The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-12-12
MYSTERY OF A DREAM.
Was It a Vision That Brought
Jasper to His SensesP


Jasper to His Senses2
am about to write the story Of the
one great mystery of my life. ! have
told the story to many people, but,
with one exception, they have all
looked very incredulous. Many shook
their heads, and not few acted as if
they thought me a trife dcmented.
There is one, however, who is now sit
ting near the table at which / am writ
ing, that believes my story implicitly.
Indeed, Ediena, my darling wife, knows
full well that the story which / am
about to write is true.
/ can not tell when the knowledge
that loved Ediena Wyldmere was first
revealed to me. We were children
together. and as we grew older we
seemed like brother and sister Even
then she was all the world TO me, and
how dear ] was to her, her own sweet
lips have told me more than a hundred
times Our Joys and SORROWS were
shared together. AS happy, thought
less children, we romped and laughed.
and many time we mingled our tears
in childish grief. AS the years rolled
away, our affection for each other grew
steadily stronger and deeper.
al nineteen IU4e02 Was IS Is-lr ana
pure as the most spotless thing under
the sun. l almost worShiped her then,
but was still young and no thoughts
Of marriage had entered my head. So
beautiful = maiden could not long avoid
attracting admiring suitors, and among
those who flocI,ed around her was one
Cyril SlaythOrne, the tall, proud, aristO-
cratic master OF Staythorne Hall, which
had been left him at the death Of his
wealthy father.
1 do not deny that soon grew Jealous
Of many Of these flwuing and lattcr-
ing suitors, and Of Cyril Staythorae in
particular. Most beautiful young ladies
are naturally a trife inclined to be
firts, and Ediena Wyldmero was no ex-
ception. Not but that she loved me as
truly and dearly as ever, but never had
! made 4 serious declaration of my pas
sion. and for time she enjoyed the at
tention bestowed upon her by those who
had been smitten by her rare charms OF
grace and sweetness.
] was poor, a carpenters son, and this
fact alone in the eyes of her parents
disqualified me as son-in-law- Our
Saviour was carpenters son, but this
fact has not caused the calling to be
leemed more lofty than ii was nineteen
hundred years ago. Ediena's parents
were on the outlook for good match"
for their daughter, and they looked with
favor upon Cyril Staythorne- They
were too wise to come out openly and
request Ediena to have nothing further
to do with the poor carpenters son, but
in divers ways they did every thing
they could 70 separate US and to install
Stavthorne in her favor.
l shall never forget the feeling OF
rage and despair that seized me as one
day saw Ediena pass, seated in Cyril
Staythorne's handsome carriage, with
Staythorne himself by her side. / can
not describe our next meeting. How
much was to blame for what followed
I now know, but L then thought i had
Just cause for what / did. Hot words
were uttered. and for the first time we
parted in anger.
The next day 1 left the quiet New
England town where twenty-one years
of my life had been spent. A passenger
train bore me away out into the world
/ was going anywhere that / might get
away from the hateful spot that 1 had
always known as home, whore so many
happy days had been spent with the
one from whom l thought fate had sep
arated me forever.
/ sought and obtained employment in
a great city, the crowded streets and
hurrying rush of which seemed very
strange and unnatural to me.
tried 70 forget my old home and
Ediena, but j soon found IL impossible
TO do so. Strive as l might to tear her
image from my bosom, her fair. sweet,
face was almost always before me.
Sternly fought against the power that
seemed to be drawing me back TO her.
Many a night did / awaken and sit bolt
upright in the darkness Of my little
room, with her plaintive cry sounding
in my ears:
''Oh, Jasper, come back TO mer''
1t always seemed very real but ]
reasoned myself into thinking that it
was all imagination. l now know that
many, many times she uttered that very
cry.
One day an accident happened to me.
/ was passing along beneath the spot
where repairs were being made on a
building when a falling board struck
me senseless. I was picked up and
carried to hospital, but when ! recov-
cred consciousness / did not know
my own name. My mind did not seem
deranged, could remember events and
people. but could not recall the name
of a single person whom / knew. They
told me that / had been severely
injured and that doubtless as l i'm
proved my memory would serve me bet
ter.
For several days ] lay there. gradual
~ growing better physically, but in nC
way improving mentally. Try as l
might, / could not recall names. / re-
membered my home, Ediena, Cyril
Staythorne, every thing; but i could
not speak the name of single place or
person, although scores of times 1
seemed on the point OF doing so.
Finally. l had so far recovered that
was informed that on the following day
was TO be discharged from the