The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-04-27
10 THE MEMORY
OF THE
-. . ~ I'D
FEMALE SIRANGEfS

~ THE MEMORY
OF THE
FEMALE STRANGER
lei sufferings terminated
W1oss nth day of october 1916,
o. Y. .--artv-eight years and eight
as5a his stone is erected by her
nol-As, ,.+s husband in whose arms
.---ssd out her last sigh, and
she - God. did his utmost to
VAo tFs dull cold ear of death.
- fs alI-and the most deter
Ina efrorts of the residents of
-l,-.,5ria during the first half of the
a-.-- rsnturv. failed to throw the
~ a-..ssr Iight upon the mystery.
~. f,crs i'm the case are few, but,
ss they are, they are supported
IS 80 rrassailabIe evidence of num-
y ' - narsons who were eyewitnesses
!. 10 brief public appearance of the
e..-ols stranger" The brig Four
80. locked at Alexandria on July
:. 1c18 on route from Halifax to the
~ indies. The Virginia city was
- mort of call on the regular route,
N, tbo captain stated that one Of his
.s,ss1qars had been taken dangerously
m end that her husband had demand
= that she be put ashore at AleKan-
i-lo where a boat was lowered, and a
nan and woman, the latter apparently
vsr m. were taken ashore.
Despite the heat Of midsummer, the
woman wore a heavy black veil, and
h.r husband secured the best suite in
no Inn Of the Bunch Of Grapes, as
veU as the services Of a well-knOwn
Musician whom he engaged only after
hedging him to striCtest secrecy. Even
4 the presence Of the doctor, however,
iba woman's face was kept yelled, and
hs husband steadfastly refused to
hire a nurse, saying that he was en-
tlrely capable Of handling the case
and that he was able to do anything
that nurse could do.
As the weeks OF scorching hot
weather progressed, however, the man
began to wilt under the constant strain
siwatChing beside the bed, and finally
agreed to permit two Of the guests
O. the Inn to help him-but only after
hey had taken an oath that nothing
they might learn would ever be
tvulged, an oath which was kept as
nUed trust.
During the ten weeks which fol-
loved the wOman's arrival in Alexan-
tha, Ehe grew steadily worse, and at
last At dawn on October 4, her hus-
band announced that she had died.
mn, Tor fear that someone might see
he face which ne had kept hidden
hom the world, he himself prepared
he body Tor burial, sealed the lid Of
ns coin and, after attending the
funeral and ordering the headstOne
EiA the strange inscription, dIsap-
psared.
On October ( Of tie following year,
Aezandria was surprised at the sud
aen and unheralded return Of the hus-
band Whe remained Ia the city only
l'og enough 70 place flowers on the
EaVe Of the female stranger" and ia
ee hat the plot In the cemetery was
ven taken care Of. Once a year, FOL
we've years, he returned. Then hiI
unn ceased and the grave was neg,
NcIed until, a number OF years later
! distinguished elderly man and WON,
q came and ordered the monument
+" os replaced by another and NOR,
~say headstOne bearing the same in
sIpuon' with the addition Of tn,
verse:
hee not.
@n0m related, or by whom begot;
P q dust alone remains OF thee,
- 'aou art and all the proud shall
Iney too, Misunderstanding will
S len me secret Of the identity Of tn,
'.Han whose history and personality
=, 'O'eVer hidden from the world be
sna three words "The Femal,
Stranger" ~