Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-03-12

in mine, when, to my dismay, she
started back in alright. B. .5 III
.It is cold!n she cried. sit is like
the hand Of a dead personl, Some
dreadful misfortune is going to happen
to you-I know it feel it!" She be-
gan to sob Historically. TWAS on the
tip Of my tongue to exclaim: ssMary,
it has already come to me, and soon
it's black shadow will blight your
young and tender life!' 10y. p
But / dared not speak. feared the
horrible truth might kill her, and on
my wretched soul would then lie an
increase of guilt. Besides, she must
know it all when my body should be
buried! In q little while no conceal
ment would be possible. As I gazed
into her tear-dimmed eyes, a feeling of
intense agony rose up in my heart.
Unable to endure it, I snatched my
hand from hers and rushed from the
house, regardless of her sorrowful
amazement. -.
During the interval that has elapsed
between that day and the morning OF
my funeral l saw her no more. had
not the courage to again face her grief
and her questioning look in which lin
gered an expression OF dread. But
when the day finally dawned- day
In which / was to be laid to rest body
and soul, II, indeed, my soul could OBJ
tain rest-I was impelled to go to her
to take my last farewell.
On coming into her presence I dis
covered my poor Mary in the same
dismal mood.
ooh, how I have suffered-how
have suffered! 'she exclaimedover and
over again. I 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 I go with
out Mary whom I loved so we'll? It
was impossible.
sMary," I said, II 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 it's way. | 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,
burst into an uncomfortable par
oxysm of laughter. / saw the changed
expression Of her face as she looked
at me, and becoming sober again I
relapsed once more into nv 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.
How stranger 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.
The clergyman that accompanied the
party began to read the burial service,
and from the depths OF the carriage
where sat with Mary qliivering form
beside me, listened eagerly, waiting
with g. sense OF utter misery for the
words that were to signal my final
dissolution. I remarked with relief
that no one present appeared to
notice the solitary coupe with it's hid
den occupants. Finally, 1t seemed to
me an incredibly short period-I knew
the end had come-that at last must
leave the world for spiritual exist
ence, that has naught to do with any
material form, and that in 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 I felt myself slipping away,
as it were, from a.. substance to a.
shadow. l glanced 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
rlble agony of that moment! ."Dust to
dust" came in solemn measured tones
from the clergyman-"ashes toashes."
1t was all over I turned and with
a cry, heartrending in it's bitter des-
pair, clasped Mary in my arms. l
heard her utter one long, shrill, pierre
ing scream as touched her, and then
l knew no more until / discovered
that some one was shaking me violent
ly, and I roueed myself to find a cold
perspiration issuing from every pore,
while over me stood the doctor look
ing exceedingly angry.
"ls 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!" said.
"Where is Mary, doctor? I think
Then l tainted away. .,.
OF course the doctor put me to bed
and restored me finally to conscious
ness, grumbling the while about the
plgheadness of some people that would
not do as they We're told.
ut was all the fault OF that book,
DOCTOR" | said, pointing to the vol
ume OF Herbert Spencer that lay on
the floor in the sunshine. 81 had been
reading about queer ideas Of death
and another life and that I s1lnn0sa