The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-05
" Number Eleven"
Submitted in The Trbune's Short Story Contest.

upward. Waters stood watching
/ Mary. occasionally answering some
question of hers. Everything was
| just as 1t had been hundreds of times
| before. with no hint Of disaster.
Just as the cars slid over the plane,
and released r,imblrd heavily away
| into the tunnel. Burke called to Harry.
He started toward the engine. turned
TO glance at Mary. slipped and fell,
and the crank Of the machine as 1t
gradually stopped struck his head.
With Il cry Mary sprang to him and
dragged him out of danger as the
| crank swung over again and stopped
completely.
They carried him to his home. fol-
lowed by "A terror stricken handful of
friends and while Joe dashed reck-
lessly down the mountain to Dunmore
for u doctor, Mary and her mother did
what all women know how to do for
a sufferer. He was not dead. that
they were sure OF. but it seemed that
death must be near.
The doctor camr. The next day
again. and the next Weeks passed
and the visits of the good man to the
little house nn the mountain still
kept on. Harry was gaining. he would
answer to the inquiries of the men
along thu line. when they asked after
their friend: but as yet there was no
telling what the outcome would be.
When Il man no matter how strong he
might he, had an accident Of that
sort it was II very dubious question
| whether lie would recover fully or not.
And even il he did not die there vas
great danger of his mind being un
balanced by the shock.
And his gloomy prophesy proved
ly too true. Though the sick man
gained in strength there was somc-
thing missing in his manner. ell was
dazed and unable to grasp his con-
dtion and whereabouts. He even
seemed to look on his brother and
Mary as strangers. AS he grow strong
enough to get about the place it be-
came evident to all that his memory
vas completely gone. :tot that he
could not remember things that hap
pencd to him daily: but his recoller
tion of his past. hefore the accident.
had left him. lie was bewildered and
da zed, of course. For Il grown man to
be obliged to start life rs Il child
would is an experience likely to con-
his efforts Ia reinake his acuuaint-
arccs with bis life long friends par.
ticularly with Mary. He was shycst
With her. She used to look 50 sadly at
him. tina; ii made him most uncon-
Portable, though he could not have
told why.
1t was "iN months after the accident,
in the early fail. when Harry was
an 4, Si nj,
once more fate took charge. Without
any idea of doing SO. without any
reason for ii he achieved that which
many men with the best of reasons,
backed by the most ingenious minds
have failed to DO He disappeared
utterly and completely.
The search. which was of course or.
ganizcd, was absolutely without Il clue
to follow. The nearby woods and
mountains We're hunted through with
no success. Teegrams were sent to
the towns along every railroad head
ing out of Scranton. but all to no rur-
pose. 1t was Il topic of conversation
for days in the city, but city like in a
week the people had turned to dis
cussing the elections and religion,
and forgotten the mystery. But Num-
ber F.leVn did not forget.
There were almost as many theories
held in that small place as there were
inhabitants. one supcrStitouS old
lady held to the belief that goblins
had made away with Harry. Mays
father took The more practical view.
but equally impossible of proof that
that he had wandered off into the wild
gion To the north farther than the
searchers had penetrated, and had