The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-12-12

ways ready 10 uCcOmOuotoo osery ouo
It's really too bad he should have
left his business insolvent.
The undertaken paused.
"lnsolvent How !?
~Why, haven't you heard that
Thomas Hawkiugs, the grocer, has
trumped up notes and ono thing and
another, to the amount Of over two
thousand dollars, to be brought
gainst tho estate, when mono OF us
supposed that the poor man here
owed five hundred dollars, all told.
1t will leave Mrs. Stebbens quite
destitute, indeed"
"well no , I had not heard Of IL.
When did he bring them up,t should
think that was rather premature.
"Why ouly yesterday morning,
while I was at the store, he inquired
after the health OF Joe Stebbins /;
aud when told him that he WASH I
expected to live the day ou.,ho said
he ,nust be looking into the property
left to satisfy his demands. He said
that Stebbins owed him upwards OF
two thousand dollars"
"Indeed ! Well, IL that is the case
I must be looking up my own ac-
counts with tho family, said the un-
dertaker.
could indistinctly feel the cold
wet cloth as it was again wrung out
and placed upon my face the sheet
was again spread over me, and ! was
left to my own reflections for a time
| sInsoScent + what q base false
hood was indebted to Mr.. Hawk
ins just one hundred and fifty-one
dollars and twenty-nin, sents, not Q
cent more nor less and here was
that rascal claiming upwards OF tive
thousand dollars OF my poor, de-
fenceless family. Why, it was O.
nough to make ono rave. To oil my
other incentives to betray my exis'
teuce was added this-and / confess
il was the strongest Of ALTO pro-
tect my family from this lying thieI
who would willingly strip them o
the last cent.
How long I had remained alone
cannot tell, for severe anxiety pro
duced by the news / had heard
cause mo to lapse into another fit o
unconsciousness from which agair
recovered inst as the door was gent
lly closing, and heard the soft foot
steps OF u new conner upon the car
pet. The sheet was again turned
down, and the face.cloth removed
but this time ] felt the touch OF q
tender, loving hand that hal so 'theC
my fevered brow all through th'
painful illness. A few low sobs, an'
my trusting, loving wife threw her
self across tho bed, aud exclaimed
'Oh, my dear, dear husband how
can I ever part with you I Why wa
not I taken instead +? o Lord
beg that either may be taken Il
ioiu him above, or that he may re
turn to walk by my side through th
lonely vale OF life.
A few moments Of silence ensued
broken only by the sobs of my wife
as she lay couvulsed by grief, acros
my bed How longei to throw
my arms about her neck, and return
the warm kisses she had left tinglip:
on my brow | concentrated every
effort again, but to no purpose
could not burst the iron band O
paralysis that had control of ever.
nerve and muscle Presently som
one came and took her away
my wife my only friend, and I WA
left to my self again for long time
After nightfall lay mnsing upol
my strange condition, and though
: OF all the singular cases OF trance @
which had evsr heard, thought o
the many instances in which poo
pie had been buried alive, and fear
ed that such would be my horribl
IA to.
Az night drew on apace. and
heard some Of the inmates OF tn
} house indulgiug in profound snor
I thought to compose my own min
10 sleep, in the hope that slumbe
might give me renewed strength 10
! the morning. when I resolved npo
] another effort to regain my freedom
and escape tie fate that was bein
prepared for mo. But sleep was eI
tirely out OF the question aud wha
D seemed very strange to ms,my min
r although harresssd continually, di
!. not experiences the slightest wear
! ness.
Some young people, who wei
d sitting up with the corpse, cam
frequently and always very timidl
J to change the cloth upon my face
! and am certain that II upon sou
Z OF their occasional visits they ha
!. found me sitting up in bed(as l ve
4 much longed to do), it would ha'
q frightened some Of them nearly
death. Upon such occasions l cou
o catch a slight glimmer OF the lig
j. through my eyelids aud ! am N
Q positive whether the smile that OF
,f OF the number observed upon n
II lips was not provoked by the trer
d uious hand that had recently TAX,
" the cloth from off my face, and d
perfect awe which they evidently
. tertsined for me-
I Morning came at last, and wi
ID IL the colin in which I was to be O.
!. tombsd. Contrary to my most en-
> nsss hopes, was unable to COW
o. the slightest sign OF life to those "
70 we're employed in removing me In