Gunnison news-champion., 1924-01-04

Va. seldom leave without examining
the Inscription upon q handsome mon
umsn; ~his IL one Of the outstanding
plnce- II ,nreres; I'm the city ss well
as one Of the most battling riddles Of
ideni'ty which the passage of more
than q century has failed TO solve
This inscription comprises within Q
few lines ali that the world knows Of
the woman in question. for IL reads:
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
FEMALE STRANGER
Whose mortal su1erfngs terminated
on the fourth day OF October isS
AGED tx.nty-elxht years and eight
rnonths. this stone 10 crested by her
ftscorsolate husband In whose arm
she brrNthed out her las. sigh. and
who. under God. c.4 his utmost to
soo;he the dull. soId ear OF death
That is ali-snd the most deter
mined efforts OF the resldenfs Of
Alexandria during the frst half Of the
last century. failed to throw the
slightest light upon the mystery.
The facts In the case are few. but
by the unassailable evidence OF q num-
ber Of persons who were eyewitnesses
to the brief public appearance Of the
female stranger The brig Four
Sons docked az Alexandria on July
-. 1916. en route from Halifax to the
West Indies The Virginia city was
not port OF call on the regular route.
but the captain stated that one OF his
passengers had been taken dangerously
III and tina, her husband had demand.
ed that she be put ashore at Alexan.
dria. where boat was lowered. and a
man and woman. the latter apparently
very III. were taken ashore.
Despite the heat OF mid summer, the
woman wore a heavy black veil. and
her husband secured the best suite In
the Inn OF the Bunch Of Grapes, ms
well ms the services OF a weli.known
physician whom he engaged only after
pledging him to strictest secrecy Even
In the presence Of the doctor. however.
the woman's face was kept veiled. and
the husband steadfaSiiy refused tn
hire n nurse. saying that he WAS en-
tireiy capable Of handling the case
and that he was able to do anythin.
that a nurse could do.
As the weeks of scorchinx hot
weather progressed. however. the man
began to wilt under the constant strain
Of watching beside the bed. and finally
agreed TO permit two Of the guests
In the Inn to help hlm-buf oaiy after
hoh fak hAs In,
they might learn would ever b.
divulged. an oath which was kept as
n sacred trust
During the ten weeks which fol
lowed the woman's arrival In AiexAn
dria. she grew steadily worse, and al
last at dawn on October 4. her hus.
hand announced that she had died
Then. for fear that someone might see
the face which he had kept hidden
from the world, he himself PREPARED
the body for burial. sealed the lid o
the coffin, and. after attending n.
funeral and ordering the hendstoi,
with the strange inscription, disar
peared
on October 4 Of the following yes
Alexandria was surprised at the SUI
den and unheralded return of the HI
band. who remained In the city opl
long enough to place flowers on Il,
grave Of the female stranger" AMI
see that the plot In the cemetery VI
well taken care Of. Once a year. r
twelve years, he returned Then NJ
visits ceased and tie grave was
iecfed until. q number OF years la..-,
n distinguished elderly man and wor.
an came and ordered the monulpcr
TO be replaced BY another and m.r
costly headstone bearing the same Il,
seription. with the addition of Ill.
verse:
Ho. loved. how honored once. avail
thee not.
To whom related. or by whom b~eot:
A heap of dust alone remains Of thee.
It's all thou art. and all the proud shai
be.
They, too, Misunderstanding will
them the secret Of the Identity Of tn.
woman whose history aud personalit.
Is forever hidden from the world be
hind three words The Female