The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-04-05

ing lad of quiet demeanor, and industrious
habits. Archie, however, twenty-five
years of age was far more sprightly. He
took great delight in being involved in love
scrapes. In fact he was what they call in
the highlands, the vera diel amang the
lassies." Hour after hour he entertained
Jamie with his conqucsts, until the latter
began to show symptoms of doubt.
"An' are ye sure, Archie" he asked
"yoar'e ma telling me pack o'lees2'
They had not given their cousin in the
adjoining room single thought. They
could not disguise the fact (nobody could)
that they were glad he was dead /; smother
ing their qualification however, under the
old comforting maxim, at was weel the
puir body was relieved o. his sufferin." The
night dragged on. Archie continued his
amatory "reminiscences to the great annoy
ance of jamie, until the town clock " strak
the twal,"-it was midnight.
The candle required snufing, and Jamie
reached forward his hand for that purpose /;
but a noise reaching his ears from the room
where the corpse was-a sound like the
moving OF a bench caused him in his trem-
ulousness, to put out the light. The dark.
ness was total. The young men held their
breath-each one choked by the throbbing
of bis heart.
"Jamie," said Archie, " it was naething
-naething but the wind. Gae doom an
get light"
"Oh, Archie, for the luve of God tax
hold O. melt is ma your voice-you dinna
speak in your ain voice."
The next moment the brothers were lock.
ed in each others arms, and fell covering
against the wall, shuddering in the extremi-
ty of terror; for another sound reached
them, and one calculated to paralyze the
bravest. They hear with unmistakable dis
tinctness the tsoo holt ero,0n pieces drop upon
the floor.
When the old blacksmith went up stairs
at day light, and saw his SONS crouching in
the corner of the room, he thought they bad
been drinking too much, and began to chide
them. But he soon stopped, for they rose
up, and came to meet him with wild ex-
preston of joyful relief on their counten'
ances aud pointed to the door at the head
OF the stairs. They were not able to speak
q word. The old man, without hesitation,
pushed open the door and entered the room;
but be came rushing back, uttering a cry of
h0rror-such cry as none but an old man
can give-shrill- -tremulous. They fled
down stairs, out of the house, into the street.
The neighbors were aroused-the story
told-and, in less than half an hour there
was tumult. The staircase in the black
smiths house was soon filled with people !;
but none had courage to open the door.
The head of the column stood upon the
platform resisting the force from behind.
It increased to such violence, however, that
resistance availed nothing. There was an
impatient rush from below-the door was
pushed open, and, in an instant, the terrible
room was filled with visitors. Not word
was spoken-they could only look.
Here it was that Mrs. s. placed her
hand upon my shoulder, and whispered in
my ear, hor breath throbbiDg painfully
against my excited tympanum.
One of the benches was slightly moved,
and the left foot of the corpse rested upon
the floor. The eyes were open-wide open,
and staring at something far, far away.
Without any change in the lines of the face,
there was yet an expression Of curiosity
merging into fear, which, taken in connec-
tion with the disturbed position Of the body,
forced the opinion upon the spectators that
the dead man had suddenly started. Terror
began to be diminished into simple wonder.
The people, at length, conversed with one
another, but all they could do was to close
the eyes of the deceased, and replace the
half crown pieces lift up the leg, and again
envelop it in the sheet. That day no work
was done in Haddington-no one ate any
thing. But night came on again and
others must take their turn at watching in
the ante. room. Twelve men volunteered
eleven of them citizens of Haddington, but
the twelfth was an upstart student from St.
Andrews, who derided the credulity of the
people, and quoted DR.. Brewster.
Excellent cheer was provided for the
watchers. A fire was kindled in the ante
room, and kettle enlivened the company
with its song. The student talked inces-
sanity about spectral illusions, but his COM
panions did not listen to him-they slipped
their hot water and whiskey in silence,
occasionally holding their breath at some
@ncied sound. The night wore on. The
town clock struck the first peal of the mid
nights hour. Each stroke swelled on the
air like groan. 1t was midnight. The
student burst into boisterous laugh. 1t
was, at first, laugh of derision, but it
soon ceased. The young man rose up, gave
one look toward the platform at the head
of the stairs, and fell down swooning, for
the half>crown pieces jingled upon the floor,
rebounded and fell again two benches were
turned over, the ends of the planks, which
they supported, dropped down, and the
corpse was distinctly heard to slide along
the inclined plane. The listeners all sprapg
to their feet, under an impulse to make their
escape, but they burst not pass the dreadful
platform, 80 impressed were they with the
certainty (as they all afterward testified
before the investigating committed that