The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-19
ROMANCE OF A BRACELET
LINK THE FIRST.

LINN HE fikSI,
 II ~as a very strange experience from beginning to end, and one which alto ge,her sounds more like an extract from the thousand aad one tales of Queen Scheheresade than a verit2ble relation of facts as they actually occurred. l have never been able to solve the nys- ,ery myself, nor do ever expect to be- Al present can see no way by which any more light can be thrown upon 1t, and for the want of a more satisfactory theory l am therefore compelled to number 1t with the few unfathomable occurrences tha, have been grouped under the head of occult phenomena. Believe me, am not spiritualist; l have no sympathy with the idea of shostly manifestation, ye, am certain that nothing of the earth earthy' could possibly have pro- duced these miracles, in which l have chaaced to be an actor.
 shall never forget the night of Octo- Der 10th, 1876. had been spending a week in Philadelphia, paying my third visl, to the centennial, and stopping with a trend on West Spruce street. Alter suolhng through the much-crowded cor ridors of Memorial hall, enjoying the paintings and revelling in the wealth of well-executed statuary, l had dined at the Philadelphia club with an old Har ward classmate. whom 1 happened to meet the day before, and was walking ieisurely out Walnut stree, when l sud denly heard voices and the batter of footsteps behind me. paid little atten- ton to this at first, but as my followers SOArnAA t, etA., of .il,nrx ,k rear or passing me, took the liberty of crossing the street, and as did so. to turn 10 see what description of persons they were. From the unconnected snaiches of conversation that had come to my ears, judged that a young lady was being accompanied by a rather el- derly gentleman, probably her father and that they were about to pay call on some friend or acquaintance. As l turned to see whether my supposition as to the character of the couple was in any degree correct, l was asionished to dis cover that no one whatever was in sight. As tar up H down the street as 1 could see by the light of the rising moon and the pale glimmer oi the gas lamp, there was not on either side a living soul. It IS hardly necessary for me to say that l was puzzled. That the conversation and the sound of footsteps had not originated m my own imagination l was positive, and continuing my walk l fell to fruit lessly wondering over the event. AS l app reached my friends residence no- ticed coming toward me what appeared to be man and a woman. The moon was now shining brightly, and as they came up to me saw them both quite plainly. They stopped and the gentle man spoke to me. He was, then dis covered, very old and rather feeble he wore long black cloak that seemed strangely out of place, the night being anything but cold, and his hat, of the style said to have originated with Kos suth. hid the upper part of his face. His beard, noticed, was long and white, and his features seemed 10 be pinched and pale, though bearing the unmistakable stamp of the gentleman.
 Gan you direct us to the residence of Mir. De Meveille ?" he asked My granddaughter and myself are strangers m the city, and have become somewhat confused.h
 am very sorry" replied, glancing al the young woman who accompanied this gentlemanly old person, but failing to sec her face. as at that moment she was looking toward the house, seemingly endeavoring to make out the name on the door-plate; am very sorry, but l too. am comparatively stranger, and am not at all acquainted with the people about here"
 The old gentleman bosed graciously, caught his granddaughter feebiy by the arm, and was about to continue his way down the street, when the young woman turned to me and asked if l knew who lived m the next house. IL was then that discovered her to be quite pretty girl ot no, over twenty, rather tall. with A clear pink and white complexion. and large eyes that seemed to sparkle unnat- lraiiy, giving one the impression ,ha, they were filled with tears, and yet no other feature gave any token of sorrow or any suspicion of an inclination to weep. IL was face and figure that impressed me strangely, and which for months after l could not drive from my mental vis:ca. informed her that was not acquainted with the residents in the dwelling she in- dlcated. The gentleman touched his hat again, and the two continued their walk. l was about turning to go into the hcsss the conversation having occurred di- rectiy in front of the residence of my friend-when my attention was attracted by glittering object which lay on the sidewalk. The moonlight was falling upon it. causing it to sparkle with a brightness which, whether because of my experience while coming up the stree, or not. l cannot say, seemed to me un- it to be an oddly shaped link of wrough, gold, in the centre of which was an oval gold plate, bearing the letter N. and at one end was a small gold ring. The link proper was of red gold, brightly pol ished, while the plate and the ring were of dead yellow colsr. immediately came to the conclusion that this was pan of ehain-yes its peculiar shape almost forbade the supposition-and that 1t was ~h@k A-. sl l. Ii