The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-15

Existence

D ELEANOR MARSH
was travelling On . railway tE1ln,
Suddenly felt Z sharp pain n ny
bead. Then lost Consciousness. WA
I came to myself saw several persoos
standing about me. one . woman, VIII
. bottle Of smelling salts In her hana.
tried to recall where I was golne. 1
could not. Then I tried to recall fro0
where had come. failed in thiD ia.
Doubtless I appeared dased b tAose
about me. for Z woman said:
shell come III right presently. Give
her chance to collect her facultiee.s
After had been asked . few queo-
lions gave those abo0t ne t. under
stand that I wished 10 b loet alooe,
and one after tie other they went .
their soats. Then 30 my horror counA
that I didn't know ny own name. I
didn't know my parents' name noe Who
they were. EveEything beyond IT,
present was lost In oblivioa.
Would It al come back1 I believed
It would But It did not I looked N
my purse md found ticbsts 70 4 CITY
and hank bins 20 tho amoant oe ~,
besides some silver. I searched anoog
. few alps Of paper hoping 10 80 ny
name. There was not q word 10 sug.
gest who wa.
Not caring TO 60 into q large city n
such . condition got Of at q suburban
station. It was speingtime. I passed
q snug cottage. In To- grounds Of
which were two nttlo g1rls playing. Z
craved some one to speak q and pco-
ferred these innocents TO any one elsa
The gate was open. and entered tho
yard, calling to them to CONS 10 M.
They did 90. and I put IN arm about
each Of them. I talked to them and
they to me. cared not what was said,
felt comfort In their company
"Papa!'
One Of the children looked up at
some one entering the gateway. I fol-
lowed the direction Of her glance and
saw . man about to enter. There was
something 90 kindly In his face that I
felt impelled to tell him my trouble
and ask his advice - to what should
do. He listened to me. asked me q few
questions, then said:
Come into the house and we win
see what can b done for You"
His household was run By IN elderly
woman. There was also . nurse for
the children. He told the former to
give me q room for tho night. and he
and and the children dined together.
After dinner be informed me Of steps
he proposed to take ON the morrow to
discover my identity, suggesting that
examine my clothing to discover II
there was . mark that would help us.
After dinner went to my room and
made the examination. There wa
nothing to give any clew.
Mr.. Seagrave. the gentleman, tele
phoned an advertisement to a newspa
per I'm the city describing me and the
incident connected with me. He said
he thought my relatives would be on
the lookout for such q notice and
would hear from them very soon. he
also gave me permission to remain in
his house till l was claimed or my
memory returned. I had enough mon.
ey to pay my board for two or three
weeks. but after that would he penni.
less.
Time passed and no one claimed me
1 wondered IL l had any relatives.
judged that I was about twenty-One
years old. Had l been married? II
SO my husband would doubtless move
heaven and earth to find me.
When three weeks had gone by ten
dered Mr.. Seagrave my $24 for my keel
and told him that 1t was all had. He
offered to discharge the nurse and
make me the gOveness of his children
gladly accepted.
4 doctor who was called in to sex
me said that he was Of the opinion my
loss of memory had been occasiOnei
either by a former sickness or trouble
I showed no sign Of having been i'll
and there was no evidence of a pas
trouble.
What had been I knew not
knew that I was very happy in Mr.
Seagraves home. I loved the two lit
tie girls, and l grew to love him. 4
widower. he naturally pinned for a wo
mans companionship. had not beer
In his house a year before he asket
me to marry him.
Alas. I knew not whether or no
was free to marry any one. Their
was long struggle between my de
sire to be his wife and to mother hi
two dear little girls. He seemed t
have made up his mind to take tn
chances himself. and at last consent
ed. We were married. He, / and tn
children were happy.
About two years after my marriag