Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-01-07

my ONli htltIHty hbuilultItu OdulltY.
"Silencel" cried Wayling, turning
on him like a mailman, all the loathing
he had repressod 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 in an attitude
of despair.
"No one else suspected was not ac-
tually dead, " continued Wayling. "The
preparations for my burial in the ccme-
terry Of that French village were hurried
as much as possible. Where was Rao
Singh meanwhile? Had his fealty been
purchased l could not think so. Nay,
l felt sure some treachery kept him
from my side. An interval followed Of
which can recall nothing. From sheer
terror my senses must have left me dur
ing the burial Suddenly came back
to life and the power of motion. This |
know 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 a Chiscl / remembered all and at
once the question came, Where am /:
The awful uncertainty Of that moment
made my flesh prickly and cold. Where
was /! / opened my eyes at length
lrkness developed me, a silence that
could be felt. There are degrees Of still
ness, but the absolute silence of the
grave has no parallel in life. After a
conyulsive effort l lifted my hand very
slowly until it struck the lid Of the
coffin. Oh, that moment! / cannot find
words to describe my sensations. Sweat
burst from every pore. My agony was
intolorable. Merciful God, TO feel that
though living, / was as really dead as
the bones rotting in the next gravel a
nailed down coffin lid and six feet of
clay separated me from the green earth
could fancy the leaves Tutoring in
the sunlight, children playing perhaps
within a few feet from where l lay.
"Oh, it was madncss | shrioked, and
the sound was terrific in the narrow
coffin, but / knew with an agonizing
| helplessness it did not pierce beyond it,
Then l grew frantic, yelled madly, con
tiuuouSly, called on God, tore at my
graycclothes, beat my hands against the
sides Of my coffin, and with "a strength
born of my need and despair tried to
force the lid. it gave way little by lit
lie with "a grating sound, and presently
a handful Of damp earth fell upon my
face. Then l saw there was no escape,
not any. l must die, smother, like
rat in hole. The agony l suffered was
infinite uutranslatable. The pressure
on my chcst-oh, | seem to feel it now,
sutiocating, dying by inches! At last l
heard faint sound. As well as l could
l shriCked again and waited, with what
suspense you can dimly imagine. The
sound became more distinct-a voice.
1t seemed an eternity before the coffin
lid was torn back, and | felt myself
lifted, carried mp, up-it seemed to me
into the ether Of a new world. When l
recovered, RaO Singh was bending over
me, the stars were above, life about me.
The delight was too much. swooned. "
Peter had found himself creeping
nearer and nearer the edge Of his chair
as Wayhng's narrative proceeded. At
the last words, as the speaker sank back
gaspiug, be bounded impulsively to his
side and caught his hand, tears rushing
from his eyes.
ALAS, poor fellow, indoed-indoed
you must have suffered, " he said bro
kenly. My word, it was frightful
extreme. And after that, sir; After
that:'
after that, my identity concealed,
Rao Singh during weary months nursod
me back to l.fo-nay, to existence only,
for the charm Of living was gone. The
/ first glance in a mirror showed me my
/ black hair grown white as drifted
NOV, and just rs changed was all the
world 10 me. There was nothing left
| me in life worth living for. l learned
then from Rao's lips how he had been
! dispatched on a false mission TO Eng
! land, Cautlcy having told him the same
was my wish. But the Hindoo's prefer
| naturally acute sense or presCience told
! him all was not well, and God willed
be should reach that newly made grave
| in time to save me. During my long
! illness the thought Of my revenge came
to me, and l greeted it as would a
| thirsty traveller a spring of water in n
/ rocky place. How often in my thoughts
| have l fed my hungry heart upon such
IA scene as this, when l should stand
face to face with the evil genius who
! had wrestCd from me everything"
He claspcd his hands upon his knees
ana bent a scorching gaze on Cautley's
! bowed head.
"Where is my wife?" he asked.
Dead this year past" was the
mNf1lcd answer.
is she so;" snoered Wayling. "And
who killed her? l know the whole
story. Aye, know how you sQuaudoIed
in evil living the portion she received
through my supposed death, l know
what her life was with you and how you
cast her off, for l stood over her I'M
marked grave in London's pauper bury
ing ground the day before l sailed from
English shores. Say your prayers. You
have not an hour to live"
There was groan of mortal terror,
and Cautley lifted his face. 1t was Il
CHASTITY sight. A terror so awful had
twisted every feature Peter felt his soul
sicken as he looked.
1t was the first time in his happy 80
lucky life he had stood before the reality
Of death like this. 1t was too delibor-
ate, too horrible. He looked at the Hin
doc, who stood waiting like figure Of
fate, and, despicable as he knew Caut-
ley to be, his quick sympathios went
out to him as he fancied himself in a