Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-11-17

one so totally different from itself.
Claude, the artist, shut out the light Of
day, and wrought at his easel only by the
softened gloom of the reflected light from
an antique chandelier suspended from the
ceiling. Night and day he wrought in
silence. soicitude and fasting-three
days and nights, and nothing but water
passed his lips.
Bertha slept the same; there was no
change on cheek or brow, aud yet she
would be buried on the morrow when the
picture was finished. Her aifianced came
and watched the process of the work.
He uttered no word, but seemed satisfied
with the copy. He compared the two
the silent sleeper and the fair shadow on
the canvass-with the keenness Of con
noiseur, and seemed as we'll satisfied with
the one as with the other. He had grown
familiar with the repoSe Of death.
| went and came-now sitting in silent
sympathy with my uncle, now kneeling
and weeping by the bedside of Bertha.
She was to be buried on the morrow,
and still no change in form or feature. :
Twelve doctors have pronounced her
dead, nephew" said my uncle. You
probably are not aware that she had an
organic disease of the heart, inherited
from her poor mother"
bowed to superior wisdom, and slow
ly at midnight entered the bridal cham,
Der to keep vigil over Bertha. Claude
had left his easel his picture was fin
ished. He stood by the couch, gazing
upon the dead, one hand upon her brow
one laid upon her breast, with his face
nearly touching hers.
The hot blood rushed thro' my veins.
| grasped his arm tightly to hurl him
away.
Hush r. he said hoarsely.
Did see the lips of Bertha culver 2
Did | see her form move, or was it the
unsteady light Of my eyes caused by the
fever of my brain?
No! Bertha was dead
Claude stood erect and offered his
hand.
Il meant no harm, friend" he said in
whisper, but one SO lovely should not
die in the vigor Of youth You are her
relative what was her disease ?"
| related the account given me, and
then to relieve my overburdened heart
confessed my doubts of her willingness to
marry, aud the faint suspicion that she
was attached to myself.
Possibly" said Claude, vacantly, his
eyes seemingly inverted. " But as | see
her spirit, it could not assimilate to the
man chosen for her, aud her soul shrank
50 far within itself that she bears the
semblance Of DEATH
"Aud you don't think her dead ?"
cried eagerly. Claude recovered him
self; he awoke as from dream. He hac
evidently from long fasting and intense
/ labor fallen into a benumbed state. HI
staggered to a chair and asked for water
aud denied all knowledge Of the las
three days and nights. He hreathec
convuIsively, and walked with difficulty
to his easel. g 1t is finished" he sald.-
- Dead at the altar want rest; show
me to a room.
Claude slept until noon-Bertha wa.
in her coffin: The last sad rites were
about to take place. AS he came down
he walked as one blind, holding out hi
hand before him to ward off Obstacles
His face looked palIid and haggard be
i yond description. Bertha's affiauced has
tened to him, but Claude put him off
saying in hoarse whisper: 1t is flu
ished. Dead at the altar F."
He turned to where the coffin lay, look
ed vacantly within, laid his hand mo
ment upon her brow, and left the house.
The chief mourncr, the ailianced o
Bertha. said in explanation:
Intense labor had slightly derangeG
the artist; he would sooA recover"
Bertha was buried in the old family
i vault, and became her successor in my
uncle's estimation, the child Of his kind
ness, his heir expectant.
A mad within seized me one day to look
within the coffin of Bertha, TO assure my
/ self that she was indeed dead.
Need Idescrbe the horrible fear thai
/ fell upon me, when | found her coffir
empty
Bertha, without a doubt--we decided
had been exhumed for the disSectine
knife. The thought was terrible beyond
endurance, and as three months had
elapsed since heI burial there remained
no longer clue to the discovery Of the
corpse-stealers. Large rewards were Of
fered for detection and CONSERVATION
became universal. My uncle was frantic
with grief, and scarcely less than insane
Claude had returned to Italy and Der
tina ) aflianced was gone on continental
tour.
A year passed in vain search, and We
sank into hopeless despair. Not the mol
remote clue had ever been found to oul
own dead Bertha, but copy Of the pic
ture taken in the bridal chamoer-' Dead
at the Aitarn-came from Claude in seem
ing compensation for our terrible loss
Bertha was partially restored by this, ant
a vague, restless desire seized me to SET
the nan again, who Impressed me so sin
gularly as he labored so intensely to make
immortal the beauty of The dead bride.
] made my Intention known to Claude