Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-08-31

and 4 was surprised 10 see tnat tney
were disposed to act like reasona BILE
l beings. And. more remarkable still,
| they began to work out a brand new
| story, composed of the several differ
| ent stories that had become predomi-
nant in my brain.
This unity came from their present
ing themselves to me and holding my
attention till the end. then beginning
| at the commencement and going past
again. And noticed that every time
| they passed they were in more rea-
sonable shape than the time before
Then when they had ranged them
selves and acted like human beings;
when there were no more incoherencies
to be got rid of, they faded away,
and l saw no more Of them. at least
not together. Now and again one of
them would bob up before me-but for
no purpose that could discover-and
after looking at me inquiringly, as
much as to say, do you want any,
thing of me?" would disappear like
the turning off of light.
One day there came a change I was
conscious of everything about me. A
clammy perspiration indicated that
was very weak. did not see Ellen
Trowbridge, but a young woman in
Swiss costume was sitting near my
bed making lace. l called to her. and
rising quickly she came to me. l asked
her what had been the matter with
me.
Instead of replying she ran away
and called the woman of whom l
rented my room. AS soon as she
came 1 asked for my American travel
ing companion. l was informed that
she had left InterlsSzen week before.
l asked where she had gone and was
told that she had directed her letters
forwarded to America. Had she left
any word for me? None except that
she had been suddenly called home.
l passed a period of f.convalescence in
sight Of the beautiful Jungfrau. I
remembered perfectly the characters of
the stories l had concocted during my
illness, moving about on the noun,
tain side, but the combination story
they had enacted 1 could not call up.
However. made no effort at anything,
either mental or physical. l simply lay
waiting for strength. This came at
last and since the hot season was over
went down to Spezia In Italy, where
imbibed more strength from the sea
afr. From there 1 made a brief visit
to Florence and Rome and sailed from
Naples to America. BY the time l
reached port I was perfectly restored
to health.
Soon after my return I became enam-
ored Of picture plays. These plays-I
refer to those of dramatic and artistic
merit-called out all Of appreciation for
the drama and art there was in me-
One day l saw an announcement Of
picture play. the scene of which was
laid among the Alps. 1 went to see it.
What was my astonishment to sec
the same views 1 had looked upon from
my windows at Interlaken. Then camo
view of the Jungfrau just as it had
appeared to me while ILL., There were
the dots on its side, and when a nearer
view was given they became resolved
into human beings.
Here and there was unfolded the
play I had dreamed The characters
did not look like those in my dreams,
but they did the things I had dreamed.
The play was as it appeared to me just
before 1t passed out of my mind-that
Is, in a finished condition.
To say that l was wonder stricken Is
to express feebly what l felt. 1 was
frightened. Was I in my senses? Was
not my fitness returning to me? I
was about to leave the theater when
was stopped by curiosity. 1 must see
the play to the end.
When the end came I was near col
lapse. That night 1 did not sleep a
wink. How had a play which had
evolved itself in my brain been trans
ferred through films to screen in
America? No solution occurred to me
that had any element of probability in
1t. l went to see my physician and
told him what had occurred. He look
ed at me scrutinizingly and, despite
his efforts at concealment, anXiously.
After some thought he gave me his
theory as to the cause of what l had
told him. He said that there was
nothing unusual in the character of
my previously written stories chasing
one another through my brain. A drug
would do that. But when he came to
account for the formation Of a picture
In my brain he was staggered. AS to
the transference of this play to a
screen in America. he could only ac-
count for it on the ground that when
went to the theater 1 had a tempo
rary relapse Of my illness and saw
what was not on the screen. He for
bade me to do any literary work and
to live as quietly as possible.
The true solution came in time. One
day was surprised by a call from
Ellen Trowbridge. She came to make
confession. She told me that while
was lying i'll at Interlaken I was
much of the time delirious. While de-
lirious l was constructing picture