The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-09-27

OF JQ6 VdulU,b1 Will lbS mdr w
shelves each occupied by the coffinet
and sheeted dead, and the bright young
girl in the corner, with the sparkling
eyes, lips parted in half smile, ant
gold-plumed hat-life in death-th,
radiant present with the forgotten
past!
"Why don't he Gomez" though
Belle.
She could distinguish his voice call
ing for her-she heard his footsteps
pause Just beyond the row of sunken
vaults, as if he were straining his eyes
in search of her hidden form, and
then he called again! Still she did not
answer.
she might have come with me first!'
she said, poutlngly, to herself,
But, then, instead of advancing tow
ard her, as she had supposed he would,
Ralph Dale turned back, and she
could discern, by the sound of his
footballs among the dry leaves, that
he was going in quite the opposite di-
rection.
"How provoking!" exclaimed Belle
Wyndham, half aloud; 81 must run
after him and catch him.
She seized hold of the iron grating as
she spoke, to reopen the door--but to
her horror it refused to obey her touch.
1t was one of the new self-locking por-
tals-and in closing it to secure herself
from Ralph Dale, Belle had imprisoned
herself effectually, within the awful
precincts of the dead.
A cold thrill of horror crept through
her veins as she realized her horrible
ituation-alone, with the last dying
rays of sunset, in burial vault! She
shuddered and pressed instinctively
against the rails, as The white glimmer
Of the marble receptacles, one above
another, suggested the white-shrouded
forms within!
"Ralph!" she cried aloud, "Ralph!
oh, help, help! for heavens sake"
But her voice seemed to die away in
q choking sob-all the strength desert
ed her limbs and she fell fainting upon
the cold stone floor, with Ralph's name
trembling on her lips.
When at length her senses returned to
her, a chill like that of death seemed
creeping through her veins-the cold
starlight was glimmering through the
iron fret-work, and mOurnful-voiced
cricket was chirping just within the
vault. Alone, at nightfall, within a
funeral shrine-Belle clasped both her
hands over her throbbing forehead, and
wondered that reason itself had not de-
serted its throne. She dared not turn
her head lest she should see phantom
faces looking upon her frorh the dark
ness; she shrank into herself; with a
vividness that was almost supernatural, |.
Ill the legends that she had ever read
Of human creatures who had persisted
N such living sepulchers as this rushed
into her mind! 1t was
! lonely part of the cemetery, and one
seldom visited; night was dropping
over the November landscape-and
Bellies heart almost ceased beating, as
he thought of the long silent hours
hat lay before her.
"Shall 1 perish here before help can
each meP" she thought. "Oh, why,
Why did 1 not listen to Ralph's words
md obey his wishesP Shall never see
RALPH againp Oh, kind heaven, be
and avert from me so cruel a
ate!"
She checked her sobbing-it sounded
o strange and hollow in that dismal
choing place-and crouched down in
Ort of dumb horror that was more pite-
us than would have been the widest
,urst of grief. In that one instant all
he folly and wilfulness and wreckless
of her whele existence
ose up before her, and Belle could see
Ter own life, as it were, from the van
age ground of another shore-aimless,
unsatisfactory, frivolous!
"Oh," thought our Belle, ''if ever 1
i've to escape from this hideous living
omb, will value life as it should be
alued, If"
And once again the chill shudder
hook her slender frame from head to
Dot.
Hush! there was footstep, ruffling
nth a slow uncertain motion among
be piles of dead leaves.
"Was it human treadP" or-and
'elle covered yet lower behind the iron
oor-'was it some pale-sheeted ghost
aunting the spot where its mortal re-
Mains had long since molddered into
ustP"
But the cheering CLEAN from a very
cal lantern soon settled the matter, as
threw its red beams across the stone
DOR of the vault, and Belle could per-
Give the STOPPING figure of an old man,
4 shabby overcoat, with black
'orsted cap pulled over his gray hairs,
dvancing towards her.
"Graciousi" he said aloud, show a
hap's memory do fail him, when he
cts to be up'ards of 20. l could ha'
ook bible oath left that vault door
pen this afternoon, and here it is, shut
5 tight as-hello! who's thereP"
For Belle Wyndham's faltering cry
ad reached the age-deafened ears,
lst as he was turning away, and in five
minutes she was released from the
ondage that had threatened to be so
readful.
She was taken to the old mans cot
age, Just on the outskirts of the ceme-
cry, message Immediately sent to
er home--a message whose visible re-
ult was Mr.. Ralph Dale, flushed eager
nd joyous.
"Belle, darling!" he exclaimed, as
e clasped her in his arms, after they
rere safely seated in the carriage which
7as to convey them home, show you