River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-11-21

tr;ted.
For Gods sake, DR.. Lane. my early
friend. do not stop till you reach DIR.
Kendall'sl May lies there-sick-dy-
ing!n he gasped.
How ashy and pale he was, Ny
face blancied. Ifelt a singular tremor.
He dashed ahead. neither speaking
and in fifteen minutes stooa by the
couch of the young bride. That wa.
an awful hour. At its close. / pressed
her white eye,ids over heI
dull glazed eyes. All. Heaveni
thought /. kneeling with an
aching heart, can such beauty be
dead? Aud still. for all. there was
triumph in the feeling-triGmph until
| beheld the awful grie. of the be.
reaved husband--saw ;he big drops
bead like blood his pale broad fore.
head almost forced MIN from the In.
animate body to which he hung with
the grasp of despair. clasping her Ia
his bOsOm-kissing the white lips, the
whittier cheeks, even the gold locks tina,
lay damp and uncurled over her shout
ders.
And. when left that house Of mourn.
ing, was it not strange, the calmness
felt settling over my spirits? Could
this thought. even in the faintest ira
Gerry, pass through my mind at such a
time2 We'll. she is not mine: and
neither IS she has. am glad that, a.
sho could not be mine only, none but
death can claim her now"
| fear. had conscience rightly APP
piled her touch, she might have read
those scathing words written on the
crimson portals of my heart.
The next day l went over 20 be pres
ent at the funeral service. and still |
felt that sorrOwful happiness. Poor
Frederick was at times raving. then
stupid with his great grief. The
mourners assembled; the beautiful
dead Law ROBBED in satin in her coffin;
already the large parlor was filed
with weeping friends. took my sta
tion al the head of the corpse. With
y
tear. gazed upon that heavenly coun
tenance. u looked not like stern
death. but soft and smiling slumber.
They We're all her young companions
present, vi lage maidens. rObed in
white. whose silvery voice joined in a
simple funeral song But. OH how
those voices wavered. trembled. until
tears aud sObs cboked out their music!
and one mOurnful, heartrcnding wall
sounded through the room.
At last the hOary-headed man of
God arose to pray. Never heard / a
petition SO mournfully tender. so sim
pie. so powerful. How gently he spoke
OF her youth and goodness; the ciIcum-
stances under which Coo was pleased
20 call her. just, as it were, standing
on the threshold Of her happy life. and
locking toward the rose-cOlored fut-
ure!
! still kept my place at the mead OF
the coffin. Ny eyes. full Of tears now.
never once moved from that holy face.
Was it fan-ye ! thought the dear
features Drew dim. My sight was
failing, or I bent closer to the corpse;
! drew back. wiped my eyes, looked
again. God Of mercy, God Of compass
sion, What sent a wild shock through
my frame, and struck my brain az with
II wand of fire? l reeled. / fell almost
upon the coffin There was a moisture
ON the glass moisture that. when |
applied my sleeve. would not come of
moisture upon the inside OF the
glass. As was customary. every face
was bowed toward the earth in prayer.
What must l 60? There were fearful
risks to run. Ny knees trembled aud
knocked together; my heart beat
against my side till my body rocked
Ike a pendulum. The voice OF the
p; stor whistled in my ear. Each mo-
m mt was AN hour; and yet-the con-
fiic,-the horrible temptation warning
with ~ better nature came again. 1t
was awful. awful, III kept my silence
she was still the bride OF death; and as
much mine as another's; if / spoke she
was again the wife of my rival.
dare not recall some OF my emo
lions now | could not have been my
self when that iieudish temptation be-
set me. whispered me TO let the dark
grave claim her, it nigh, not.
The Precipitation welled up from
every pore but the agony was passed.
could have throttled the old pastor
that he did 10. cease, vet / feared for
the life Of the poor husband should he
know the truth too suddenly. There
was iingi;ng from my head to my
fingers ends. / shook like an aspen
leaf
Amen On. how | thanked God
for that sound, chung 20 the coffin
for one moment, weak and helpless as
an infant.
The chief mOur:crs were called
first. that they might be spared the
shock Of beholdIng the dear one borne
out before their eyes The poor hus-
band tOttered out. supported on each
side. WSlt were my feelings as ne
t'tA2'7-N- AlAEs -FtNN ilAutaAENA tAtt HbIULU2
mother Now was my time.
"QUicls. friends, neighbors.'' /
gasped; .'call the sexton: Now. man,
OF with the coffiu-lid, For Gods sake.
d"lay rot, She Is not dead"
rather shriel5ed than said the last
words.
The change that came over that as
-emhly, Many swoOned away-a crowd
rushed Ia the cofin-I pressed them
back the hand Of the undertaken
trcmbled-screw after screw fell rat
thing 30 the foor-my heart beat dull
aud heavy with the excitement OF hope
and fear.
The coffin top was thrown aside. In
my arms | bore the fair creature to a
couch. A. returned for a moment /
saw her only sister IA girl OF sixteen
landing as il riveted 10 The floor.
her checks hollow aud CHASTITY. her
eyes liked ahd frightfully .laring. 1
seized her by The arm. buj she stirred
loi. shook her rudeIy. saying:
. Unless you help me. Marie. she will
really die. Quick. come. cut OIL her
grave clothes. She must not sec them
-mg~i newer know of this.
The girl ed ~hiverej then. with
4 Wild. unnatural burst Of laughter.
a. lsed herself from her stupor. Then.
a. suddenly. Hood of tears came to