Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-20

imagine the sensation In my spiritual one
another chafed my hands; one wetted
a towel and struck me repeatedly with It;
the old fashioned feather was held under
my physical nose-imagine my spiritual
sensation a thousand times intensified and
judge what I suffered.
/ wished they would go away and bury
me d~ecently and let me alone; It was too
much to endure quietly. I tried to hypno-
tie the whole lot, but unavailingly. Finally
the futility Of their efforts dawned upon
them and they sat Town to wait while one
went for a doctor.
Doctor! l thought contemptuously what
could he do unless indeed they might find
a stray spiritualist who could fulfill his
promises and perhaps summon my spirit
back into its earthly she'll. Sure, never
had I seemed so sweet to myself. II l
ever got back to myself again l made a SOL
emn VOW never to leave myself on any pre-
text.
Presently the door opened and my father
came In. My mother was long since dead;
the old gentleman was almost heartbroken;
lie sat down beside ne and took my phys
zeal hand. I would have given worlds to
comfort him. Different members of the
family stood around the room talking in
low hushed whispers of the dreadful fate
that had befallen me, exchanging reminis-
cences about me. extolling me for many
virtues l never possessed. There was some
consolation in hearing what a noble fell
low / was. l have not heard 1t before nor
have l heard 1t since-except from Geral-
dine. Finally the door opened and the
doctor entered; he could do nothing what
ever, as l had foreseen-he actually pro-
nounced me dead-and a few hours later
7 5000 --p,IR -..AIr tn " l.,
the parlor-that is my physical body was.
/ took the most comfortable chair, when
no one else wanted it, OF course. and
waited for further developments. This was
growing interesting and I had become
somewhat resigned to the hopelessness of
my situation. I noted several curious facts.
After a while I got very sleepy. intensely
so, and lay back in my chair and closed my
eyes and tried to sleep. 1t was no use, l
could not. And yet I never so longed to
go to sleep in, my life. The fact was a
spirit could not sleep, and It was my body
there In the coffin which felt sleepy-but
I must suffer for 1t. II was the same way
with hunger. / was hungry, I actually got
so desperate as to 20 out in the pantry
and look at the cold chicken and boiled
ham there, / could easily smell them. but
as to eating-oh, it was horrible! I do not
know how / got through the night.
The next day / could do nothing but sit
and look at the people who cam to see
me and hear what they had to say. l have
forgotten to mention that in my condition
/ seemed to have as one Of its attributes
a peculiar faculty of divinlng the real
thoughts OF the people who came to look
at me. Among them was John HaveTford.
He was actually glad to see me, so at least
- - - - AHI-1-. z --.-a
have been mistaken-at any rate the sight
Of him filled me with so much rage that ]
rushed over to him. I threatened him
l did more, / struck him, kicked him,
nothing Of which he was sensible. 1t was
too bad.
Geraldine did not come. I waited
heartbroken for her. Would she come;
The old man surely would not keep her
He was a pretty good fellow, after all
he is devoted to our youngest daughter
now. / thought he certainly might br.nI
her. ! did not go out. l could not bear
to leave my lonesome looking body in the
conn. I had no heart for further adven.
lures, anyway. was intensely crampeC
from lying so long in one p~osition-wher
I die am going to be cTemated; no more
cofins for me. My wife, says, however, sh'
will not hear OF that
Geraldine told me afterward that shs
passed the day in longing for me to com'
and take her away, and wondering why
! did not; beside being continually i'm.
pressed with a premonitiCn that something
was going TO happen. Finally toward nigh
on the second day OF my anomalous sit.
uation. Mary-goOd and faithful Mary-be,
thought herself to go and tell Geraldine. Or
hearing the news that noble g.rl. prompt!
tainted. She recovered herself, however
and, through Mary's aid, managed to ge
out of the house and come down to Sc,
me.
| was looking at myself very detected!
in the psrlor. half dead from lose OF sleep
hunger and thirst, and wholly crazy from
loss Of love and all my dreaded prospects,
| surmised they would bury ne tomorrow
when l heard the outside door open,
familiar and yet nervous step sounded II
the hall, and then the parlor door opened
! had recognized the step. II was Geraldine
but how changed! l forgot myself and m.
trouble. aud as she threw herself down Of
her knees and elasped me in her arms an
} kissed me, l suffered for her agony a thou
} sand times worse than for mine. Grea