The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-02-04

our duty to remain III the hut for the night,
and in the morning to make the best arrang-
mems for the poor girls comfort that were
possible.
Fortunately the doctor had his medicine
case in his pocket. Administering power
full sleeping potion to her, lie placed her in
happy unconsciousness of the events that
were to follow. We then proceeded to a
more careful examination 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 probably believe that
we are capable Of deciding upon a very sim
pie ease Of death by starvation? Remember,
then, that | assert upon my professional re-
putatiOn that the man was stone dead.
''Wen,' continued the professor with in
creasing gravity, ''having satisfied ourselves
upon this point, we covered the corpse de-
Gently and sat down to wait for morning
Though in no mood for conversation, the
startling experience of the evening kept US
both awake for several hours.
almost immediately, it seemed, 1 was
awakened with a shock. The doctor was
bending over me with an expression Of won
der and alarm upon his face
thing very strange has been going on in this
room for many minutes past
"'Nhat is it p 1 asked 1 thought heard
some one speaking
% ! ou did, he replied I have distinctly
heard voice close beside Us, yet there is no
one in the room except ourselves and these
two poor people
Perhaps the woman has been talking in
her sleep, I suggested 'or it may be the,man
is not dead after all?'
NO, I have looked to both he returned
+ 'One sleeps souudly, and the other will never
speak again in this life. So satisfy yourself
i 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 profound stupor
L then examined the corpse and fonnd it as
We had left it, except that the features were
more shrunken and sallOw than before. No
voice could have come from those rigid lips.
Concluding that we had both dreamed OF had
mistaken some nocturnal cry for a human
voice, / replaced the light and was about to
resume my seat, when my movements were
arrested by a singular voice.
There it is again e. muttered the doctor
agitatedly
"a low, confused murmur, resembling no
thing that l had ever heard before, arose in
/ the room, and seemed to circulate in the air
for an instant and die away. Again it arose,
coming from a point over our heads, and
gradually descending until it appeared to
emanate from some invisible source immedf-
ately beside Us. 1 know of nothing with
which to compare the intonation, except it
that of a veEtriloquist
The first words we caught were, oh, my
poor wife .
1t would be impossible to describe the ef-
feet that these words produced upon us. It
was not so much the tone, weird and uncan-
ny as it was, as the startling significance Of
the words that amazed us
''NhO could have spoken them but the hus-
band of the woman lying stupihed upon the
couch? Yet lie had been dead many hours.
Full of the repugnance 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.
We again scrutinized the corpse. 1t had
neither changed its position nor its appear
ance. The flesh had grown perfectly cold
and Che muscles rigid there was not tIace
OF vitality in it. Now" continued the pro-
fessOr, wipiEg his eyes nervously, Il have
arrived at what ] imagine viii be the limit
of your credulity ] do not expect YOU tC
credit what follows but I swear to you. on
the word Of an honest man, that do not de-
viate from the truth as much as a syllable
when 1 say, that while We bent above the
body we again heard the voice proceeding
from distant part of the room, saying
audibly;
"'In the name Of God assist me back t.
life "
with hearts beating thick and fast, wt
stood gazing at each other absolutely thun
derstruck. An experience SO terrifying, 81
utterly without precedent, completely un
nerved us. While we remained stupefeC
with horror, the voice was again audible
'''Oh have pity " it said; aid me to re
turn to life"
'It was some minutes before either Of u!
could recover from our amazement sufficient
ly to make any reply.
'ssWho is it that speaks to US - asked the
doctor, in a low tone.
1.-THE soul Of the man who lies dead be-
fore you p was the reply.
'Tt is impossible for the dead to speak,
responded the doctor.
50 No, but the intelligence never dies re
piled the voice. My body is indeed dead
but that with which 1 lived and thought an,
loved is still in this ROOM
, "'What is it that you desire? asked tn
doctor, carrying on this strange colloquy witt
increased wonder.
81 To be aided to resume my former exist
ence,' was the reloinder. / dare not leav
my poor wife unprotected in this wilderness
1 cannot see her suffer. / love her beyont
all my hopes Of a future life, and by the pow
er o5 my love I have remained near her. AM
have been able TO communicate with her.
cannot / viii not, be separated from her.
f must return to her in my human shape
''Whether the doctors courage deserte
him at this point or not l cannot say, but h
> spoke no more; and as the voice was no long
= er audible we remained silent in a state o
mind that battles all description.
Il am morally certain that both of US woul
have fed instan tly from the place had it no
been for the poor creature sleeping upon tn
bed We would not leave her to face aIon
mystery that shook even nerves as tough
} ened as ours After hasty consultation a
: to what course we ought to pursue, we re
sumed cur former seats and waited i'm breath
! less expectation for what was next to occur
''Some hours were passed in this way, an
, the first dim traces of dawn were shining i
the eastern horizon, when with a simultane
: ous start we both spraDg to our feet. TIL