The herald., 1915-07-01
LIFE IN
DEATH
BY SARAH BAXTER

ache. 1t really seemed that I couId
not endure the pain. l did NOT endure
II The agony broke down nv nerve
strength. leaving me in a condition be
tween sleep and death. At least that
Is what 1t seemed to me. | Law In
semiconsctous condition till morn.
ing, wnen my maid came into the
room, and the moment she looked nj
me sne gave cry and ran out again
In few moments every one in the
house rushed into the room and on
seeing me took on a solemn. soma NJ
them panied. expression.
The first person not a member Of tho
family who came In was nv doctor
DE looked at me scrutinizingly, felt
my pulse, then bent his head down on
TO my chest to listen for heartbeat.
i think she Is dead,' be said.
Just before he spoke the words nv
lance. Eben Green. came in. saw
MIN looking at me with an expression
which indicated disappointment rather
than grief.
You say. doctor" he broke in, that
you think she is dead? Is there no
bspeT
The doctor laid his head again on
my breast before replying.
Yes, she is dead"
Eoen turned away, not with a moan.
1t seemed to me rather with a SUD-
pressed oath. and left the room
/ confess that | was too much fright
ened at the prospect Of being buried
alive to take an interest in the alb
sence of feeling On the part of nv
lover at losing me. Had | been free
from this fear doubtless il would have
affected me intensely. l OWNED the
cause OF his bearing toward what he
supposed to be my dead body. | was
rich; he was poor. He had been act
Ing the lover for the purpose Of secur-
ing my fortune.
Later In the day my doctor came into
the room, where l was lying alone.
with another man. Both were physi.
clans, and it was plain to me thai they
were endeavoring to discover whether
or not l was dead. After applying sew
eral tests, the nature Of which | did
not comprehend, they came to the CON
clusion that my burial had better be
delayed, but that they would not give
out the fact that they suspected still
lived
During the afternoon I seemed to
pass from my deathlike condition into
restful slumber. When l awoke
was myself again. There was dim
light In the room, and my maid was
putting to rights few things that had
been scattered about.
"Christine," called.
Christine started, turned, looked at
me and was about to fee ip terror
when l said again quietly:
christine. please bring me a glass
Of water"
My tone and the ordinary nature OF
my request treasured her. l told her
l had been conscious Of all that had
passed She came to me shrinkingly.
looked at me for q few moments. then
ran out Of the RON as she had done in
the morning. this time to inform the
household not that l was dead. but
that | lived.
My doctor was sent for, and when
he came he did not manifest any spe-
cial surprise at finding me alive. He
said he had not believed that I was
dead. but would not make known his
opinion, being unwilling to excite ex-
pectations that might not be realized.
l was very weak, and he gave me
some drug to tide me over my present
condition. did not feel strong enough
to take any interest in anything and,
after having partaken Of little nour-
ishment, fell into a slumber.
soon began to gather strength. and
with its return my mind took hold OF
my discovery Of the object Eben Green
had in desiring to marry me. Our
wedding had been set for week from
the day I was stricken. The narrow
ness of my matrimonial escape ap-
palled me. I had felt the fear some
wealthy girls experience Of being mar
ried for my money, but Eben had been
such a consummate actor that he had
deceived me entirely. When the doc
tor had arrived at my return to life
he had ordered that be kept perfectly
quiet and no one should be admitted
to see me. In a few days | was told
that Eben had been anxious to pay
me a visit the moment the doctor
would permit and that owing to my
fiance's opportunities the doctor had
consented that he should be admitted
for few moments.
l replied that did not feel well
enough to see him.
My refusal brought me brief note
from Eben, in which he concentrated a
world of love. How a man could feign
so much depth Of feeling. show so
much contrast between coldness at
learning of my death and Joy at my
return to life. I could not conceive.
did not reply to his note. and. although
gained strength every day and re-
ceived others, l sent no message to
him and would not permit him to see
me.
While I was in what they called
comatose condition my cousin. VIII
Murdoch, whom | had considered
brother. came into my room. stood by
nv bedside and looked down on me