The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-03-24
A Jump In
the Dark
Being Story of Mysterious
Disappearance
BY r. w. KEENAN,
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

Amnesia, sudden loss of memory,
is much more common disease than
is supposed and one of the principal
causes of those mysterious disappear
ances that from time to time puzzle
the police. IL person dies the body
is not self moving, but one whose
memory has been obliterated can wan
der far from those who would recog-
nize him.
When one loses himself from this
cause he steps, as ii We're, from one
existence into another. One circle OF
connections are blotted out--a new cir
Gle is formed. 1t has happened to me
to be one of those persons to receive
an amnesia patient, as 1t were, com
ing from another world.
l had been married and had the mis-
fortune to lose my wife. 1t is hard to
lose Il beloved partner, but TO be left
with two little children, as l was, l
| esteem the greatest of domestic Attic
tons The care of boy of six and Il
/ girl of four devolved upon me. There
was no woman relative on either side
of the family whom l could call on to
come in and relieve me of the burden.
l was leaning on my gate one spring
evening after having endeavored to
keep my children with me while at
work during the day and having found
working and taking care OF them In
compatible Looking up to the heav-
ems, wherein the stars were beginning
to twinkle, l cried out in my distress:
20 God, send me n woman to take
care of these motherless babesr'
| stood gazing up into the starry
armament until l was recalled to my
self by a voice saying:
''Please, sir, do tell me who | am"
Lowering my eyes, l saw a woman
walking toward me. She stopped and
peered at me with troubled look on
her face, My first impression was that
she was insane.
'Tell who you are" said Don't
you know who you are?'
81 have no remembrance of any
thing since half an hour ago, when l
knowing how | came to be there nor
where | was going, / got off at the
next station. l went up into the vii
lage and have followed this road"
/ had heard of cases OF amnesia,
but had never thought much about
them. This appeared to me to be such
case. / began to think of ways OF
restoring the wanderer TO her friends.
ITO what point was your ticket2"
81 had no ticket"
"Then the conductor must have TAX
en- 1t up"
81 suppose 80"
| thought n moment. then suddenly
remembered my prayer
Come into the house, l said, and
i will see If | can find n clew."
She followed me, and the first thing
that attracted her attention was my
two children lying asleep with their
little fat arms around each others
neck. They had kicked off the covers
and their pink toes were exposed. Fol
the moment the woman's attention
was diverted from her trouble to the
children She bent down and touched
her lips to the round cheek of each.
offered seat, and she sank into II.
] questioned her and made note of
her replies, but the only information
to be derived In the matter | knew,
while she did not, The train she was
on must have come from the west, but
did not see how this would help us.
She might have come clear around the
world. Presently | thought of getting
her something to eat and, going to the
cupboard, took out cold meat. with
bread and butter, and made her cup
of tea She ate Il little and drank the
tea all the while vainly trying to re-
call the past,
well" | said at last, you'll have to
stay here tonight; tomorrow Ill report
your case to the police. Your friends
have doubtless notified the police OF
your disappearance, and In this way
we may establish communication with
them"
gave her the room In which my
wife had slept with one OF the children
the other child had slept with me
and told her she would find articles OF
apparel ana toilet there, the room not
having been changed in any way since
my wife's death. She retired to 1t, and
somehow | hoped she would never re-
turn to her past existence.
In the morning when the children
awakened | sent them In their nighties
into her room. They came out with
wonder on their faces, the boy ex'
claiming:
"oh, papa, God has sent us new
mamma"
took them up In my arms and said,
" sincerely hope he has
Leaving my find with the children,
l took train for the city and on ar
rival went straight to the superlD-
tendent of police. There were notes
of a great many disappearance ON his
books that had occurred in different
places, but none covering this case.
I left a description Of the woman who
had come 10 me. with her dress and
apparent station In life, stating that
she was probably country bred, Then
! returned 10 my home. which for the
first time since my wife's death look
ed like home. found the woman
with both children in her lap, telling
them stories.
Every day one or more inquiries
came from the police, and number