Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-12-03

come Win Waarlness anu e&cltement, i
fell into a light slumber.
Almost imm ediately, Il seemed, was
awakened with q shock. The Doctor
was bending over me with an expression
of wonder and alarm upon his face.
Wake up said he in troubled whis-
per. Something very strange has been
going on in this room for many minutes
past
What is ilP' l asked. Il thought l
heard some one speaking
You did, he replied. 'Ihave distinctly
heard y voice close beside US, yet there is
no one in the room except ourselves and
these ,wo poor people,
Perhaps ,he woman has been talking
in her sleep l suggested. 'or it may be
that the man is not dead after ALL
No. | have looked on BOTH he re-
turned. One sleeps soundy. and the
other will never speak again in this world.
So satisfy yourself
arose. and trimming the lamp, pro-
ceeded first TO the couch where the girl
lay. She at east could not have spoken,
Tor all her senses were locked in a pro-
found stupor. Ithen examined the corpse
and found ii as We had loft it, except that
the features were more shrunken and sal
low than before. No voice could have
come from those rigid lips. Concluding
that We had both dreamed or had mis-
taken some nocturnal CRY for the human
voice, replaced the light and was about
to resume my seat. when my movements
were arrested by very singular voice.
There 1t is agsinr muttered the Doc
tor. sgitatodly.
A low, confused murmur, resembling
nothing that | had ever heard before,
arose in the room, and seemed to circu-
late in the air for An instant. and die
away. Again |. arose. coming from a
point over our heads. and gradually de-
sconding until it appeared 10 emanate
from some invisible source Immediately
beside as. | know OF nothing with
which TO compare tho intona,ion. except
il may be tie articulation of the tele-
phone. or tha; OF ventIiloquist.
The first words we caught were, oh,
my poor wleP
Ii would be impossible to describe the
effect that these words produced upon us.
Ii was so4 So much the tono, weird and
uncanny as was. as the startling sig
ni6cance Of the words that amazed us.
Who could have spoken them but the
husband of the woman lying stupetied
upon the couchp Yet he had been dead
Tor many hours. Full of repuguance OF
the horror OF the idea, we started up
again and examined, not only every
nook and Granny OF the hu. itself, but
even the space outside for many yards
around. There WAS no human being be-.
sides ourselves in the vicinity.
We again scrutinized the corpse. II
had neither changed its position nor Its
appearance. The flesh had grown per-
fectly cold and the muscles rigid; there
was no trace of vitality in it. Now, con
tinued the Professor, wiping his head
nervously, 81 have arrived ut what / i'm.
sgine will be tbe limit oil your credu.ity
do not eXpec, you TO credit what iol'
lowed; but swear 10 you, on the WORD
of an honest man, that do not devIste
from the truth as much as syllable wher
| say while we bent over the body We
again heard the voice proceeding iron
The distant part OF the room. saying
audibly:
In the name OF God. assist me back tc
lie !
With hearts beating thick and fast, We
stood gazing at esch other ABSOLUTELY
lhunderstruck. An experience so terriiy
ing, so utterly without precedent, com
pletely unnerved US. While we remained
stupefied with horror, the voice wa:
again audible:
oh, have pisyp it said; aid me TO re-
turn to life p
1t vas some minutes before either o.
US could recover from our amaZemen
sufficiently TO make any reply.
Who is il that speaks TO US p asked the
Doctor in low tone.
The soul of the man who lies dead be-
tore YOU i, replied.
1t is impossible that the dead Car
speak, answered the Doctor.
No. for the intelligence never dies.
replied the voice. My body is indeed
de {. but that with which / lived snt
tb Ight and loved is still in this room
What is it that you desire p asked the
Doctor. carrying or this strange colloquy
Nth increased wonder.
To be aided to resume my former ex
istence.' was the rejoinder. Il dare no
leave my poor wife unprotected IN the
wilderness. | cannot see ber suffer.
love her beyond all my hopes of future
life, and By the power of my love | have
remained near her, and have been able
to communicate with her. | cannot,
will not be separated from her. l mus
return to Der 10 my human shape
Whether the Doctors courage deserted
-, ~ a. -. ,,.int -, rni [ nnrr, Oh % =, h.,