The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-03-11

tain rest-1 was impelled to 60 to her
to take my last farewell.
On coming into her presence dis
covered my poor Mary in the same
dismal mood.
ooh, how l have suffered-how ]
have suffered" she exclaimed over and
over again. implored her to tell
me the cause OF her despair, but she
said she was unable to explain it, al
though in some way, it seemed to be
connected with myself. Again she
clasped her hand in mine, and again
she complained of it's icy GOODNESS.
The fatal hour drew near when they
were to take my dead body to the
churchyard. had to tear myself
away. And yet, how could l 60 with
out Mary whom l loved so we'll? 1t
was impossible.
MARY" l said, ~ have favor to
ask of you. A friend of mine has just
died, and am obliged to attend his
funeral Come with me-"
To my surprise she assented read
lily.
"Anything-anything;" she said,
so that | am with you and not left
alone with my thoughts"
So it happened that within half an
hour we were seated side by side in
the coupe and being driven together
toward the churchyard where at that
moment my own funeral procession
was on its way. l leaned back in
the carriage lost in gloomy rehec-
ton, while Mary's tears fell
faster and faster behind her
veil. The fantastic quaintness of the
situation broke suddenly upon me,
and to Mary's Mortified wonder, l
burst into an uncomfortable par
oxysm of laughter. l saw the changed
expression of her face as she looked
at me, and becoming sober again |
relapsed once more into my ioyless
reverie.
When we reached the churchyard,
the hearse containing my body was
already there, and some men were pre-
pared to carry my coffin to an open
grave near by. The doctor was the
sole mourner. He walked slowly and
with uncovered head behind the black
draped box that contained my mortal
remains. He appeared uneasy and
looked round once or twice as If in
search of some one, my brother, prob
ably.
GLOW STRANGE" murmured Mary
Had your friend no associates except
that man and YOURSELF"
"No," l answered, and was struck
by the fearful sound of my own voice
Theclergyman that accompanied the
party began to read the burial service,
and from the depths OF the carriage
where sat with Mary quivering form
beside me, listened eagerly, waiting
with sense OF utter misery for the
words that were to signal my final
dissolution. l remarked with relief
that no one present appeared to
notice the solitary coupe with its hid
den occupants. Finally, 1t seemed to
me an incredibly short period-I knew
the end had come-that at last Unjust
leave the world for a spiritual exist
ence, that has naught to do with any
material form, and that in a few mo-
ments Mary would watch the vanish
ing OF my present shape into the in
finite. She would then be left desolate,
and the horror of what she had been
| through would make itself apparent.
An intense sensation of cold crept
over me, and Ifelt myselfslipping away,
| as it were, from substance to a
shadow. Iglanced at Mary. She sat
gazing at me with look OF stony hor-
ror, as if she OWNED what was about
to happen. Oh, the agony-the ter
rible agony of that moment! ''Dust to
dust" came in solemn measured tones
| from the clergyman-"ashest to ashes. !"
1t was all over. turned and with
a cry, heartrending in it's bitter des-
pair, clasped Mary in my arms. 1
heard her utter one long, shrill, pierre
ing scream as I touched her, and then
/ knew no more until l discovered
that some one was shaking me violent
ly, and roueed myself to find cold
| perspiration issuing from every pore,
while over me stood the doctor look
ing exceedingly angry.
'Is it possible" he asked, "that
you have been sleeping there all night
on the heart rug? You deserve to
| die"
"Why, I have been dead!" l said.
"Where is Mary, doctor? think"
Then tainted away.
OF course the doctor put me to bed
and restored me finally to conscious
ness, grumbling the while about the
pigheadness of some people that would
not do as they were told.
cit was all the fault OF that book,
DOCTOR" l said, pointing to the vol
! ume of Herbert Snencer that Law on
the floor in the sunshine. II had been
reading about queer ideas of death
and another lie, and that suppose
occasioned my falling to sleep and
dreaming l was dead and attending
my own funeral. fairly shudder at the
recollection"
"Well, you certainly looked more
dead than alive when | found you
there" said the doctor, land you gave
a shrek as came in-sucha Shrek"
"Never mind, DOCTOR" said trying
to laugh "when l am well again l in.
tent to write out that dream and call
it The Black Camel for as Abd-el-
Kader says, Death is a black camel
that kneels at the gates of all Ger.
tainly the black camel has knelt at
my gate"
"All / can say is this" remarked
the doctor severely, ':that if ever !
catch you at any such thing again, I'll
III"
The doctor did not say what he
would do, for at that instant there
was a knock at the door and q mes
senger handed me bouquet of roses