The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1881-02-12

you IL gwine to die sho, den da OBJ
oose won't hang you"
"Do they think | am the man
who killed Mr.. Olanton."
"Ob course da knows it sho nuff;
dey seed ye do it."
"But I tell you l never saw MI.
Cianton, in my life, and | never
saw this Jail, until l was brought
here three weeks ago."
"Oh, boss, you is crazy yit.
Don't dis chap know yes Didn't
dis niger tend to ye all de time9
Didn't ye try to bride dis niger to
fetch de fles / 'spect when We gifts
better you'll member all bout it,"
Then he went away whistling
Dixie, doubtless believing me still
out Of my senses, and to tell the
truth was inclined to that opinion
myself. 1t seemed, to NE to be alb
solutelY certain, that / had either
gone raVing mad myself or that l
had fallen into the hands of a gang
of maniacs; but the most plausible
argument was in favor of the idea
that my mind was wandering. My
disease had run its course, and l
was free from physical Sutferings,
except excessive weakness and9gen;
eral p%rostration. All the hair had
been shaved from my head, and
my temples had been ~scarrlfied all
over. The room or dungeon in
which / was confined was quite
small, not over ten feet square.
All the light and air came through
a small square grated window,
about twelve inches wide. How
ever, during the daytime, the
wooden shutter of the door was
left open, which served to aid in
ventilating the room; but az night
it was closed. Heavy iron bars
crossed each other thickly in the
door; and a little space was open
near the floor through which the
little negro usually passed the
dishes that contained my food. A
Nshort while after the negro boy
had left me, a man came and un-
locked the door and entered the
dungeon, carefully closing 1t when
he had got inside.
"Well, old follow" said the visit
or as he took a seat near me, and
felt my pulse, show do you come
on this morning."
"Better, l think" was my reply,
"tbough l hardly know the nature Of
my disease. One thing is plain-I
am quite feeble-my strength is all
gone"
"Ah, yes, no doubt you feel very
weak; very natural you should, at
ter such an attack of brain fever
l thought you were going to make
a die oft in spite Of my humble eff
forts to save you; but thanks to al
vigorous constitution which you
very fortunately possessed, l have
been able to pull you through
You will be all RICH: again in afew
days. l have ordered you some
beef tea which you must use freely,
and by tomorrow l dare say you
will be able to take more solid food.
Let me look at your tongue. All,
that's all right. You won't leave us
yet a while"
Doctor" said l, twill you be so
kind as to inform me if you know
why l am imprisoned in this horn
BILE dungeOnP
"Come, come, my dear fellow
you had better not talk about that
unpleasant affair until you get more
strength. By nc means let your
mind run on that subject. Blythe
by, Debar, what lady is this you
have been raving about all the
time9 Lottie! Lottie! Yes, l think
that was the name. Ii you called
her name once, you called it fifty
thousand times within the last three
weeks. The fact is you talked as if
she were present with you all the
time"
"SEe is a charming girl, who re-
sides in Memphis, Tennessee, and
my betrothed bride"
"Ha! ha! l say your betrothed
bride; but come, come, Debar, you
had better keep quiet, | reckon;for
l see your mind is not exactly right
yet"
"Why do you call me Debar9-
That is not my name. l am a ply
stefan by profession. Ny name is
Edward Demar, and l never saw
this Jail until the night came here
three weeks ago."
"PshaWl Debar; INhad been hop
ing that your mind was entirely