The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-03-17
LIFE IN
DEATH
By SARAH BAXTER
Photo by American Press Association.
By SARAH BAXTER

| l went to bed with Il frlShtful head
ache. 1t really seemed that could
not endure the pain. l did not endure
it. The agony broke down my nerve
strength. leaving me In Il condition be.
tween sleep and death. At least thu!
is what it seemed to me. lay III
Il semiconsciouS condition till morn
ing. when my maid came into the
room. and the moment she looked ut
me she gave IL cry and ran out again
In few moments every one in the
house rushed into the room and on
seeing me took OH a solemn, some OF
them Il panied. expression.
The first person not Il member of the
family who CAME in was my doctor.
He looked ut me scrutinizing!y. felt
my pulse. then bent his head down on
to my chest to listen for a heartbeat
II think she is dead" he said.
Dust before lie spoke the words my
fiance. Ehen Green. came in. saw
him 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
hope:" r@
The doctor laid his head again on
my breast before replying.
Eyes. she is dead"
Eben turned away. not with moan.
it seemed to me rather with a sup.
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 ab.
sence OF feeling on the part or my
lover ut losing ne Had been free
from this fear doubtless it would have
affected me intensely | OWNED the
cause of his bearing toward what lie
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 ! was lying alone.
with another man. Both were physi.
clans. and 1t was plain to me that they
were epdeavoring to discover whether
or not l was dead. After applying sew.
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 l still
lived.
During the afternoon seemed to
pass from my deathlike condition into
restful slumber. When 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. II.
christine" called.
Christine started. turned. looked Mt
me and was about to flee in terror
when said again quietly:
"Christine. please bring me a glass
of water"
My tone and the ordinary nature OF
my request reassured her. told her
1 had been conscious of all that had
passed. She came to me shrinkingly.
looked at me for Il few moments. then
ran out of the room 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. aud when
he came he did not manifest any spe-
cial surprise ut finding me alive. He
said he had not believed that l was
dead. but would not make known his
topinion. being unwilling to excite en-
pectations that might not be realized.
was very weak. and he gave me
some drug to tide me over my present
condition. did not feel strong enough
to take any>fnterest in anything and,
after having partascn Of II little nour,
ishment. fell into Il 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 l was stricken. The narrow
| ness Of my matrimonial escape APP
palIed me. had felt the fear some
| wealthy girls experience of being mar
| ried for my money. but Chen had been
such Il consummate actor that lie had
deceived me entirely. When the doc