The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-11-15


very eyes, she moaned, died, oh, my
God! of starvation. And never knew
he was depriving himself for my sake.
| oh my husband, why did you not let me
die with you?' And she threw herself
across the body, sObbing as if her poor
heart would break. There were tears in
the doctors eyes as he looked at me"
added the professor, with tremor in
his voice, "and the rascal has always
sworn that my own were not dry. That,
however, is aside from the subject.
Though we knew nothing of these
two poor children-for they were but
little more-we felt that we had CHANGED
upon Il strange, sad story of love, pride,
and suffering, such as is rarely told, even
in this unhappy world.
"The doctor stopped down and felt at
the heart of the PROSTATE man.
"'He is dead he whispered, motion
ing me to initiate his example.
| eyes, dead replied, after examin-
ing the corpse.
allow we made the truth known to the
poor wife do not remember. 1t would
seem that she had preserved some faint
remnant of hope until our assistance de-
stroyed it utterly. With a low groan
she fell suddenly at our feet, insenslble.
/ Although we were at a loss what course
to pursue, we felt it no more than our
duty to remain in the hut for the night !;
and on the morning to make the best
arrangements for the poor girls comfort
that were possible.
Fortunately the doctor had his medi-
cal case in his pocket. Administering a
powerful sleeping potion to her, he plac-
ed her in happy Inconsistencies of the
events that were to follow. We then
proceeded to a more careful examina-
| ton of the man
| "Without vanity can say that both
the doctor and myself have received
| some few testimonials as to our scientific
ability from the world. You will prob
ably believe that we are capable of decid-
| ing upon a very simple case of death by
starvation?" He paused, and looked
gravely around. Every good; remem-
Der, then, that I assert upon my profess
sional reputation that the man was stone
dead
| Yes added the doctor, who had
hitherto remained silent, the life must
have been extinct more than five hours
when we found him.
| Well" continued the professor, with
| increasing gravity, "having satisfied our
selves upon this point, we covered the
corpse decently and sat down to wait for
Emorning. Though in no mood for con-
versation, the startling experience of the
1 evening hcpJ DOtl dWdhC lOI SCNCAol
hours. But at length, completely over
come with WEAKNESS and excitement,
fell into slight slumber.
Almost Immediately, it seemed, l was
awakened with a shock. The doctor
was bending over me with an expression
of wonder and alarm upon his face.
| awake up he said, in a troubled
whisper. Something very strange has
been going on in this room for many
minutes past.
"'What is it?' asked. 4 thought I
heard some one speaking
"'You did, he replied, 4 have dis
tinctly heard voice close beside us,
vet there is no one in the room except
ourselves and these two poor people,
perhaps the woman has been talking
in her sleep l suggested, 'Or it may be
that the man is not dead after ALL
"'No, have looked to bOth,' he re-
turned. One sleeps soundly, and the
other will never speak again in this
world. So satisfy YOURSELF
81 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 a pro-
found stupor. 1 then examined the
corpse and found it as we had left it, ex-
cept that the features were more shrunk-
could have come from those rigid lips.
Concluding that we had both dreamed
or had mistaken 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 againr muttered the doc
tor agitatedly.
"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 died
away. Again il arose, coming from a
point over our heads, and gradually de
scending 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-
phone, or that of a ventrilOquest.
THE first words we caught were oh
my poor wife' -
at would be impossible to describe
the effect that these words produced up
on us. 1t was not so much the tone
weired and uncanny as it was, as the
startling significance of the words that
amazed us.
"Who could have spoken them but the
husband of the woman lying stupefed
upon the couch? Yet he had been dead
for many hours. Full of repungance OF
the horror of the idea, we started up and
again examined, not only every nook
and Granny of the hut itself, but even the
space outside for many yards around
There was no human being besides our
selves in the vicinity.
1--WE again scrutiniZed the corpse. Il
had neither changed its position nor Its
appearance. The flesh had grown perfect
ly cold and the muscles rigid; there was
no trace of vitality in it. Now con
tinued the professor, wiping his head
nervously, 4 have arrived at what l i'm
agine will be the limit of your credulity
do not expect you to credit what fol
lowed; but swear to you, on the word
of an honest man, that do not deviatt
from the truth as much as q syllable
when l say while we bent 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 t.
: lifer
with hearts beating thick and fast
we stood gazing at each other absolute
ly thunderstruck. An experience SO ter
rifying, so utterly without precedent
completely unnerved US. While we re
, manned stupefied with horror, the Voics
was again audible:
Il Oh, nave pity! II sa1u: alu me x
, return to lifep
at was some minutes before either o
: us could recover from our amazemen
sufficiently TO make any reply.
'''Who is it that speaks TO usP askeC
the doctor, in a low tone.
The soul of the man who lies dea(
8 before your it replied.
"1t is impossible that the dead car
/ speak, answered the doctor
"'No, for the intelligence never dies,
2 replied the voice. NY body is index
dead, but that with which / lived anC
thought and loved is still in this roonn'
What is it that you desrer askeC
, the doctor, carrying on the strange col
l loquy with increasing wonder
TO be aided to resume my formel
existence was the reioinder. Il dar.
: not leave my poor wife unprotected il
this wilderness. j cannot see her suffer
love her beyond all my hopes Of
: future life, and by the power of my Low,