The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-03-16

had the assurance of Symes' security
| dawned upon me as possibility, when
/ a deadly faintness crept over me, and
think for minute or two I lost con-
seriousness.
GLOW I succeeded in getting down
without disaster through that perilous
labyrinth I car form no idea, nor have |
any recollection. remember devoutiy
thanking God as stepped out from the
door of the transept on to the floor OF
the nave.
"sHere I am, old fellow I cried
aloud to Symes, and sprang forward into
the open space.
"There was no reply. My heart beat
violently Could he have gone home
and left me there? The moonbeams
had sloped farther up the building,
leaving the center aisle in deep gloom.
Creeping forward in vague terror. I al
most stumbled over the body of my
friend, apparently ifeless, but still
clinging to the rope. With trembling
haste disentangled his limbs and drew
him on to the mat beside the vergers
bench. where / left him for a moment
while I rushed to fetch assistance But
conceive again my blank despair when I
found the door, which with spring,
locked, and the key couldn't tell
where I had probably laid it down in
some forgetful moment, and was locked
in, with a man dying or dead under my
charge.
CT shouted beat; I kicked upon
the door, in the vain hope of being
heard by some stray passenger but
there was no house within fifty yards,
and I had heard the clock strike 10 some
time before. Wild with desperation, [
ran back to my inanimate companion.
By this time had become SO used to
the obscurity as to be able to discern
that while / had been away he had lifted
his arm on to the bench, although there
was still no further sign of conscious
ness. Such moments, my dear fellow,
make one religious, if nothing else does.
II do not know whether you have ever
experienced the wave OF relief that sue
ceeds the unexpected deliverance from
extreme peril but assure you that the
conviction that poor Symes was not dead
brought me upon my knees, In thankful
ness for the mercy that had protected us
In such an awful crisis.
ssI was overcome with WEAKNESS and
weakness holding the hand of my uncon-
soious friend, and [ almost think that
I was doing when J. heard the sound of
an opening door and friendly voices.
cried aloud, and we were at once SUI
rounded with lights and eager, frighten
ed, inquiring faces, besieging me with
questions, which for the time was alto
gether unable to answer. Symes, still
insensible, was carried to his lodgings
on the other side of the green, whittier /
followed him, and waited for more than
half an hour, until the doctor came
and told me that he was partly conscious,
but must not on any account be disturb
ed o. excited by seeing anybody. He
said he would remain with him through
the night !; and / returned with anxious
thoughts and an exhausted frame, but
with grateful heart, to my own home.
cit turned out that little Jenny
Oxley had been the means Of bringing
us the help that we had despaired OF.
My old housekeeper had come into my
room here two or three times during my
absence and could not understand my
leaving the light burning if had intend
ed to be away so long. She went over
.
stance, on which the verger said Why,
hour ago. And you may depend upon
locked themselves in, and that ERE young
fellow has been and lost the key, and
they can't get out I Which turned out
to be pretty nearly the truth. And now,
let us have some tea.
s. "Well, " said /, g that's an adventure,
certainly, and not badly told either. It
made me feel very shaky about the knees
when that poor fellow went down the
hole. I suppose he got all right again2 2"
EMO; poor man, said Maitland, with
a sigh "that is the saddest part of the
history. He was dreadfnlly knocked
down for some days, and then appar-
emily recovered his general health, except
that he had lost all his buoyant spirits,
looked like al old man, and always
seemed to avoid me. He has since
gradually sunk into state little better
than idocy, which the doctors attribute
to the shock to highly exc table brain,
and declare it to be quite hopeless"
"Poor young fellow" said I. q
wonder how far he remembers the cir
cumstances of that night.
every little, you may be sure, said
Maitland.
And so we gradually foated away into
the stream Of friendly talk upon general
subjects, until at late hour we parted
for the night
Iawoke in the morning from an eerie
and weary sleep-journey, and soon gath
cred what had been the mischievous
spirit presiding at my dreams! A bath
set me to rights. And after breakfast
Maitland drove me briskly out of the
old city through the frosty morning air
to the station.
May make use of your story 2" said
/ to him as we parted.
With all my heart" he replied.