Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-03

then mechanically took Il book down
from the shelf and tried 10 read. II was
only mockery of reading. but it acted
rs sort of narcotic, and had dropped
into doze, when / was aroused by
knocking mt my door, sharp and decisive,
as IL the person knocking was not ask
ing but demanding entrance. Just as
the knock came, the clock struck twelve,
and knew that must have been Sleep
ing for nearly three hours. got up from
my chair, opened the door, and inquired
what was wanted of me. Standing in
the lighted hall were three indoor SER
wants and the old nurse, and the faces Of
all were absolutely blanched with terror.
One of the girls, in an agony OF fright,
caught hold of my sleeve and pointed
out: oh, sir, do GOMEZ
:" shook her off some what roughly
and, addressing the nurse, said: What's
the meaning ofall thisP'
"She was clearly as frightened as the
others, but more self possessed, and she
replied: If you please, sir. Jane and
Margaret say that their mistress is
standing at the side door, tapping on
the glass; and that they will leave the
house If you do not come and see.'
~ called them fools and bade them
go TO bed; but they crowded behind me
as ! hastily crossed the hall and strobe
down the short corridor TO the side door.
| approached the door; and / must con-
fess that my blood ran cold as dis
tinctly heard the well-known tap, and
thought saw something white behind
the glass panels. l turned my eyes TO
the bolt, which drew back and flung
the door wide open. If | were to live
for millennium | could never forget
the sight | saw then. There stood my
wife, with bright open eyes, "A flushed
face, disheveled hair. and her night
dress stained with large patches Of
| blood.
"'Jamcs,' she said, don't be fright
ened, it is L. She may have said more
but this was all heard. They told me
that gasped, Kate, my Katep and fell
| down senseless.
when | recovered consciousness
found myself in bed. My wife. dressed
as she used 10 be dressed, was sitting by
my side; and looked around and won
deTed whether had been wakened from
some horrible nightmare. At last the
| reality of the events OF the past few
days came back 10 me-my wife's illness,
her death, her strange return from the
world OF spirits. When I summoned
| strength for the task asked what 1t ali
meant, and though she could tell but
little. that little was enough TO solve the
mystery. She said she had felt as If she
were being rather roughly awakened
from sleep; and that when she became
| thoroughly aroused. she found she was
sitting up in an open coffin at the bottom
of grave, with the blood running
quickly from 4 deep cut in her ring
finger. The grave was shallow, and she
had managed 10 climb out. when she
discovered that she was not twenty
yards from the door by which she was
accustomed to. entc,' the house. She
made her way TO ii; and we knew the
rest.
1T had been n curious case Of trance.
catalpsy, or whatever name men OF
science may give TO those ine1tllcab.e
| simulations of death in which all the
! functions seem TO be arrested while the
| vital principle remains intact She had
been restored TO conscious animation by
the cut given to her finger by the rufIian
whose cupidity had tempted him to n
deed from which many hardy scoun-
drel would have shrunk. The perpe-
| traitor was of course one of the under.
takers men, who had been struck by
the glitter of the gems in the diamond
| ring; and who, to obtain it. did not
hesitate to violate the sanctity oi the
grave, and even to mutilate corpse ~
Good heavens" I exclaimed, what
an overpowerIng story. Was the rascal
ever caught9"
No; he disappeared. and nothing
was heard of him"
"Ano your wifeP What effect had IL
on her ?"
"Curiously enough, her general health
became better from that dreadful day
but think her nervous system must
have received permanent strain, for she
entirely lost the physical courage which
she had possessed in an extraordinary
degree for woman. and about two
years afterward she became subject TO
attacks of asthma, which Is. l believe.
complaint that often has its origin in
some nervous shock. She lived, how
ever, to be over fifty. and was bright
and cheerfulito the last, though she had
been confirmed invalid for five years
| before her death.n