Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-01-02

touch OF the horrible shape that WAS
crushing with its death.wciSht the
breath out of her body.
suddenly saw rs in n dream four
elsnched, staring, tcrror-trauSht faces
hnddled together in tho doorway.
Jamie" ~ the back Of the little Sroup.
clntched IN his shaking, hony fist
lighted lantern, that he held high over
the other three heads, whereby lurid
glare was thrown into the dismal garnet
and helped IL render more distinct the
features of the dead and living. His
mother stood in front wrinsing her
hands and making unceasiny doletul
means. Ina frenzy OF nervous sppre-
hension aai nearly petriied with hor.
ror. 1 managed to heckon the woman
to come forward. She came and assist
cd me To extrioste my swooning wife
from the oppressive incubus ot the
corpse and to place her gently and ten
derry ON the truokle-hed in the middle
OF the room, while the three men lifted
and carried down stairs the poor litcless
body, the innocent cause of this direiul
catastrophe.
All through the watches of that ter
rihle night, until the gray dawn was
streaking the east, | sat by the bedside
OF my darling, endeavorlng by every
known means to restore vitality To her
manimate form, but all was in vain.
The cstalepSy into which she had fallen
detied all human skill. The weary
hours wore on, and yet there came no
change in this hideous mockery and
counterfeit Of death, until dared
gaze ON her no longer, lest the CHASTITY
semblance should imnerceptihly trans.
form itself into immutabe reality.
Haunted by sickening distrust that
increased as the seconds flew, and filled
with nervous fears that unnamed and
almost maddeucd me, | felt ut last that
were To remain another instant in the
murderous howell my senses would like.
wise desert me. Hastily, therefore, col.
lectlng together all the rugs, cloaks,
and furs, swathed them about my
poor Amanda, and raising her in my
arms carried the precious burden TO
the carriage, where | deposited ii he.
side me. Then ordering the horses to
be put to without n moments delay, |
determined Mt all risk to make for the
nearest town where efficient medical
assistance could he procured, and where
my beloved invalid could rest in secu.
rity, surrounded by all that profession
al skill and atlectionate care could de.
wise, until assured convalescence would
enable us to journey homeward.
Just rs we were ON the point OF leav.
ing the ill-starred, wretched house, the
woman, whose cupidity and sordid
avarice were the cause of the fatal cal.
amity, came TO me with cringing manner
and whining voice, and on her knees,
in the most abject strain, implored my
pardon for all that had occurred. The
facts Were these:
ltappeared that four days previously
her husband had died, and was to be
buried two days hence. She and ner
son were miserably Soor, and the ex-
penses of the coming funeral did not
diminish the prospect OF starvation dur
ing the hard winter-time. The chances
of putting money into their pockets
were few and far between, and our
casual demand for nights board and
lodging was temptation she could not
find courage to resist. Jamie, there
fore, was told off to keep us in pley
down stairs, while the widow, with
superliuman strength and an insensi-
bility to decency let alone feelng) past
all imagination, contrived To drag the
corpse from oil the bed, across the
floor to the cupboard, to shove il inside
and to prop it upright within the dark
recess, and shutting to the door, mere
ly latching it, for lock there was none,
trusting then to Providence and good
fortune that neither of us would think
OF looking into the interior of this Blue.
boards chamber.
Would that they had so befriended
herl But, qlasl rs we know too well, il
was fated to he otherwise.
Amanda, always of highly-nervous
temperament and vivid imagination,
never slept in strange room without
previously investigating all the dark
corners and prylng into all the closets,
Poor, dear womapl do not think she
has ever attempted TO crafty her curl
osity in that way since that fatal night.
For weeks she lowered between life
and death, and did not rally from the
terrible shock, but lay in sem-con.
seious condition, sometimes better,
sometimes worse; and for months she
remained prey TO the most violent
fits Of hysteria, or else was atti icted with
sudden bursts Of wild animal spirits,
that bordered dangerously near 70 ma.
mia. However, thank God by dipt Of
extreme care and patience and the
most tender nursing that ii ever fell 10
human lot 10 receive, together with the
best advice from the most eminent ply
sicians Of the day, she gradually recoy.
cred her former health and even balance
Of mind, and can now afford to look
back on the dread event that SO nearly
bereft her Of her reason with unshud.
dering composure; but never to this
date can Or any one prevail upon her,
either by assurances or safety, or by en-
treaties or brides, TO inhabit any room
or stay in any house, where 10 her
knowledge, there is A door without a
lock. Fiom Time.
s--s -
The Pretty Girl at Reno.
Mrs. Grant is reported by the Gdsette OF
Reno III having discovered at the railway