The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-12-31
CHAPTER TIL
Wayling stood still, with tensely
elasped hands. his under lip caught be-

Ills cues met Wayli,lq's fastened unan
him.
tween his teeth, bis eyes turned inward,
like mans walking in his sleep.
II found myself coming from land
Of clouds and nothingness to faint
consciousness Of myself" he said rap
idly. my brain by degrees became
clearer. I endeavored to open my eyes,
but found it impossible. Then I knew
that the trance which had keld me at
different times from my boyhood held
me again, but was not dismayed, only
sorry the time had come when my wife
must be told Of my peculiar intirmity.
The place was very still. I seem to hear,
as I did then, the dropping Of the sands
in an hourglass somewhere near me, the
bleating Of lamb for it's mother, COM
ing, as it seemed, through an open
window. I became aware Of the soft
opening and closing Of door. Some.
body entered and stood by my side. One
finger was placed upon my forehead,
and the person drew string down my
body to the extreme tips Of my toes
Then there flashed over me a frightful
idea. I was being measured for my COT
fin. The people around me supposed me
actually dead" continued Wayling.
"How had such condition come to
pass? Had fallen into the trance while
with strangers? Where was Rao' Where
was Cautley9 knew not. ! could re-
member nothing Of time or place pre-
vious to the attack. Now my suffer-
ings began in truth. / felt my hands
were neatly folded upon my breast and
my limbs Strengthened after the man
ner of corpse. The door was opened
again. heard low cry, and two warm
arms were placed under my head. 1t
was Mary. Oh, it was my wifel The
glorious sense of relief which rushed
over mo I cannot find words to de.
scribe. If my wife were by my side,
my friend and servant could not be far
away. With all my strength strove to
speak to her-to open my eyes. 1t was
as if every muscle were held down in
band Of iron and my tongue were para
lyzed. But the worst was yet to come.
Mary laid her warm cheek against my
brow and murmured strange, self con-
demning words into my ear. I wanted
to Shrek out that it was not, coald not
DO true, and then this man entered. He
spoke of me as one dead, and from his
conversation with my wife knew that
horrid thing she had whispered was so
indeed-that he had stolen her love
from me and there was guilty under
standing between them. How he laugh
ed at Mary's fears, ridiculed her re-
morse! Nay, more, he even dared talk
Of their future happiness together,
while knowing could hear, that every
word ate through my heart, that he was
sending me- TO the most awful fate hui
man being could suffer-the supremest
Of mental torture. At that moment
would gladly have damned my soul for
power to look once into his craven face
ere I laid him dead at my feet. Look
we'll at him, Peter, this Judas who be-
trsyed his friend"
II pray you let me speak one word in
my own Defense" stammered Cautley.
"Silencel" cried Wayling, turning
on him like mailman, all the loathing
he had repressed spreading over his face.
"When you might speak, you did not.
and you cannot now
Cautley shrank from him, and his
head fell upon his knees i'll an attitude
Of despair.
"No one else suspected Twas not ac-
tually dead" continued Wayling. "The
for my burial in the ceme-
terry of that French village were hurried
as much as possible. Where was Rao
Singh meanwhile? Had his fealty been
purchased? I could not think SO. Nay,
l felt sure some treachery kept him
from my side. An interval followed Of
which can recall nothing. From shee,
terror my senses must have left me dur.
ing the burial. Suddenly l came back
to life and the power Of motion. This !
knew by slightly moving one Of my fin
gers up and down. There was a quick.
ening through all my nerves. The beat.
ing of my heart sounded like the strokes
of q ohisel l remembered all, and at
once the question came, Where am I!
The awful uncertainty Of that moment
made my flesh prickly and cold. Where
was l? opened my eyes at length.
Darkness enveloped me, silence that
,oald be felt. There are degrees Of still
ness, but the absolute silence of the
grave has no parallel in life. After
,onvulsive effort lifted my hand very
slowly until 1t struck the lid Of the
,off1n. Oh, that moment! cannot find
words to describe my sensations. Sweat
,urst from every pore. My agony was
Noticeable. Merciful God, to feel that,
though living. was as really dead as
The bones rotting in the next gravel A
,ailed down coffin lid and six feet Of
LAY separated me from the green earth.
could fancy the leaves fluttering in
he sunlight, children playing perhaps
within few feet from where l lay.
"Oh, 1t was madnessl I shrieked, and
ho sound was terrific in the narrow
offin. but I knew with al agonizina
'elplessness it did not pierce beyond it.
then I grew frantic, yelled madly, con-
called on God, tore at my
beat my hands against the
ides Of my coffin, and with strength
orn Of my need and despair tried t.
orce tho lid Itgave. way little by liz u
y With grating sound. and present., /