St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-11

lips were parted as for the passage OF
the last signing breath of life.
The chair is adjustable" said the
brother in a hoarse voice, and with
| trembling hands he turned lever and
changed it into couch.
"Ihe tOOth?'
| mo matter for that" answered Jack,
with his fingers upon her pulse.
my Cod" exclaimed Gordon, IN
fever of excitement, ''the allot-
ted time has expired and there is not
the slightest symptom of reaction"
'Have patience. | fear nothing
Instantly, however, he commenced to
use restoratives, not emitting gal
vanic battery. But no good result was
obtained Then as Gordon consulted
his watch he saw to his CONSERVATION
that full hour had elapsed!
Atlength he discovered a paper pinned
upon her flowing dress. With trem-
bling hands he tore it away and ex-
claimed to his companion:
s'Read it for the love of Heaven"
/ In a voice scarcely audible, and with
white and trembling lips Doctor Cor
| don read:
SHOULD the test prove fatal, beg of you
both, brother and friend, by the love you bear
| me to keep the matter a secret. Think OF me
| only as willing sacrifice to science, and that
| my death was painless one. We are isolated
| in this lonely place. Betty is stupid old
| creature and will believe any story. Tell her
| have gone abroad. After you are perfectly sat
istied that my spirit has taken its flight, carry
| me down to the vault and place me in the coffin
| Uncle Jack intended for his remains. Be brave.
| and remember that any disclosure OF the facts
| might cost both your lives and be of no benefit
to me. not only entreat, but command, that
| be obeyed in this matter.
| MARGARErTA.''
The voice of Doctor Gordon became
inaudible as he concluded. The
brother arose and turned pale,
haggard face toward the still
more CHASTITY, and questioning one of
his friend, while between them lay the
still form of the lovely victim.
s'Look!" whispered Gordon.
A drop of blood had oozed from the
incision in her arm where they had at
tempted to start the life current. The
tiny crimson globule remained a stain
above the spot where the pulseless heart
lay, and where they had crossed the
soft and rounded arms.
Again they resorted to every possible
means to restore life, until from exhaus-
ton and mental strain they were forced
to desist.
| With tottering steps, Gordon walked
to the window and looked out upon a
| cloudless night-a soundless one save
the low melancholy swash of the
waves.
The calm was followed by stormy
day; it found the men still watching be-
| side the fair sleeper, and attempting to
| face the awful result of the test. How
the hours passed, Gordon scarcely
knew. Afterward, he remembered hav-
| ing been left alone with the dead while
| the brother went to procure refresh
ments, and that kneeling he poured
forth incoherent words. Then, as if in
somnambulistic state, he assisted in
transporting the light burden (heavy
enough to their trembling limbsD down
long flights of stairs into a damp,
gloomy vault filled with rubbish and the
| accumulated dust of years.
In niche rested the black coffin, and
in it's moldering depths they placed the
fair form of the young girl untimely
| taken from the glad earth.
After this Gordon had no distinct re-
| membrance. Upon the stairs, there
| was faint vision of crouching form
like the cat of Betty, with eyes of fire
| also of two conscience-stricken men
sitting out the remainder of the second
night. And sometimes they talked,
| terminating or commenting upon the
terrible consequences of the act that
had blotted out lovely life, and
branded them with Cain-like signet.
Then came the pink dawn creeping
through the black curtains of night,
and Doctor Gordon remembered creep
ing with paralyzed limbs out of the
| fearful place, and fleeing with frantic
| haste from the accursed habitation by
| the sea. Days of oblivion and of an
| guish followed, then came reason and a
| full consciousness of all that had hap
| pened.
"Well, my good fellow, no more jun
keting off to the seaside for health and
rest, if you are to get head full of
cranks and veins filled with the fire of
fever, laughed the old medical partner
of Gordon.
"What have / done? What have /
saidp" feebly questioned the sick man.
sWhy, man, one would think you
had committed the objectionable sin by
the way you look. But keep quiet, if
you have grain of common sense left.
As to what you have done, | presume
moonlight rambles and damp boat rides
gave you the fever, and as to what you
said. it was lot of rubbish about audi
tory nerves, capitalistic state. antehyp-
motto medicines, and all sorts of disjoint-
ed croakings that nobody could compre-
bend. But you must hurry and get
well. can't afford to dance attend
ance on you much longer and let our
practice go to the dogs. Beside, you
are wanted at home"