Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1904)
r A Kentucky Itomanco. w I I the I'nitcil Service dub at I thrt nfitiiin'il r:ititl:,1 lino eveiillllT two years ago. Several young navy and army oflUcrs were read- liiK, but ono of Hie former lit whos elbow Cupid was standing unseen v.. is writing, lie was young and handsome, and us lie wrote his attitude and expris Blun were uueunselously sentimental. "Ijook at Sentimental Sammy," presently rmarked one of those who had been read ing. "If Sammy Isn't In love then may I never be promoted." "Consider yourself promoted.' Bald the BcriMiler, folding up what lie had written and reaching for an envelope. "Her name nnd address!" shouted half dozen voices. "I don't know her name, but her nddresg Is Kentucky." "Of course; you are a Kentuckian. Blonde or brunette type?" "Don't know; never havo Feen her; all I know Is that I'm In love with the most beautiful won an In Kentucky. I've just told her bo." And the handsome young naval officer put what he had written Into an enveloiie and scaled It. The others came and looked over his shoulders while he addressed the envelope thus: "To the Most Beautiful Woman In Ken tucky." That was all. Thirty-six hours later a Louisville post nan whose rounds took him only to the most fashionable front doors, rang the. bell at No. 2125 Third uvenue. And now the heroine may properly make licr appearance. Miss Kdlth Terry, for whom the "lllonde Heauly Chrysmtho nuin" was named, happened to he In the front hall. She opened the door and smiled at the postman. At the same moment Dan Cupid entered unseen. "That smile Fettles it," snld the postman to himself, and handed Miss Terry a leUer bearing a Washington postmark. " 'To th Most Heautiful Woman In Ken tucky,' " fIic quoted reading the su er Ffription. "Oh, this can't be meant for me." "Indeed It Is," snld the rostman. "Those are my orders) from headquarters." laughing. Miss Terry tore open the en velope, took out the Inclosure and read some verses descriptive of the charms of "the most beautiful woman In Kentucky." nnd declaring the writer's undying love for her. The verses were signed simply "S. S. It.," with no address. Months passed and nothing more was heard from the mysterious "S. S. It." lint famo hail been beckoning to Miss Terry, whoso line voice, In addition to her beauty, were well known to certain theatrical man agers and stars visiting Louisville. Tlio Irresistible summons came from Lolta Crabtree, nsking her to take a leading part in "The Cap of Fortune, " then about to lie staged at the Park theater In Hoston. Tho telegram stated that she would re-c-lvo $1(1) a week, nnd If a success, $175. Miss Terry's parents implacable aristo crats of the Implacable southern type were nghitst at the Idea, but were finally won over, and on to Itoston went "tho irvo-t be-iiitlfnl woman In Kentucky," ac companied by her mother, only a week or so before Cupid managed to havo "Senti mental Hammyj" IT. S. N., ordered to the same city. Mlsa Terry certainly was "Bucceaefia" find entitled to the higher salary named in the original offer from Miss Crabtree. No ore was more certain of her success than "Sentimental Sammy," who sat In a box nnd split his white gloves applauding her. Hers was a new face to him. and the name on the program, "Marlon Parkr," might Just ns well have been Smith, Jones or Hoi inson. liut Cupid happened to be giving his whole attention to the matter, and so when Miss Terry, at the end of the p ay. .had re sumed her street costume and was leaving the theater, a mesnenger brought her u large bunch of American beauty roses and a card. When Miss Terry looked at the card she nearly dropped the roses. It lore simply tho mysterious initials, "S, S. It." la the familiar handwriting of the "beauty letter." It was not until last spilng that Dan Cupid "got busy" again with this particular romance, lie had put it Into the mind of the Navy deparlm-nt to send "Sentimental Sammy" aboard the Pcnxioola at Mare Island at tho very mome.nl when Ml;x Terry was etiroute to California, chaponjied by a delegate to the convention of the Daugh ters of the Confederacy, on a visit to rela tives. In due course she rceu-hed San Francisco, where she met Dr. Samuel Sayre Hodman, himself a Kentuckian, the son of the :ato Dr. Hugh ltodroan of Frankfort, who was in his day a famous physician nnd surgeon. Lieutenant Hodman is the nephew of Ad miral Hodman and of Commodore II null Kodman, now stationed at Honolulu. Dr. ltodman had seen four years of active serv ice in the navy, and Mrs. Terry liked him none the less seeing how highly he was es teemed by both officers and men. Shortly after the meeting with Miss Terry he led the german with her at Mare Island, and other dances they "sat out" by mutual consent in a sufilclently rwcludcd retreat. "Do you know," he said, as their confi dences deepened, "that you are the lhlag image of a girl I saw last year In Host on 7" "Indeed! Well, I was In Iloston a year ago." "Heal'.y? But your charming double was an actress Marion Parker, the program said. I saw her only on the stage, but your resemblance to her is remarkable." "And did you offer her no recognition of your admiration?" "I split my gloves applauding." "Is that all?" "And I sent her a bunch of American T. .'iiitle.s I beg your pardon," for Miss Terry had made, a sudden movement, turn ing away her face. 'Tle re are insects in these palms I thought I felt one In my ear. (It was Dan Cupid working overtime.) Oh, by the way, Lieutenant Hodman, how were you chris tened?" "Samuel Sayre." Miss Terry's breath seemed to be coming and going with unusual rapidity. Lieuten ant Hodman noticed it and wondered. Now she asked: "I suppose you sent your card with Iho roses to my double.?" "No; just a bit of pasteboard with my Initials, 'S. S. H.' " Imagine the rest- The wedding is booked for June. Putters Hie Itooni tvllli I'ropoxnU. Among the unique wall decorators the young h ircss to a million who hiut covered tho walls of her boudoir with the offers of marriage she has received since her debut certainly takes the lead. Hut the desire to er'ciipe Jrom the hackneyed and common p'.ace sometimes degenerates into the gro tesque, as these examples of wall papers which are not to be bought In the usual emporiums of house decoration will show. Among the Chinese there is a i rur.e for postage stamp apartments, but the Im mensity of patient c required before the four walls are properly covered In the min ute squan s rentiers it unlikely as a mod ern American fashion. A lierlln beauty, however, hud an Idea akin to II, having her iKiui't.ir papered entirely in colored pic torial postcards, collected from every part of the world, ami representing both land scapes nnd figures of every sort and kind. A more charming orlrinallly is that of the traveler, who, when he finally settled down, had his room arranged jib If a cabin on board a ynchf, with porthole, life buoys nnd everything he could think of tci create tho illusion of having still the great wide peas tearing past on cither side of him. The singer Mario, who became the prince of Candia, ami who married the great Ortsl. had a room covered with newspaper clippings containing enthusiastic notice of his wife. The klnrr of Cambodia has hidden tho walla of his palace with portraits of his wives. The longest part of the work was the photi grapher's. Klght thousnntl women made up tho royal harems, and to stick the photographs on the wall was a comparative! v imple process to satisfying tho 8,000 women upon eo nice a point ha their own harnesses. Mine. Ni lson. tho grcnt Finger, has papered one nim In her house at Madrid with tlv nones she has rung moit success fully. A New York dentist has also hidden his walls in memories of his life work. Tint as he eou'd hardly conceal the walls with embedded teeth extracted from Ms patients lie has replaced I hem by playing cards -ono for each tooth drawn. He ha already posted fi.fioo cart's -"In meinorlam." An Kng llshrr.nn, on the oilier hand, has contrived a unique wallpaper with traveling tickets railway, fleam, r nnd street car. In order to keep the first two be had always to pay nn extra sum, and even then many strug gles ensued before he was ut last allowed to Issue triumphantly with his fragment of mural decoration. In the center of tho room nre the tickets of the collector's honeymoon trip. Perhaps us nn offset to the girl men tioned In the beginning a morose French eccentric papered his walls with the deep bordered Invitation curds received to the funerals of friends nnd acquaintances. f'upld Sin I Irs Amid It ulna. Though Italtlmore Is In mourning many rent nt victims of tho deadly nim of Cupid are rejoicing. Only one branch of tho city government Is In full operation ami this nn- ir overworked. This Is the mar riage lie, 'use bureau. From ti e procession of blushing swains which has passed to anil from the bureau during the last two days one would judgo this is the balmy month of June, hymen's especial r rio'l. Instead of bleak and drear February. Scores of lieenxts have been Issued, and when the bureau closed on tho afternoon of February 1:1, all records for February bad been broken by a wide mar Kin. official f'ir the bureau an? puzzled ns to tho re. son for the remarkable rush Into tho bonds of matrimony. Ore would think, they say, that In n period of such rthvistrr as bus overwhelmed the city, both, lover end beloved would be (intltius about assuming the burdens of matrlmorjlsl life. Kxactly the contrary Is the case, and tho o y explanation given Is that all theories of the past are being upset and that In times or dls:i.ttr nun and women of lueigcr mtr.as dei hie that It Is cheaper to live mnrrl"d than single. Another remarkable feature in conntv tion wllh the gnat tiro Is noted In con sidering the present rush to matrimony. Never lietote In the history of the world has such a eor.tl.igrntlon. or one approach ing to it. In any way. been unaccompanied wllh heavy loss of life. In the past tho tnul of lire has liecti followed by proces sions to the grave after tho ministers of various denominations have ndmlnlstt red the lott consolation tti the bereaved. Now the ministers have their time fully occu pied In reading the marrlago Instead of the burial service. Uatck Wit Makes a Hero. A bit of heroism on the part of Prof. Alls-rt Hume of the Winona Agricultural and Technical Institute lias won him a bride. The reward was claimed the other day wn"n he was married to Miss Hull! Thompson, a teach r In tho Plymouth tlnd.) schools. Iirt winter Mr. Hume and MlM Thomp son were n!cli;h titling, when their sleigh was run down by another sleigh, the horses to which wire running away. Just as tho runaway te im was upon Ihem, Hume seised Miss Thompson ami hurled her from the sleigh into a snow bank, lie hints. If Jumped Just In time In escape the smashup that followed. Neitlie." 'was hurt, tlioiigli the occupants of th runaway sleigh were dangerously Injurec. Mr. Hume mid Miss Tliompi-on were nt more than friends at Hie time of this epi sode, bill II lime's brave act won for him the atlmlialioii-anil eventually the love-, of Miss Thompson, and tho marrlago fol lowed. Mr. Hume Is an alumnus of Purdue, and both he and his wife tiro well known lit tlucatlonui circles of northern Indiana, Many students attended the romantic wed ding. Thirteen I. Iris Propose. "Take your choice, colonel," was the In vitation extended to Colonel Ijcwis C. Dut ton by thirteen charming young women of Winemac, I ml. ' This is not the first time since the In auguration of leap year that the popular) bachelor has been asked to wetl. The occasion of his receiving thirteen pro, posals at the same time was at a party given ill Ills honor by the young women of the community. The colonel told Ids fair admirers that It he could accept them nil that he wouh gladly do so. but that their Individ il chuims' wero so great that he could not decide upon any particular one. On Tuesday Colonel Dutton celebrate I his) lif.th birthday, and was royally cntcrtaiucil at a banquet by the women of this city, Here again lie wa.s asked to become a,, benedict by several of his fair admirers. Jle told them that he would have to ha, given time 111 which to decide so weighty IV question. The colonel Is very wealthy and' is a tucmls r of several Chicago clubs. Chicago Inter Ocean.