The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-06-19
MYSTERIOUS ROMANCE
BY A. w. BEER.

Had it not been for the handker-
chief l would have said that it was
clearly a case for the Society for
Psychical Research and have washed
my hands of it. But though to be sure
q filmy enough object, the handker-
chief, with the initials e. B. NJ"
daintily embroidered in one corner.
was of a tangible nature, and in no
way to be fitted into any theory of
spooks.
And yet the whole thing was absurd
on the face of it. No doubt the simple
explanation was that the fever which
aad possessed my body for many weary
weeks still dominated my brain.
Wearying at length OF the problem, I
placed the delicate bit of cambria and
lace beneath my pillow and again re-
signed myself to sleep.
A year later l was in California, os-
tensibly on a vacation, but also with
view of absorbing color for a novel
Of pioneer days which l was planning
to write.
was at dinner one evening in San
Francisco with my friend Maxfield,
newspaper man, when l caught sight of
a familiar face at one of the restaurant
tables.
That's sigular!" I exclaimed pres
emily.
Whats singular?" queried Maxfield.
IF you have reference to the fair
creature at whom you are gazing so
intently, l may say that while she is
certainly single, l do not know that
she is looked upon as singular"
"The fact is" 1 returned, that for
the moment imagined that had met
the young woman somewhere before,
but I 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 1.
"Then her initials are e. B. Mp
Correct" replied Maxwell. "You
got it right the very first time. But
why get so excited over bunch of
initials:''
"Maxfeld," I retorted, "you ought tc
know that the facetious is not your
line, so why attempt it? What Id
like to know is whether or not you
have the honor of Miss Merryweath
er's 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
superf1uous. 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 time had been sepa-
rated in body, but never in spirit.
But one evening Enid said:
do you know that l 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" l said presently, there is
something queer I want to tell you in
connection with that illness of mine.
1t seems utterly unreasonable, but
there are some things beyond our I'M
Outstanding.
Il had been dwelling for weeks in a
strange, fantastic world, when one
night I 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, doubling the reality of what l
saw, and when opened them again
the lovely vision had faded.
81 can't explain it, but it 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 counterpart after the
disappearance Of my mysterious visi-
tor.
She took the handkerchief and ex.
amined it.
Eyes, it is NINE" she said presently.
And then she added:
LAS writer of romances you would
perhaps prefer the story left as it is,
but feel bound to tell you just how
this handkerchief came into your
hands.
Il don't know" she continued, chow
CT why you came to occupy so much
Of my thoughts, when l knew you only
through your books, but nevertheless
such was the case.
When last winter it was reported
that your life was despaired of, could
not rest. Some of my friends guessed
my secret and rallied me accordingly.
l gave out that I intended visiting Los
Angeles for few weeks, but instead
of doing so l went On by the southern
route to New York.
Il knew that the physician who con-
Quoted the sanitarium in which you
were undergoing treatment, Dr. Star
brook had hoan an old friend Of NV