The Osceola times., 1878-11-23

"'Perhaps the woman has been talk
ing in her sleep suggested, or 1t may
be that the msn is not dead, after all
"'No, l. have looked to both,' he re-
turned. One sleeps soundly, 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 least, could not have spoken,
for all her senses were locked in pro-
found stupor | then examined the
corpse, and found it as we had lett it,
except that the features were more
shrunken and sallow then before. No
voice could have come from those iigid
lips. Concluding that we both had
dreamed, or bad mistaken some noe
turnal cry for the human voice, | replaced
the light and was about to resume my
seat, when my movements were arrested
by a very singular voice.
"'rhere it is again. muttered the
Doctor, sgitatedly.
"a low, confused murmur, resembling
nothing that bad ever heard before,
arose in the room, and seemed TO crcu-
late in the air for an instant, and died
away. Again 1t arose, coming from
point above our heads and gradually
descending until it appeared TO emanate
from some invisible source Immediately
beside us. | know of nothing with
which to compare the information except
it may be the articulation of the tele.
phoneor that Of ventriloquist.
"The first words we caught were, oh,
my Poer"lieP
at would be impossible to describe
the effect those words produced upon us.
1t wss not so much the tone, weird and
uncanny as 1t was, as the startling sig
nifcsnce of the words that amazed u.s.
"Who could have spoken them ut
the husband Of the woman lying stupe
fied upon the couch7 Yet he had been
dead for many hours. Full OF repug
nance OF the horror of the idea, we
again started up and examined, not only
every nook and Granny of the hut, but
even the space outside tor many yards
around. There was no human being be.
sides ourselves in the vicinity.
ave again scrutinized the corpse 1t
had neither changed its position nor its
appearance. The flesh mad grown per-
fectly cold, and the muscles rigid there
was no trace OF vitality in it," con ,inued
the Professor, wiping his head nervously.
" i have arrived at what imagine will
be the limit of your credulity. do not
expect you to credit what followed but
swear to you on the word of an honest
man that do not deviate from the truth
as much as a syllable when say while
we tent over the body we again heard
the voice proceeding from the distant
part of the room, saying audibly:
"'In the name Of God, assist me back
10 life =
with hearts beating thick snd fast,
we TODD gazing at each other absolutely
thunder-struck. An exl erience 90 terri
lying, so utterly without prtcedent,
completely unnerved us. While we re.
mained stupefied with horror, the voice
was again audible:
"'oh, have pity it said aid me to
return to life =
1T was some minutes before either OF
Us could recover rom our amazement
sufficiently to make any reply.
"Who is it that speaks TO us?' asked
the Doctor, in low tone.
"The soul of the man who lies dead
before you! it replied.
"It is imp ossible that the dead can
speak answered the Doctor.
:" No, for the intelligence never dies
replied the voice. My body is indeed
dead, but that with which lived and
thought and loved is still in this room
"What is it that you desire? asked
the Doctor, carrying on this strange col
loquy with increasing wonder.
20 be aided to resume my former
existence was the rejoinder. Il dare
not leave my poor vile unprotected in
this wilderness. can not see her suffer.
| love her beyond all my hopes of fu-
ture lite, and by the power of my love
have remained near her, and have been
able to communicate with you ! can
not, will not be separated from Ter. !
must return to her in my human shape
Whether the Doctors courage de
serted him at this point can not say,
but he spoke no more; and, as the voice
was no longer audible, we remained
silent, ia state Of mind that battles de.
scription.
az am morally certain that both OF
US would have fed instantly from the
place had 1t not teen for the roor crea
ture slteping upon the bed. We could
not leave her alone TO fscea mystery that
shook even nerves as toughened as ours.
After hasty consultation as to what
course we ought 10 follow, we resumed
our former seats, and waited in breath
less expectation OF what was next 10
occur.
"Some hours had passed in this way,
and the first dim traces Of dawn were
shining upon the eastern horizon, when,
with simultaneous start we sprsug to
our feet. The voice had again SPOKEN.
This time it had proceeded, not rom
some indefinite point In the atmosphere,
but from under the sheet enyeloping he
corpse
"Help! it cried, in faint but distinct
accents; tor Christ's sake, helpr
"For an instant we hesitated-and
I who would not then bast ensd to the
body and removed the covering. 1nere
was no alteration in its pallor and rigid.
ity, but y perceived that the lips, from
which faint muimur was issuing, trem-
biad slightly. Here cur instincts con-
quered our weakness Whatever the
m mystery involved In the matter, q human
being was struggling to regain existence,
and our impulse was to aid without
question. A powerful restorative was
administered, and, be .ose many moments
had pas ed, we slw the color coming
back to the wan che eks s1d the sunken
muscles reshapiog thepselv, } with the
current OF warm bluol. 1ken, with a
faint sigh, the eyes opened f1d gsv.d at