The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-06-11


-. d."
I he funeral procession halted at the
little gate of the garden, which sur
rounded the vault, and only the nearest
friends followed the coffin to its final
resting place. A wax candle was burn
ing at the foot Of the open sarco2hagus,
which threw dim light over the corpse.
The coffin was lowered into its reposi-
tory of granite, the last prayer was said
and the heavy oakcn door swung back
on It's hinges, as the mourners slowly
left the vault.
Mr.. Eorine drew his mantle tightly
about him and stepped into the car
riage He was So overcome with grief
that he had not noticed tine absence OF
Philip.
long after the noise ~ the receding
wheels had ceased to be heard Philip
opened his eyes, as if awakening from a
dream. lie stood up and looked into
the darkness which surrounded HIM.
Where Was he2 In an instant the truth
flashed across his mind. he had been
left behind in the vault. Whilst kneel
ing behind the sarcophagus he had
faiutad, and during the last solemn rites
bis absence had not been noticed. The
ir>t feeling which overpowere him was
naturally an indescribable tCrro". but
only for moment Life had no more
charm for him. His burning desire to
rest by the side of his Julie; desire
which he had expressed a hundred tlme>
during the course of the night, couid
now he realized. The few years which
he had vet TO live had no more worth
for him.
With Philip Wentworth's firo organi
Zat Oh was coupled mind which never
formed a judgment hastily, but which
rushed Oh with enthusiasm when there
was a question of struggling with mi,
fortune and the horror which would
certainly have taken possession OF any
other person iu similar situation, had
no hold Oh his heart lie looked upon
himself simply as lOckcd-up, and hoped
for speedy delivery. TIE circum
stance that he was in the same inclooure
with the body of his beloved bride,
filled him with consolation rather than
with terror. Ter pure soul already
dwclt in the region of eternal light, and
could she do otherwise than protc t him
by her prayers at the loot OF God )
throne?
As Philip was pass.onatcly fond OF
smokinJ he happened to have box OF
matches i'll his pocket. After several
useless attempts he succeeded III light
ing one, and to his great delight dis
covered that tn, candle had been left
behind, by the light of which he forth
with examined tue vault. He tried to
force the heavy door frCm its Iii ges,
but hi, labor was all i'll vain.
Philip now law that all hopes CT free
ing himself we're useless. He pla ed
the candle on the ground, AMI contem-
plated the small, tlickering flame. Sud
denly he blew out the light with fever
ish haste. Ills lie depended on the
candle.
He had read in an account OF snip
wreck how person had lived several
days on few pieces of wax.
BY the light of match he looked al
his watch 1t was stopping-the hand
pointed to H. Was it IL clio: h a. In :,
or had he forgotten to wind his watch
mournerS had left the cemetery at 10
clock Il. H.; but how many hours his
sWoon had lasted he could not tell.
Notwithstanding his sanguine temper
amcnt lie could no longer shake OF a
certain fear He did not dolbt that he
would be missed and that his diSap-
pearancc under such circumstances
would fill his friends with terror, but
how could it occur to them the he was
in the churchyard of Montmartre:
What would it help him even if
the prefect of police sent hundred
detectives on his trail: OF what use
would it be to fish III the Seine or make
Investigations in the morgue, while he
himself was i'll the family vault of Mr..
| DOrine. On the other hand the fact
that he had been seen here last would
undoubtedly be an important cOnSldcra-
ton to an experienced detective, The
sexton might, perhaps, return in order
to get tho candle which might acti
dentaly have been forgotten. And
might not Mr. Dorine send Somo fresh
! flowers the next day. What various
hopes and still how long would he live
in such place,
With his pocket knife Wentworth cut
the candle into four equal parts This
evening"" 'le said, ~ will eat one piece
Tomorrow morning the second
! towards evening the third-the next
| day the fourth-and then-then help
! must come.
That morning he had taken nothing
but cup of coffee, and the pangs of
hunger now began to assail him. Still
he postponed his meal as long as posi-
BILE, and only when midnight Was
passed, according TO his calculation, he
ate the first pie of wax. Although it
was insipid it fullfilieI its end He
now became sensible OF anoi her evil.
The dampnoss OF the walls and the wind
which penetrated through the air-holes
| N the roof caused all his limbs to be
come StiIf, so that there was nothing
left for him hut constantly to walk up
and down The fatigue which soon over
came him had to be conquered by all
the force of his will, for here sleep and
death were one and tho same, aud he
had made up his mind TO live.
Wonderful pitures of long ago
crossed his mind as his heavy step re
sounded on the stone floor; familiar
| forms of his childhood days loomed up
before him; the .oys and the suIerings
of the past year, his love and his loss,
passed in review before his troubled
lmagin alton Sleep was ban shed from
his eyes, and the pangs of hunger again
made thopT elves felt. According to
his calculation it was now morning.
Perhaps the sun was jrst rising ,ehind
the towers and cupolas; perhaps a
heavy rain Was enyelOpiug Paris in a
thick mist. Paris, ha what dream
By degrees Philip saw that the damp
| ness was becoming master of him. tie
sank in hali-senseloss condition to the
ground. Accidentally his hand touched