Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-04-04

on the piano. NO NO NO! Win
like decided emphasis. This, l tho't.
was rather in keeping, for Jerry never
had on ear for music. 1t was sugges-
ted that perhaps the room was too
light; for some spirits, it is we'll known,
prefer darkness. Jerry. however, was
not one Of that kind; for when asked
IL we should turn off the gas. we re-
ceived an unmistalxable answer in the
negative, with an intimation Of dis
pleasure.
An hour passed in these unfruitful
cross-purposes. Question after qucs-
tion, knock upon knock; rap, rap, rap.
At length it was suggested that Jerry
wanted to be alone with me. l con-
fess had an inward tremor when this
was proposed. but for the world |
would not have owned it. The rest OF
the party accordingly left the room,
and / pursued the investigation on my
own account. found Jerry exceed-
ngly tractable, and received ready re-
sponses to all my inquiries.
II were tedious 10 relate them In de-
tail. Suffice II TO say, that he not on
ly reiterated the time and place Of his
death, but gave the astounding, and |
must add, the gratifying intelligence,
that he had left behind him twenty
thousand dollars. and that by his will
l was constituted his only heir. He
assured me further. that in one months
time / should be put in possession ol
that noble sum.
Here was a development, such as in
my indecent curiosity | had longed
for. Ii was the revelation of fact,
if it was fact, that mortal could moi
communicate. The death of an indi-
vidual away in the interior of Alabama
revealed in New York, within, al
most, three hours of his departurel-
Revaled by himself, too land to me
| was perfectly astounded, terrified,
overwhelmed. l took my hat and
started homeward, hardly staying "a
bid the circle a decent good night. =
Then. too, the twenty thousand dol
lars what should l dc with such q
sum T? Buy farm, or an elegant city
mansion, or speculate in Erie Rail-road
stocks i? Ny brain whirled, there
was perfect chaos in my poor head
What will Eliza Jane say? !? Shall
tell her, or keep dark until the news
comes by mail !? These last were
troublesome questions. st the time
Of our marriage we had agreed that
there should be no secrets between us
As / well knew she had kept her part
Of the compact inviolate TO the letter.
could / be SO fsithless as to keep from
her this, the most terrible secret l ey'
er had? Would she treat nae so?
knew she wouldn't. Then, too, she
had perfect right 10 know II. She
was my partner in veal and in wo,
true as steel, faithful always.
Strange as it may seem. however.
resolved TO tell her nothing about it.
made up my mind deliberately. ]
will keep the secret II will only be
for a month, and then--the fact is.
felt like villain. aud stole up to bed
certainly rather to be pitied than en-,
We'd.
Shall l own my weakness, and re-
veal the sophistry by which | was be
guiled ? Imust. Ibegan this nara
tive with determination TO tell The
truth, and l will. Before l reached
home on that eveptful night. tha
twenty-frst Of November, my inveter
ate disease Il can call my skepticisn
by no more appropriate name broke
out afresh. Have l not been hum
bugged. said /. after oil ? What evi
dence have that the whole affair wa
not n trick, "a mean, contemplate trick
And then-will the reader believe il
asked myself, suppose Uncle Jerry
should not be dead? Not dead ? no
dead? said / to myself, interrogative
ly, at least hundred times. as l toss
ed upon my uneasy bed.
"Who is not dead, dear 90 asket
Eliza Jane. Confusion! / had beer
thinking aloud. l made no answer
and pretended to be asleep. She di'
not repeat the question.
But, said l, mentally. how coul'
there be and imposition in the case?-
Not one of the party knew that ha'
and Uncle Jerry. Smith knew it. Il
be sure. but then he was not presen
that evening. He had been detained
at home by sickness. Might not h
have told the medium all about it?-
Was it not. from beginning to end,
well-laid plot? Is il not easier to be
lieve that Smith is knave, and tn
medium herself deceiver. than t
believe that Jerry's ghost travelled al
that distance in that short space O
time, on that terrible stormy night?
But then, the twenty thousand dol
lars Ay. said to myself, twent.
thousandll twenty thousand F! twent.
thousand dollars !
Twenty thousand fddlesticks ]
muttered my precious wife, apparent
ly in a state Of half-cunscionsness, a
she turned over uneasily upon her pil
low.
Thus the remaining hours Of tn
night dragged slowly away, and be
fore morning had made up my min'
to wait patiently for the expiration Q
the thirty days at which time l ha'
been told / should come into the pos
session Of Jerry's property. II Jerr.
did 90 into the interior. that is, die, a
six =. NJ, on the twenty.frst Of No
vember. II he did leave will making
me his only heir, and u ! do see an
handle the hard cash. why then, sal
I, | will believe; nay. | will give per
centage Of the money TO aid in th
promotion Of spiritualism. and / wi
come out frankly. and publish my ex
perience TO the world. How cunning
ly cautious | was
A little incident that happened nea
morning. which at any other time wo'
speedily have been forgotten. made
deep impression upon my mind. An
gelica, my pet daughter, then abor