The Prescott daily news., 1913-10-15
MYSTERIOUS ROMANCE
By A. w. BEER.

psychical Research and have washed ny hands of 1t. But though to be sure filmy enough object, the handker- ,hief. with the initials "E. B. M.", iaintily embroidered in one corner, was of a tangible nature, and in no way to be fitted into any theory of ,pooks.
 And yet the whole thing was absurd ,n the face of 1t. No doubt the simple explanation was that the fever which lad possessed my body for many weary weeks still dominated my brain.
 Wearying at length of the problem, I placed the delicate bit of cambric and ace beneath my pillow and again re- signed myself to sleep.
 A year later I was in California, os- tensibly on a vacation, but also with view of absorbing color for a novel of pioneer days which was planning 10 write.
 was at dinner one evening in San Francisco with my friend Maxf1e'd. a newspaper man, when caught sight of a familiar face at one of the restaurant tables.
 That's sigular!" I exclaimed pres ently.
 Whats singular" Queried Maxfield. If you have reference to the fair creature at whom you are gazing so lntently, may say that while she is certainly single, I do not know that she Is looked upon as singular"
 "The fact is," I returned. that for the moment imagined that had met the young woman somewhere before, but am probably mistaken"
 You've seen her portrait in some of the literary papers, perhaps" suggest ed Maxfield That's Enid B. Merry weather, who Is coming to the front as a writer of some rather fetching verse"
 Enid B. Merryweather!" said I. Then her initials are F. B. M.?'"
 Correct" replied Maxwell. You got it right the very first time. But why get so excited over bunch of initials?"
 "Maxfleld." retorted, you ought to know that the facetious is not your line, so why attempt 1t? What I'd like to know is whether or not you have the honor of Miss Merryweath- CTS acquaintance; if so, want you to present me-"
 Nothing easier, old man." he re- piled promptly.
 There are some persons one meets to whom an introduction seems almost superfuous. You somehow feel that you have know them always.
 Thus it was with Enid and me. We met, not as stranger, but as old friends who for a time had been sepa- rated in body, but never In spirit.
 But one evening Enid said;
 Do you know that I worried about you a great deal when you were i'll last winter?"
 Foolish girl!" replied. You had never met me-"
 And yet I seem always to have known you" she murmured.
 Enid" said presently, there is something queer I want to tell you in connection with that illness of mine It seems utterly unreasonable, but there are some things beyond our un. derstanding.
 q had been dwelling for weeks In a strange, fantastic world, when one night awoke calm and rational, and saw bending over me one who seem ed the very embodiment of my hearts desire. I closed my eyes again for a second, doubting the reality of what saw, and when I opened them again the lovely vision had faded.
 q can't explain it, but 1t was you who came to me that night; and. more wonderful still, here is the proof" took from over my heart the handker chief which had found resting lightly on the counterpane after the disappearance of my mysterious visi tor.
 She took the handkerchief and ex amined 1t.
 "Yes, it is mine" she said presently And then she added:
 AS a writer of romances you would perhaps prefer the story left as it is but l feel bound to tell you just how this handkerchief came into youl hands.
 T don't know" she continued, "how or why you came to occupy so much of my thoughts, when I knew you only through your books, but nevertheless such was the case.
 When last winter it was reported that your life was despaired of, l could not rest. Some of my friends guessed my secret and rallied me accordingly I gave out that intended visiting Los Angeles for few weeks, but instead