Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-01

like crimson rosebuds, and over her bosom hel
white night robe rose and fell gently. She wa:
asleep. As I stood there she opened her eyes;
When she saw me she smiled happily, and SAID
in sweet, sleepy voice: rs it time TO get up,
Arthur Why, how pale you look. Are you
i'll ?" And she rose on one arm. and the smile
| faded away.
ayes, Helen" I said, as steadily as could
'Its time to get up. Come into the cabin as
quickly as you can. am not at all WELL" And
I left the little cabin stiH ike man IN e
| she had slept well. She had. Had she heard
no unusual noises in the nightf No. she had
l~not awakened once So it was Like tired.
healthy child. Helen had slept through all that
| awful tragedy. Ishall not attempt to try and
tell of the task had in making her compre-
heud our awful situation. She did not compre-
of the three dead bodies on the deck. She
moaned over my "poor bruised head" and with
gentle hands bathed and bound it up Tnen she
said that she was hungry. We found
the lockers in great confusion, but the
crew had left food enough of one sort
| or another to satisfy our immediate needs.
There was an awful task before u.s. and ex-
| dead bodies to the sea- She shuddered at the
| thought, but, like an obedient child, tried to
| help me. How I managed to encase those 81
| lent forms in canvas hardly know, put did.
| and got them to the side of the ship. Then
| got my prayer book and read the blessed burial
| Service while Helen looked on in troubled
| wonder. Then came the hardest task OF all
but it was done, and the bodies. one after the
| other, fell with great splash into the still sea-
| had thought to bind heavy weights to the
feet, and they sank at once and Helen and
| were left quite alone. am writing this with
| great difficulty. for we are dying. dying OF
| thirst. Why write do not know. There is
| no water on board. The sailors, after filling
| their casks from the great casks in the hold,
| left the water running. When we sought to
| draw, there was not a drop lett. There is a
| change coming over Helen. She sometimes
| looks at me strangely. She seems almost shy.
| 1 wonder what 1t is. is memory coming back?
| Or has she learned that she is a woman and a
man? But she is not for me. There is John
| Bruce and vowed to take her safely to him,
and shall-Mother, good can't write more.
| see that the end is
Here the writing in the little water-soaked
| book became entirely illegible. Indeed the last
| few lines were very indistinct and showed the
| failing of mental and physical strength: l sat
| staring at the yellow page and then looked up
at Judson. He was gazing intently at me.
"Well 60 on, go on" he said impatiently.
"That's ALL" said L
He seized the book from my hands, M and
| turned the leaves feverishly. "Yes, yes. That
is all Why, man, we're not much wiser than
we were. We've got something, but we haven't
solved the mystery of the headless skeletons"
No, nor are we likely TO-" said l.
"Not likely to? We must" said Judson, in
sharp, strained voice. He seemed to be much
excited. looked at my watch;
"It's Sunday morning." said ], "and luckily
Sunday" thought. Judson son. wondn,s @ De good %
this. AS for myself, was tired and hungry
and said so.
80 am l." said Judson, dropping the excited
air, but with an effort ''Sit still moment"
He came back soon with tray, on which were
cold meat, and bread and butter, and crackers
and Rochefort cheese. and bottle OF Macon
Vieux.
"You evidently know what a hungry news
IN ha mid 10 nj
said L
II know what hungry lawyer wants." and
he drew the cork.
Now" said he. after we had taken the edge
off of our appetites and were enjoying the
Burgundy, 1--WE must know the rest OF that
story"
'-"Easier said than DONE"
"Why so2 Does it seem more difficult to get
a message directly from Arthur Hartley than
to get that journal from the bottom of the
ocean? do not think SO. This nights ex-
perience has given me confidence in the
power of will over nature that nothing can
shake. There is but one obstacle that stands
in the way of our success. The woman whom
you call the medium was thoroughly prostrated,
as you saw. She seemed badly frightened. too.
She said that she had never had such an ex-
perience. That she felt that she could not live
through another. AS she expressed it she felt
that she had been the battle ground where two
great forces had met and contended. soothed
her as best could and sent her home. did
She was. She was the unconscious medium
through which will overcame the forces of
nature. This evening she must be the medium
through which in obedience to our will the
spirit Of Arthur Hartley shall speak with u.s."
Suppose she refuses"
"She will obey me, or rather my will" said
Judson quietly. "Its merely question of
whether it is safe to subject her to the ordeal.
But as it will be nothing compared with that
she has Just been through shall attempt it, If
she is at all able to bear it. l must have that
mystery solved" =
family at the Sunday afternoon dinner; and
then went with Judson to the library to
smoke.
''Its all right" he said, as soon as we were
seated. "She will come this evening"
"Wlll all those persons be hero?' asked.
"Oh, no. You and and the woman only"
1t was 10 o'clock that evening when Judson
entered the library where sat reading before
the glowing crate. and said:
"She's here. Come into the parlor"
1t was with more than ordinary emotions that
/ followed him. The medium was the only
person in the room. The cabinet still stood
where it had stood "a hours before. She looked
the picture of i'll health Great hollows were
beneath the tired eyes, and she moved feebly.
Sne bowed gravely to me and entered the cab
met. Judson turned the gas down low:
IF you will remain entirely passive" he said
softly, "t think we shall get the communication
without trouble" There was calm confidence
in his voice, quite different from the intensity
of his manner the night before We sat quietly
for many minutes until I began to grow un-
poor success, but while was making the effort
strenuously there came from the cabinet a
clear, firm voice. Its tones were something
like those in which the woman the night
before had said: what do you wish?"
but as the voice proceeded it took on manlier
tone, with that indescribable accent that We
call English" These were the words:
"Since you wish it will finish the story of
my life on earth. Listen: When I ceased
writing in my book on the Albatross 1t was be-
cause I lost control of my pen and Of my mind
as well. I managed to crawl to the deck.
Helen was lying motionless in the shadow of
the companion hatch. threw myself down by
her side. She put out her hand and grasped
mine. and a flush crossed her face. was too
weak to speak, and thus hand and hand we lay
for l don't know how long, Gradually lost
consciousness, perhaps in sleep. At all events
my spirit was not free. The frail body still had
strength enough to retain it. / was aroused by
ness came back saw that the sky had become
overcast; that a cool breeze was blowing and !
that gentle rain was falling. Helen was sit
ting erect'and with parted lips drinking in the
grateful rain-laden air. 1 tried to rise but !
could not. She was much stronger than !, and |
at my direction went below and brought |
blankets and clothes which she spread on the |
deck that they might catch the falling drops. |
She seemed quite vigorous and already felt |
my own strength coming back. Soon she was |
able to squeeze water from blanket into |
small can which stood by the mast, We were |
in too great agony of thirst to think of small |
matters of neatness. She offered the can to |
me.
"Drink yourself, Helen" said.
"No," she answered, with smile. mo, you
need it most! And kneeling by my side she
slipped her arm under my head and with her
other hand held the water to my lips.
Il drank eagerly. The draught was life to
me. Never had water such strengthening
power. hardly noticed that it left a queer
taste upon my lips, ! sat .o erect Helen, with
mained in the can. Then she looked me full in
the face. There was a new expression in the
lovely eyes; the old vague calm look had gone.