The Van Buren press., 1894-07-28
TOM ADMINISTERED A CORDIAL.


away. his face working pitifully. and
his hands clasping each other in a fren
zied manner.
Calmly resting, apparently in quiet
repose, lies the friend who SO recently
fell on sleep. The handsome face is
composed, and wears smile, the
heavy sillen mustache covers the smil
ing lips, and the white, blue -veincd
lids fall naturally over the well-known
kindly eyes.
Tom Wrayton looks at him rever-
emily Then he takes from his travel
ihg case battery and appliances, with
several tiny bottles, and placing them
In an evidently prearranged manner
proceeds by the aid of the minute di-
rections given on that memora BILE
night-which seems so long ago-to
adjust the apparatus with reverent
fingers upon the cold clay before him.
Though more than life is at stake,
he is coolly professional, knowing that
weakness now would spoil all.
But the calm face often hides deep
emotion, and the suffering of those
few minutes was to Tom Wrayton an
eternity of anguish.
After all his arrangements are com
plete, strange eerie feeling creeps over
him, and he hesita tes to add that sim
gle touch, which, though once so skep.
tical about, he now feels assured will
send the revivifying electric current
rushing and pulsing through the form
of his friend.
At length pulling himself up with a
start, he places his finger on the knob
of his battery and SO completes the
circuit. Counting the seconds he
gazes on the quiet face before him.
Then he waits few seconds, and once
more applies the wonderful power.
Quietly, dimly, as the first pale
strealxs of dawn flash athwart the
eastern sky, change comes over the
sleeping countenance before him. 1t
is as If some master hand had breathed
into the sculptured stone and made it
| live.
The white shroud of death gives
place slowly to the tinge of crimson
ing life. All this time Tom Wrayton
stands with set face, gazing upon his
friend.
Does one thought of what might be,
but for this, intrude itself upon him?
Does one single wish to leave his
work incomplete occur to him?
No, no, from that manly, honest
heart rises nothing but thankful praise
to the Omnipotent for SO much sue
cess.
But see! Slowly, very slowly, the
lips of erstwhile dead unclose, and a
weak sigh issues therefrom.
No time must be lost now, and with
out moments delay Tom Wrayton
administers cordial from one OF the
bottles with which he has provided
| himself.
Then the blue-veined eyelids twitch
and tlutter, there is a short, gasping,
fight for breath, and for the first time
a traveller has returned from "beyond
the rates of Deaths Electricity has
achieved one more triumph-science is
once more victorious, and James Ben
yon lives again.
"Tom" There is triumph ana tnank-
fulness as well in the voice that
speaks, after SO long silence.
Tears stand in Tom Wrayton's eyes,
as he replies: Jimmy, we have con-
quered "
"Thank Godr' replies the other,
leaning on his friend, "for this sweet
hourl Tom, wish could tell you all
the solemn mystery-but | cannot.
do not regreti it, it was worth the loss. y
Then silence fell upon the friends,
and nothing but the wild tumult OF
the storm outside disturbed the quiet
of the tomb. Then Tom spoke: flames,
the world will not believe this"
"When did the world ever believe
ANYTHING out of the ordinary course OF
events? No, it will not. ! shall go
back into the world under another
name. The strange secret of my
double existence will be buried be,
tween us; and
And Gwendolen? She Is still faith
full"