The National tribune., 1898-01-20

Under the cedars and the oahs, in the
old ST. Paul cemetery, is her grave. The
tombstone IS a marble slab, laid hOri-
zontally upon Six deliberately carved white
marble pillars. Upon the tablet is the in
script on:
TO the memory of a female stranger
whose mortal sufferings terminated on the
! 4th day of October, 1916, aged % years and
eight months.
This stone is erected by her disconso-
late husband, in whose arms she breathcd
ont her last sigh and who, under God did
his utmost to soothe the cold, dull ear OF
death
How loved, how honOrod once, avails thee
not,
To whom related or by whom begOt;
\ heap Of dust alone remains Of thee
Ills all thou art, and all the proud shall Re. !"
One thing is certain: the woman who
was buried there was unknown in Alex
andria, was the man who claimed to be
! her husband. They came TO Alexandria
upon a foreign vessel, and took apart
mcnts at the leading hotel. She was
beautiful young girl, and he a handsome,
distinguished looking man. They brought
with them one servant, and TO all appear
ancc were people of high rank and great
wealth.
The legends Of Alexandria arc filled wi h
stories Of her beauty, her Jewels, her mag
niiiccnt wardrobe. They denied them
selves none of the Injuries of life, but
absolutely refused to let their identity lie
known. ar TO make any friends or ac-
quaintanccS in the city. Even the valet
was under instructions to reveal nothing.
The snip they came in sailed away, and
those on board knew no more about the
cnigmatical passengers than the native
AleXandranS.
The lady was above medium hight. with
a well developed figure Masses of blonde
hair covered her head, her eyes were large
and expressive, her mouth small and
sweet, and her manner pleasant, yet digni
fled. II IS said that, as she drove about
Alexandria, no one appealed TO her in vain
/ for charity. 10 all organizations she gave
literally, but attended no meetings and
received no visitors. All the intercourse
between the strangers and the citizens
was such as came by chance.
Five months after they arrived in the
city, the young wife became i'll with a low
fever, and died. This is the generally ac-
cepted opinion She was never left alone
with the physician, the husband or valet
being always present; and when she died
she lay in the arms Of her husband with
his lips pressed to hers.
He alone, with his valet, was present at
the burial. lie selected the Srot where
she now lies, and stayed long enough to
I order and see completed and Giaced, the
tablet rs II row stands, and left a sum of
money to keep it in order for a term Of
years. He was to return, send more
money at the end of the time. He took
ship and sailed away as mysteriously as
he had come, and has never been heard of
since. IL has been rumored that he did,
years afterwards, visit the grave of his wife
Another story that has been given ere
dence is, that one evening in the long ago,
a vessel, evidently a foreign man of war,
anchored Just below Alexandria During
the night the commander and two boats,
with their crews, came off and went To the
grave Of the Female Stranger cxhunlcd the
remains, took them To the ship and al day
break dropped down the river and disap-
peared. y great many believe that if the
grave were opened an empty vault would
lie found The casket, according to the
legend, was put into a solidIy constructed
vault. Many novels have been woven out
of this legend, and some OF them add TO the
interest clinging TO this story and its fasci-
nation.
ITO be coatnued)