The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-10

Dying, She Wired Her Sweet
heart to Come.
WEDDING DRESS READY
Miss Martin Died at Souher Pines tuesday
kight---Her Lover Will Reach There
This Morning TO Marry

A story comes from Southern Pines that
is replcte with genuine romance and
pathos, full of the spirit of the eighteenth
century. but with all the settings and
scenery of the twentieth.
II tells of a race between love and
death on the one hand, and between
death and the telegraph and railroad on
the other.
The spirit is that of a romantic age, the
circumstances attending are those of the
most practical, material, era the world
has ever known. A strange combination.
a Davis, a Collins, a KIpling, a Doyle. a
Stevenson could not surpass this true
story of fact.
Now for the story:
About three weeks ago a Miss Martin
went to Southern Pines from her North
ern home. She was in the last stages of
that insidious and dread malady, tuber-
cular consumption, and her going to
Southern Pines was as a last resort. She
had everything in the world to live for
form, winning in manner. Her home
was a happy one, her parents were
wealthy, and she had true lover, poor
young man whom she loved for his manly
worth. But 1--WE said this story had the
spirit of the eighteenth century in it, he
who worked on small salary, although
he loved Miss Martin with true devotion,
could not bring himself to ask her hand
in marriage until he should be able to
to support her somewhat in the style
to which she had been accustomed.
She know his devotion and his pride as
well SO things went on for a time
Fin. lily came the first warnings of the
fatal disease, when of course the devo-
ted parents tried every means known to
medical science to save their beloved
daughter. But il all seemed to be in
vain. The dread destroyer crept in. his
ravages more noticeable month by month.
At last, when all else had been tried
without avail, came the trip to Southern
pines Three weeks ago Miss Martin ar
rived. The physicians all thought her
case was hopeless, but she never lost
lope, always believed she would get
we'll.
After she had been at the famous re-
! sort for about two weeks, the physicians,
in duty bound, pronounced sentence. 1t
was that Miss Martin had five days to
live She was told the truth. 1t crys-
talized a half formed resolution that
had been in her mind for some time.
She would marry the man of her choice
before she died.
So she sent for dressmakers and hur
ried all preparations for a magnificent
wedding gown. In the meantime she
wired North to her sweetheart, telling
him she had only few more days to
live, and that she wanted him to come
at once to Southern Pines and marry
her.
The young man answered that he did
not have money enough to reach Southern
Pines. Then Miss Martin telegraphed
again, and it was money she telegraphed
this time. money enough to buy a ticket
from his home to Southern Pines, and a
sum besides for incidental expenses.
And the work of making the wedding
gown was going on rapidly. At last it
was finished. and Miss Martin was
bright and cheerful, talkative and full of
her approaching marriage.
Tuesday morning she was up, and to I'M
professional eyes she appeared mucn peC-
ter than she had been in a long time,
Her eyes were bright and her cheeks
were flushed. Her sweetheart would ar
rive the next Gay but one, on train No.
81, at $40 in the morning. So he had
wired, and she was happy.
Tuesday night Miss Martin died.
This morning her lover will reach
Southern Pines to marry the girl he
loves on her death bed, and will find
that death hS won the race with love.
that the spirit of his beloved has gone
where there is no marrying nor giving in
marriage.
Miss Martins body has been embalmed
and will be taken to her Northern home
for interment. accompanied by him who
was to have been her husband.