment. Ten years ago, when
came into the Office received my in
structlons concerning our peculiar guest
! and have since my first meeting him
acted with him exactly as if he were &C
companied by his wife. have learned
that he follows the same course in all
that he does i'll any way connected with
her He buys two railroad tickets, two
theater tickets, two places in any con-
veyance, two everything where she
might have gone with him, and on trips