Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-19
PREDATORY NOTE.

In presenting this unusual story to
our readers we would like TO give a
little information concerning the pc
culiar manner in which it came 10 be
written. Perhaps by doing so some
further data may be brought to light,
and more knowledge may be gained
regarding certain still obscure details.
On January s. 1915, letter was re-
ceived from a member OF the Legion
Of Honor, Mr. Everett o. Hawley. of
Hampton, Connecticut, stating that
he had recently bought rather sing
ular volume at an auction held AT he
Perham farm. Towards Valley, near
Hampton. This volume he described
as the diary OF a woman named My.
rah BlOss, deceased
Miss Bloss had been trained
nurse, and later a physician. She had
left a remarkable narrative in her
memmOirs, 50 he said He seemed to
believe the diary contained the
elements Of bis story, and offered it,
The diary. when it arrived, proved
to BE- curious document Of fascinat-
ing into est lhou@h some what frag-
men'lr. in pl; es. The frs few ages
were gone Arransemenl Y til Mr.
Hawley were made for the pr, ilege Of
using it.
With the booka small ledger, can
vas bound--came photograph of a
most extraordinarily beautiful woman.
This portrait. charred on the edges,
and badly wrinllled. had obviously SUI
fered much abuse. 1t seems to sub
stantate the truth Of the narrative,
which. moreover, appears to he per
fectly straightforward, consistent, and
valid
Mr.. George Allan England was com
missioned 10 undertake the work of
rec0nstructing the story. Mr. England
went to Hampton to investigate the
origin Of the diary, and, if possible, TO
get some facts about its author
He interviewed Mr.. Hawlcy. Mr..
book had been found, rnd some 9th
ers. He found that Miss Bloss, relir-
ing after IN active life, had lived for
three years and eight months on the
Perham farm: that she had been mel.
ancholy and depressed, subject to un-
explained spells of weeping; that
She had done a good deal Of writing,
and that she had died at the age OF
tifty.three on August Is, 1897. He also
found and identified her grave i'll the
Litchfield cemetery, near Hampton,
No relatives attended the funeral.
Miss Boss seems to have been OF a
New Hampshire family, but nothing
Of them is yet known. Cause Of death
Is entered on the Hampton town-rec-
ords as pernicions anenlia complcat-
ed by nervous breakdown.
Mr.. England has been obliged to in
vent the prologue TO the, story. as
nothing appears in the D'oss diary
previous to the 2pnd Of March,. 1892.
From that point onward. however he
closely follows the known facts The
story can, therefore. he accepted as
essentially true in all its major fea.
lures. Al
II any of our readers possess any in
formation clippings, letters, or other
data that might shed further light on
the case explain any Of its puzzles, or
offer any facts as to the characters of
the persons involved--wth especial
reference to the woman known as
Alexandra England would appre'
ciate receiving such information.
Please address all communications
10 Mr.. England. Box 431, Springfield
Mass
The Fatal Gift" Is an extraordinary
tale. Were il not so strongly but'
tressed by documentary proof II
might well be considered another
ingenious invention of Mr. England
somewhat violent imagination. TINS
time, however, England has apparent
ly followed the lead Of sober truth
Does THE Fatal Gift prove the an
cient saw that truth is sometimes
stranger than fiction?
PROLOGUE.