The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-04-06

different times from my boyhood hex.
me again, bat was not dismayed, only
sorry the. tine had come.when mY-wife
must be told OF my peculiar iIirnity.
The place was very still. Iseeln to hear,
as did then, the dropping of the sands
in an nourglass somewhere near me, the
bleating of a lamb fos its 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 atord 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 q frightful
idea. I was being measured for my cof
FIN. The people around me supposed me
actually dead, !" continued Wayllng.
Glow had such a condition come to
pass9 Had fallen into the trance while
with strangers? Where was Rao? Where
was Cautley? ] knew not. I could re-
member nothing Of time or place pre-
yious to the attack. Now my suffer
ings began in truth. I 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 wife! The
plnrinns sense of relief which rushed
over me ] 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. It 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. / wanted
to Shrek out that it was not, could not
be 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 rae and there was a 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 hu-
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 laid him dead at my feet. Look
well at him, Peter. this Judas who be-
trayed. his friend. y
81 pray you let me speak one word ID
my own defense, stammered Cautley.
sssilencep' cried Way1ing, turning
ON him like mailman. all the loathing
he had repressed spreading over his face.
seWhen you might speak, you did not.
and you cannot now" J"
: Cautley shrank from him, and his
head fell upon his knees in an attitude
ofdespair.
sNoone else suspected Twas not ac-
tually dead, continued Wayling. "The
preparations for my burial IL the ceme-
terry of that French village were hurried
as mich as possible. Where was 2ao
Sirgh meanwhile? Had his fealty been
purchased? / could not think so. Nay,
I 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 I came back
to life ard the power Of motion. This ]
knew by slightly moving one Of my I'm
gers up and down. There was quick
ening through all my nerves The beat
ing Of my heart sounded like the strokes
of a chisel. I remembered all, and at
once the question came, Where am I:
The awful uncertainty CT that moment
made my flesh praekly and cold. Where
was I? Z opened my eyes at length.
Darkness enyeloped me, q silence that
could be felt. There are degrees Of still
ness, but the absolute silence Of the
grave has no parallel IL life. After a
conyulsive effort I lifted my hand very
slowly until it struck the LID of the
ccfhn. Oh, that moment! ! cannot find
words to describe my sensations. Sweat
burst from every pore. My agony was
intolerable. Merciful God, to feel that,
though living,I was as really dead as
the bones rotting in the next grave! a
nailed down coffin lid and six feet of
clay separated me from the green earth.
I could fancy the leaves futtering IL
the sunlight, children playing perhaps
within few feet from where | lay.
..Oh, it was madness! I shrieked, and
the sound was terrific in the narrow
coffin, but I knew with an agcnizing
helplessness it did not pierce beyond it.
Tben grew frantic, yelled madly, con-
tinaonsly, called on God, tore at my
graveclothes, beat my hands against the
sides of my,cofin, and with strength
born Of my need and despair tried to
force the lid. 1t gave way little by lit
i