The mountain Democrat., 1863-12-12
THE DEAD ALIVE.

He kept but one servant, an orphan,
whom, as a child, be took to wait upon
him, and afterwarj taught her to read
and write, bOasting her fidelity, and in
dulging her as il she were his daughter.
He was her only friend. At sixteen Car
oline de BYTgh was as comely = girl as
eyes need see, with the gait Of . peacock,
and skin like new milk but from her ST:
lent, almost naughty disposition, the
young men called her pIude, the young
wOmen-fool; though mothers, even Of less
lowly station, would point her out to their
own giddy geese, and cry: Take pattern
by poor Lina!'
Suddenly she appeared to grow timor.
Gus and melancholy; and, one day, was
seen by aneighbor to hurry from her mas
ter's house in great agitation. Peter Gortz
pursued, but missed her, the neighborS
sought her with better fortune, and over
heard her muttering to herself
'Thc Virgin forbid should be so rash
yet anything rather than that can
bear it no longer
. This man instantly seized and question
ed her on the meaning of these words,
but she only trembled, blushed and wept.
He forcibly led her back to her master,
who looked pleased at her return, and on
what she bad said being repeated to him.
merely laughed out:
4 was too strict this morning, perhaps;
silly wench, don't quarrel with thy second
father
Lima was about to retort, when Peter
bade the other leave them. What was
! this ersOn's amaze, when next morning
his wealthy neighbor ran to him, all af.
fright with the tidngs that his house had
been robbed OF gold and plate, to large
amount, though no locks were broken,
aud his servant either murdered and con-
cealed, or carried off alive, which seemed
most likely, as everything that had be-
longcd To her was missing, and no signs
/ OF contention had disturbed her master in
the night.
The menacCs she had used tempted
their hearer at once TO suspect her, though
the loser dil MT. She must, it was sup
posed, have taken the road to her native
village. Officers Of justice pursued that
route, and ovcrtaking wagon whose dri-
yer looked alarmed at their appearance,
insisted on searching it. There, indeed,
they found female answering the de-
Ncr.ption given them, hidden with her
trunk, amid the straw. She denied her
name, but sheath knife was found about
her on which it was craven.
Well she cried, as if bewidcrcd, mo
law can force me to return to him.
/ Not needing her, they lifted out her
box.
IT'S heavy enough said one. signif-
cantIy.
is it:' she screamed to the driver
This appeal caused them to arrest him
also. Falling on his knees, he swore 10y
all the saints that he only knew this girl
as having hired him in the next town to
come privately to certain house for her.
self and baggage; that he had gone, stolen
in, moved the box from her room to his
wagon, where, by another bribe, she had
! induced him to conceal her. The lid was
forced, aud at the bottom Of the wardrobe,
sewn into some articles of apparel. were
discovered sum Of money and several
articles Of silver, bearing the initials of
Peter Gortz. In positive distraction Caro-
line ShrirhAd--
I 4 refused to be his wife, and told him
would leave him. Oh, he threatened to
punish ne y
You had threatened, too said one of
her captorS, and now, Of course, would
iain criminate your accuser.'
Nay, then, | an lost indeedr she cried,
and was conveyed to prison in the town
she had just left, amid the execratiOns Of
its assembled inhabitants, who had never
before heard Of such way as hers for re-
/ quitting al offer of marriage from a supe-
rior.
She was tried Immediately on her ap-
prehension. Who could bear witness in
her favor? Who knew her character so
well as Peter Gortz himself? He gave
his evidcnce with extreme reluctance
everything tending To prove her guilty.
She was condemned to die without delay;
yet the priest who attended her could
gain no avowal of the theft; finding her
SO impenitent he tried all the powers of
terror on her soul, with but the result of
unnerving her for the awful fate she was
to meet.
! | cannot grace my story with word in
praise of her heroism. She begged for
time, she supplicated the Virgin to inter-
pose and save her young days; she gro-
veled at the feet OF her guards; her shrieks
and groans rung from the very scaffold,
she struggled with the executioner, till
even he was half overpowered by her
pleading beauty. At last her strength
and reason failed she became insensible
The fatal cord was adjusted and the poor
wretch left to hang for the usually ap-
pointed time.
Her body, according to the sentence of
the law, was given for dissection. 1t fell
to the lot of rising anatomist, named
Ebreson, who had it conveyed to the
wonted scene of his scientific vigils, a
large arched cellar, beneath his house,
chosen for its coolness; the air was moi
some, and its walls discolored; it was
lighted from the ceiling by an antique
lamp, whose rays fell on the instrument
of his labors, and the still more terrific
looking preparations upon which he had
toiled.
The operator was accustomed to attire
himself, for these experiments, in dark
dress, which tightly fitted his gigantic
figure, and left his lean arms bare. His
fiery eyes, cadaverouS and strong features
set off by the black locks that streamed
over his shoulders, must have rendered
him frightful picture. Before him, on
his table, lay the body of Caroline, parti-
ally covered with cloth, often before
used for similar purposes. and, here and
there, stained from the blood of the dead.
Ehreson, who had hitherto been constrain-
ed to study from such revolving remnants
as his elders might leave of their church
yard Spoils, was gratiicd in attaining an