Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-02-07

uMBERS of lizards Gid |
1SzSA I'd away from my feet as
cka[~7A descended the steps, and
DGN when the flare OF my
EI@P1l1skES torch penetrated the
kH$xlS, ;J3S4,, darkness l heard sour
l3yINNs,4k0 rying Of wings mingled
MlSN ~ with various kissing
WOW Y sounds and wild cries. !
knew now-none better--what weird and
abominable things had habitation In
this storehOuse Of the dead, but | felt
could defy them ali. armed with the
light l carried The way that had
seemed so long In the dense gloom was
brief and easy, and ! soon found myself
mt the scene of my unexpected awaken
ing from sleep. The actual body OF the
vault was square-shaped, like a small
room incosed within high walls,-wnils
which were scoOped out In various places
40 as to form inches In which the narrow
caskets containing the bones OF oil the
departed members OF the Romani family
were placed one above the other like so
many bales OF goods arranged evenly on
the shelves Of an ordinary warehouse.
held the candle high above my head and
looked about me with morbid interest.
l soon perceived what sought-my own
coffin.
There II was In niche some five feet
from the ground, its splintered portions
bearing decided witness to the dreadful
struggle had made to obtain my free
dom. advanced and examined 1t close
ly. It was frail shell enough-unllned,
unOrnamented-a wretched sample OF the
undertaker's art, thOughGOd knows had
no fault to find with its workmanship,
nor with the haste OF him who fashioned
IL. Something shOne at the bottom OF 1t
it was a cruciiix Of ebony and silver.
That good monk again! His conscience
had not allowed him to see Inc buried
without this sacred symbol; he had per-
haps laid it OH my breast as the last
service he could render me; 1t had fallen
from thence, no doubt, when ! had
wrenched my way through the boards
that inclosed me. / took 1t and kissed II
reverently-I resolved that II ever met
the holy father again, l would tell him
my story, and as proof of its truth, re-
store TO him this cross, which he would
be sure to recognize. Had they put my
name on the coffin lid? ! wondered.
Yes there it was-painted on the wood
in coarse black letters, ''FabiO ROmani"
then followed the date of my birth;
then short latin inscription, stating
that had died of cholera OH August Is.
1884. That was yesterday-Only yester-
day! j seemed to have lived u century
since then.
turned to look at my fathers resting
place. The velvet on his coffin hung
from its sides In mOulderiEg remnants
but II was not so utterly daAap destroyed
and worm eaten as the soaked and indis-
tinguishable material that still chung to-
the massive oaken chest in the next
niche, where she lay-she from whose
whose tender arms l had received my
first embrace-she In whose loving eyes
had first beheld the world! / knew by
. sort Of instinct that 1t must have been
with the frayed fragments on her coffin
that my fingers had idly played In the
darkness. / counted as before the bits
Of metal-eight bits lengthwise, and four
acrOss-and on my fathers close casket
there were ten silver plates lengthwise
and five across. My poor little mother!
l thought OF her picture-it hung In my
library at home; the picture OF a young,