It was a miserable summer in New York back in the year of eighteen-seventy. The heavy, stale, hot air seemed to sting the eyes and make it hard to breathe. Unfortunately Captain Winthrop of Madison Avenue hadn’t found a suitable place in the country to rent for his wife and children. He, himself, had too much work at his shipping company to get away anyway.

One sweltering morning, Emilia, his vivacious eighteen-year-old daughter, rushed into the breakfast room holding a letter from Aunt Matilda, the Captain’s sister-in-law
“It looks like some of us can go to the country after all!”
“Let’s act with some decorum,” her father suggested. “Please, calm down and explain yourself.”
But Emilia was far too exited to listen.
“I wrote to Aunt Matilda, telling her how hot it was in the city. Although you can’t get away, Father, the rest of us have been invited to spend the summer in the Adirondack Mountains with her and cousin Jeffrey. She is very lonely since Uncle Thomas is on an extended business trip in Boston.”
The Captain frowned. “I wish you had spoken to me before you wrote to her, Emilia.”
“That won’t stop you from letting us go, will it, Father?” she asked, anxiously.
The Captain laughed. “No, you can go. It will be good for you all. ”
Brian and Cornelius, her thirteen-year-old brothers cheered.

***
Aunt Matilda lived on an estate that her family had owned before the American Revolution. The colonial house was well maintained and had a large garden in the back. The place was considered the most beautiful in that area.
Arriving on a Monday afternoon, the Winthrops freshened up from the trip on the train. Afterwards, Brian and Cornelius went to play with Jefferson, who was their age. Emilia took a walk in the garden while her mother relaxed with Matilda on the patio.
Emilia strayed off the property. She found herself near a stream in the fields. The distant dark green mountains reached up to the cloudless blue sky.
“Hello, ”someone said behind her.
Startled, she turned and saw a clean shaven, young man smiling at her. His shinny jet- black hair hung to his shoulders.
“Oh, hello” Emilia answered. “I didn’t expect to see anyone else here.”
“I was taking a hike from town. I like to come to this spot because it’s so beautiful. Whom do I have the honor of speaking with?”
She did not have the slightest trepidation in answering him. “Emilia.”
A gust of wind blew her hat off. She quickly ran to retrieve it. When she returned, the stranger was gone.
“I wonder what made him leave so quickly?” she thought. “He never got to tell me his name.”

***

That evening Emilia mentioned her strange encounter. Aunt Matilda became upset. “ It would be best if you stay closer to the house and not go wandering off the grounds.”
Emilia felt her aunt was covering up something. Later, she asked Cousin Jefferson if he knew what was troubling his mother.
“The servants have seen someone walking near the estate. They say he looks like my mother’s deceased younger brother, Sheldon Cortel. She raised him after her parents succumbed to influenza when he was only an infant. Unfortunately, Sheldon died five years ago during the American Civil War. Regardless who this man is, I most agree with my mother. It isn’t a good idea for you to go wandering alone on our property. There is nothing past the gardens to see but those dreary fields and the family’s graveyard. That’s where Sheldon is buried.”
Extremely curious about the graveyard, Emilia ignored everyone’s and went to see the graveyard the next day.
An old iron fence guarded the property, but the gate was opened, so she walked in. Bending down, Emilia began reading the etchings. The tombstones dated from the American revolution to the Civil War.
“Life is so fragile and short,” she said out loud.
“You are so right”
Emilia jumped up. There stood that strange young man again.
“Hello,” she replied. “You left rather quickly yesterday. I’m told that there is a figure who walks around here that resembles my aunt’s deceased younger brother. Perhaps it is you. ”
“Well, I’m not a ghost. My name is Jack Weldon. Please excuse me for leaving so abruptly yesterday, but I was late for an important appointment.”
“Just how do I know that you are telling the truth? Perhaps you really are a ghost,” she replied, giggling.
Jack scowled at her. “I do not appreciate being mocked at.” He rushed off, disappearing into the field

***

Emilia refrained from telling anyone about this meeting. She wasn’t in the mood to hear any reprimanding lectures about being disobedient.
The next night was cool and rainy. Everyone in the house retired early. It was still raining when Emilia awoke at dawn. Jack was sitting on the window seat, staring at her. “You’re blond hair, blue eyes, and delicate features remind me of a beautiful porcelain doll. I do believe I’m falling in love with you.”
Emilia quickly jumped off the bed and put on her robe and slippers.
“Sir, How did you get in here? Leave at once!”
“Please, I had to see you again, tell you what has happened to me, although I don’t think there’s much of a chance that you’ll believe what I say.”
“After the way you broke in here, a proper lady would through you out, but somehow you’ve gotten me curious, so go ahead and tell me.” Emily sat down on a bench near the window.
The room was cold and damp. The young man added more logs in the fireplace, then sat next to Emily. “I used to live in this house and still have my key. Actually you are right when you said I may be Sheldon Cortel.”
Emily turned pale. “You mean you’re actually a ghost?”
“No, it’s not I that’s buried in the grave yard. At present, I haven’t revealed my true identity to anyone. I go by the name of Jack Weldon.”
“But why?”
“It all began in September of 1862. I enlisted in the 116 Regiment of the United States Union Army. I lied about my age since I was only fifteen years old. Two years later, I was mortally wounded during the October battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah region of Virginia. Aa I lay there that evening on the ground, a tall dark man, dressed in a strange outfit came out of the mist and bent down next to me. Taking pity on me, he removed a needle from his black bag and injected me. The wound in my chest miraculously disappeared in a few minutes, but he told me I was still in danger and would have to take special daily injections from him to remain alive until he could find a permanent cure. To avoid too many questions from inquisitive family members, it was suggested that I get a new identity and find work in a hospital where he could come and safely treat me. To make everyone think that I was dead, a few of my personal items were placed by him in the pockets of a nearby corpse that had been shot in the face, making it unidentifiable. That is the body that lies in my family’s graveyard.
Emilia shook her head. “Do you really expect me to believe such a story?”
“Trust me. It’s all true. Novum, the man who saved my life, is a scientist who has travel from the future. He is very close to finding a permanent cure for me. Until then, I must wear a pendant which contains a device that signals the scientist wherever I am.”
“But why have you come back to the Adirondacks?”
“When the war ended, I became extremely homesick. There’s a hospital in my area, so I returned incognito and got a job there as an orderly. Luckily, I found an apartment close to the place.”
Emilia rose. “ It’s all nonsense. Now, please give me the house key and leave. I assume you either found or stole it.”
Sheldon shook his head. Handing her the key, he began to walk away, but returned and gave her a passionate kiss before leaving.
Later that morning, Rosalyn came to her daughter’s room. She was surprised to see Emilia packing. Her eyes were swollen as if she had been crying.
“I can’t stay here anymore, Mother. Please don’t try and change my mind. We must telegraph Father and inform him that I am returning to the city.”
The next day, Emilia returned home. Yet even there, she remained in an extremely depressed state.
Captain Winthrop felt a European tour would help his daughter forget whatever was bothering her. The following week he arranged for a spinster cousin to accompany Emilia on an extensive trip.

***

The Captain was right. The trip did improve Emilia’s mood. She enjoyed visiting all the different countries and seeing the many beautiful landmarks. While in London, she was introduced to Winslow Travers, a young lawyer, at a party given by some family friends.
“We must meet again” the charismatic fellow insisted at the end of the evening.

After spending lots of time with him during the next few days, Emilia extended her London stay. Then, to the surprise of everyone, the couple eloped on a warm spring evening.
Their marriage was a pleasant one. Unfortunately, six years later Winslow fell off a horse and died. Due to the stress of this tragedy, Emilia had a miscarriage shortly afterward. That November she wrote to her father. “I’m coming home. There nothing left here for me”

Aboard the ship, Emilia kept to herself. Spending many hours on the cold deck, she caught pneumonia by the time the boat reached New York. Unconscious and ill, her condition remained critical for a while
***

On a late snowy December evening, Emilia regained consciousness. Her mother was sitting on a chair next to her.

“Oh, Emilia, thank goodness you are awake. For a while we thought you weren’t going to make it. The first doctor who examined you gave us no hope at all. Luckily, Aunt Matilda came to New York with her kid brother who has recently became a doctor. When Sheldon saw how sick you were, he immediately took charge.”

Emilia was puzzled. Although weak, she managed to lift herself up on the pillow. “I thought Aunt Matilda’s brother died in the American Civil War?”

Her mother shook her head. “No, that was false information. The whole situation was bizarre. Sheldon showed up shortly after you left for Europe. He regained his memory after having a bout of amnesia brought on by the war. The body in the graveyard was a disfigured solder who was misidentified because some of Sheldon’s things were found in his pockets.”

“How did Sheldon become a doctor?”

“Before regaining his true identity, Sheldon had been an orderly in a hospital not far from his sister. That experience made him want to become a doctor. He entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Syracuse University. Four years later, he graduated with honors.”
Emilia sat back. “Incredible. I guess he doesn’t have to make up any more fantastic stories now.”
Rosalyn gave her daughter a puzzled look. “ He asked to see you alone when you regained consciousness. I’ll get him.”

“Sheldon is here?”

“Of course, he wouldn’t leave until he knew you were out of danger. I’ve never seen such devotion.”

Moments later, Sheldon walked in, looking more handsome than Emilia remembered him. In addition, he now had an air of poise and confidence.

“Sheldon, I . . . ”

He cut her off. “Novum completely cured me right after you left for Europe. I was able to return to my family and begin leading a normal life. Of course I didn’t tell them everything that happened to me. They would have the same reaction as you did. ”

“Oh, Sheldon, are you still sticking to that silly story you told me?”

“Perhaps this will convince you it was the truth.”

He opened his bag and took out a syringe with a hypodermic needle and a strange medicine bottle that felt cold to the touch.

“You would have died if not for the injection of Penicillin that I gave you. It won’t be discovered for many generations. Novum gave it to me after he foresaw you returning to New York with pneumonia. The medicine was kept in a special bottle or it would have spoiled.”

Sheldon shook his head as he looked at Emilia. “I can see by your expression that you still don’t believe me.”

Emily gently took his hand. “But I do. I guess it all comes down to a matter of trust.”

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