The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-07-11

of heart disease, sometimes
OF q liver complaint, again of a
spinal trouble. At present they at
tribute it to the stomach h-that great
motor and regulator of the body--this
protean disease of thousand forms, a
thousand modes of attack. 1t is
why we are here. I, myself, think it
her nerves. In any case, it is very
| sad"
This reminded me of his own jerk
ing head.
cit may be hereditary" says I;
"your own nerves are little disturbed,
are they not?"
'rMine?" he answered, TRANQUILITY.
''Not at all I have always possessed
the calmest nerves" Then, suddenly,
as If bethinking himself:
'For this, touching his hand, ''is
not nerves. but the result of a shock,
terrible shock that suffered once.
Fancy it, sir; this child of mine has
been buried alivel /"
could find nothing to say; I was
dumb with surprise.
eyes," he continued, "buried alive
but hear the story; it is not long.
For some time past Juliette had seemed
affected with disordered action of the
heart. We were finally certain that
the trouble was organic, and feared
the worst. One day it came she was
brought in lifeless-dead. She had
fallen dead while walking in the gar
den. Physicians came in haste, but
nothing could be done. She was
gone. For two days and two nights 1
watched beside her myself, and with
my own hands placed her in her coffin,
which 1 followed to the cemetery and
saw placed in the family vault. This
was in the country, in the province
of Lorraine.
'It had been my wish, too, that she
should be buried in her jewels, brace
lets, necklace and rings, all presents
that had given her, and in her first
ball dress. You can imagine, sir, the
state of my heart IN returning home.
She was all that 1 had left; my wife
had been dead for many years I re-
turned, in truth, half mad, shut my
self alone in my room and fell into my
CudlI NlbAChy uhuDlS w lhONOy
a miserable, breathing wreck.
"Soon my old valet, Prosper, who
had helped me place Juliette in her
coffin and lay her away for her last
sleep, came in noiselessly to see if he
could not induce me to eat. shook
my head, answered nothing. He per-
sisted.
"Monsieur is wrong; this will make
him i'll. Will monsieur allow me,
then, to put him to bedf"
"'No, no., I answered. Let me
alone
''He yielded and withdrew.
''How many hours passed do not
know. What a night What a night !
1t was very cold; my fire of logs had
long since burned out in the great
fireplace; and the wind, wintry
blast, charged with an icy frost,
howled and screamed about the house
and strained at my windows with
curiously sinister sound.
'Long hours, say, rolled by. l
sat still where had fallen, prostrated,
overwhelmed; my eyes wide open,
but my body strengthless, dead; my
soul drowned in despair. Suddenly
the great bell gave loud peal.
ST gave such a leap that my chair
cracked under me. The slow, solemn
sound rang through the empty house
1 looked at the clock.
sit was two in the morning. Who
could be coming at such an hour?
'Twice again the bell pulled sharp
ly. The servants would never answer,
perhaps never hear it. / took up
candle and made my way to the door.
I was about to demand:
"'WhO is there but, ashamed of
the weakness, nerved myself and drew
back the bolts. My heart throbbed,
my pulse beat, / threw back the panel
brusquely, and there, in the darkness,
saw shape like phantom, dressed
in white.
81 recoiled, speechless with anguish,
stammering:
'Who-who are you?
"a voice answered:
1T is l, father.
'1t was my child, Juliette.
'Truly, thought myself mad. 1
shuddered, shrinking backward before
the spectre as it advanced, gesticulat-
ing with my hand to ward off the ap-
partition. 1t is that gesture which
has never left me.
"Again the phantom spoke:
Father, father See, 1 am not
dead. Some one came to rob me of
my jewels-they cut off my finger
the-the flowing blood revived me.
"And saw then that she was COW
cred with blood. fell to my knees
painting, sobbing, laughing, all in one.
As soon as regained my senses, but
still so bewildered scarcely compre-
hended the happiness that had come
to me, l took her in my arms, carried
her to my room and rang frantically
for Prosper to rekindle the fire, bring
warm drink ior her and go for the
doctor.
"He came running, entered, gazed
moment at my daughter in the
chair, gave a gasp of fright and hor,
ror and fell back-dead.
'It was he who had opened the
vault, who had wounded and robbed
INV obild and fban ohonIoVoJ h..