The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-14

weep. My grief was too deep. my excite ment too intense for that. I began to dig, removing the soft earth with the shovel. Never had l worked with such energy. Larger and larger grew the pile of earth, deeper and deeper the grave
 At length the shovel grated on the box that enclosed the coffin. Then & new diff 1 ficulty presented itself. I was standing upon the coffin, and so could not open it. With the pick I began to lengthen the grave so that I could stand at the foot At length this was accomplished and all the earth carefully removed. Bending reverently I loosened the screws that held the lid of the box and lifted 1t off. With in lay the coffin, covered with flowers, its silver trimmings glistening in the moon light. With trembling fingers I took out the large silver screws that held the coffin lid and removed it. For a moment I was faint and dare not look. The moon, which was almost overhead, was shin ing brightly Tn the grave. Dressed in the white satin in which she was to have been married, with beautiful boquet in her. hand, lay Bessie: She had not changed greatly. Her sickness had been too brief. Her cheeks retained their plumpness, and she seemed to be asleep | Only her intense pallor and slight dis cooration betrayed the presence of death.
 
 over me there crept an almost irresist- ible longing to lie down Tn the grave be-
 side her, and to pull the earth back upoh us so that we might rest forever in that sleep from which there Is no waking
 with my decaying lips pressed against hers in deaths eternal kiss As it was bowed down and kissed her upon her marble-like forehead. Then with tender care I lifted her out of her coffin and pl TpNh nf hn ho1I 1a,- fp
 my arms. Then I refilled the grave and covered it again with the flowers. I car rted her to the buggy. The horse grew restive at the presence of a corpse, but l calmed him with a few words, and laid her on the seat. I drove slowly home holding my arm about her, and imprint ing from time to time kisses upon her wan lips and cheeks. When I reached my home the day was breaking. The eastern sky was tinged with red, and the cool breeze of the morning famed my | face. I stopped the buggy at the gate. | Lifting In my arms the lifeless form, bore her with infinite tenderness into the | house. I laid her upon the bed her | bridal couch, whose white counterpane l and lace pillow cases had selected with such care. She seemed asleep. I knslt
 beside her, and with infinite longing | gazed upon that beautiful form whose spirit had slipped away. leaving me in
 such despair Presently 1t occurred to me that I was wasting precious moments The sun had risen, and was shining
 brightly through the eastern windows
 It was the hour when all nature awakes, when the blood courses with most vital
 ity through the veins. It was the time l for the elixir. I went into the laboratory. | There. upon the table, sat the vessel and | the glass with the contents. Filling my
 syringe I went back into the bed cham | Der. Bessie lay as if asleep. With a rev.
 erence I unloosed her corsage so as to | bring the medicine nearer to her heart.
 She lay cold and white like a statue, fresh 1 from the hand of the sculptor My hand l trembled violently. In a few moments I
 recalled my professional calmness and
 inserted the point of the syringe beneath
 the skin. and injected the fluid into each
 arm. into each foot, into her neck. Still
 I saw no movement. no sign of life. I
 sat down. I was faint and sick. The
 disappointment was too great. Nothing
 remained for me to do but to take some