The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-10-31

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Findley's tipsayS Jokes iahd gplanning
property the old lady had left them. Poor
old 1adyl I couldn't help wondering as
I went On to my room, What she would
think of all this if she could come back
and see it. li8a -.1s..c
i had to pass the door of the room in
which lay the corpse, and trod softly,
as people do on such occasions, rs if any
noise would disturb that last deep slum-
ber! was just past the door, when it
seemed to me 1 heard somo unusual
sound in the room. I stopped and lis
tened and heard itagain. It was like the
noise of some instrument scraping and
grinding; aud now and thena slight tap
of hammer. What could Mr.. Simon
be doing? Invent up to the door and put
my hand on the knob, but found it was
locked inside.
The noise had ceased the moment l
touched the knob, and then Mr.. Simon
came to the door, and opened it m inch
or two; and in the dim light saw that
his face looked quite pale.
'Who is it? What do you want, Mrs.
Hobson?' he said quickly, and with q
sort Of tremor in his voice.
Nothing. I was passing, and thought
l. WOnlu Just look In.
sits all right" lie said; and shut the
door quickly.
| stopped ut the end of the passage,
thinking of the strange sound I had
heard. and of Mr.. Simon's manner and
then L saw him open the door noiselessly
and look up and down the hall, and then
again the door was closed, and presently
l heard the same creaking sound as be-
IL H. l. I L
made by the undertaken in driving down
the screws of the coffin.
l knew that to the room in which lay
into q partially-furnished and unused
chamber. This door was kept always
locked; but rem membered that one of the
panels was warped and cracked. And I
went around, softly rs I could, to this
chamber, and there, in the darkness, saw
n CLEAN of light shining through this
crack from the room in which lay the
corpse. crept up, and cautiously peep
ed through. Yes; it was just as l had
expected. l shudder now when I think
of it.
In the middle of the room was the
colin, Which had seen some hours be-
fore carefully and securely screwed down.
1t was now open. The heavy lid had
been twisted around and lay extended
across the coffin, and STOPPING over the
head of it was Mr.. Simon, his face white
and his hands trembling rs they fumbled
about the dead body within.
began to tremble, too, as I stood
there, breathlessly watching him. could
see the face of the dead woman, exactly
opposite and not five yards from me,
raised upon pillow; and could even
see the dead CLEAN of her half-closed
eyes. And 1 saw Mr.. Simon drawing
aside the folds Of the shroud, and dis
placing the hands, which were crossed
on the heart, take out something bright
and giistening, and transfer it to his own
breast-pocket. He aoas robJing tie dead
There were, as I have said, three of
the lockets, and when he had found
them all, he turned away with them, and
leant over the lamp, apparently taking
the miniatures out of the settings. In
doing this his back was turned to the
coffin. so that he never saw what I did.
1 saw-my blood runs cold to this day
when think of it-I saw the half f-closed
lids OF the corpse slowly upraise them
selves, then fall, and quiver, and again
unclose. L saw the pale lips move, and
the thin, colorless hands tremble and
6hooP ASOoiJ. AhCa Ca0 cy ODtucu
wide, and gazed full and steadily around
at the ceiling, at the white-draped fur
niture, and then at Mr.. Simon.
I knew that it was no apparition, as
some folks would have supposed; but q
living spirit. and living body before
me-. The poor old lady had been in a
trance, and was just awakening. I saw,
too, that, feeble and bewildered though
she was, she yet fully comprehended her
situation. Her gaze fixed upon her ne
phew. and she watched him with dilated
eyes as he roughly and hastily tore away
the miniatures from the costly settings,
and thrust the latter into his breast.
And it was in the midst of this occupa-
tion that he was aroused by the sound of
hoarse and hollow voice behind him.
"Simon!"
Mr.. Simon gave one convulsive leap,
as he turned around. There lay the sup
posed corpse, its head elevated above
the edge of the coffin, its bony hands
clinging to its sides, its CLASSY eyes fixed
full upon him. The pictures fell from
his hands, and, with frantic cry, he
made one bound to the door. But his
trembling hands had no power to turn
the key; and then he reeled to q window,