The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-11-24


the first ten steps.
Cornelius was very uneasy about it, but
il Was, after all, only prelude to greater
anxieties.
The following days passed without any
remarkable incident. Gryphus made his
three visits, and discovered nothing. He
never came at the same hours, as he
hoped thus to discover the secrets of the
prisoner. Van Baerle, therefore. had de-
vised a continuance, sort of pulley, by
means of which he was able to lower or
to raise his jug below the ledge of tiles
and stone before his window. The strings
by which this was effected, he had found
means TO cover with that moss which
generally grows on tiles, or in the cram
MES of the wall.
Gryphus suspected nothing, and the de-
vice succeeded for eight days. One morn
ing, however, when Cornelius, absorbed
in the contemplation of his bulb, from
which germ Of vegetation was already
peeping forth, had not heard old Gryphus
coming up stairs, as a gale Of wind was
blowing which shook the whole tower, the
door suddenly opened.
Gryphus, perceiving an unknown and
consequently a forbidden object in the
hands of his prisoner. pounced upon it,
with the same rapidity as the hawk on its
prey.
As i'll luck would have it, his coarse,
hard hand, the same which he had
broken, and which Cornelius Van Baerle
had set so well, grasped at once in the
midst Of the jug on the spot where the
bulb was lying on the soil.
"what have you got here?" he roared.
"Ah have caught you p and with this
he grubbed in the soil.
81 nothing, nothing" cried Cornelius.
trembling.
"Ah have caught you? jug, and
earth il it. there is some criminal secret
at the bottom OF all this.
"oh. my good master aryphus," said
Van Baerle, imploringly, and anxious,
like the partridge robbed of her young by
the reaper.
In fact. Gryphus was beginning to dig
the soil with his crooked fingers.
Take care, sir, take care" said Corne-
Illus, growing quite pale.
Scare Of what POUNDS of what p
roared the jailer.
Take care, say. you will cttish it,
Master Gryphus!"
And with a rapid and almost frantic
movement he snatched the jug from the
hands of Gryphus, and hid it like treas
ure under his arms.
But Gryphus, obstinate. like an old man,
and more and more convinced that he was
discovering here conspiracy againgt the
Prince of Orange, rushed up to his priso-
ner, raising his stick; seeing. however, the
impossible resolution of the captive TO
protect his tlower-pot, he was convinced
that Cornelius trembled much less for his
head than for his jug.
He, therefore, tried to wrest it from
him by force.
"Halloa = said the jailer, furious,
here you see, you are rebelling."
Leave me my tulip" cried Van
Baerle.
"Ah yes, tulip" replied the old man,
1--WE know well the shifts of prisoners"
"But vow to you"
Let CO." repeated Gryphus, stamping
his foot, let go or I shall call the guard"
Gall whoever you like, but you shall
not have this flower except with my
life."
| Gryphus, exasperated. plunged his fin
ger second time into the soil, and now
be drew out the bulb which certainly
looked quite black; and whilst Van Baerle
quite happy to have saved the vessel, die
not suspect that the adversary had pos
sessed himself of it's precious contents
Gryphus hurled the sonened bulb with
all his force on the flags, where, almost
instantly after, it was crushed to atom,
under his heavy shoe.
Van Baerle saw the work ofdestruction
got glimpse Of the juicy remains of hi
darling bulb. and, guessing the cause o
the ferocious joy of Gryphus. uttered a CRY
of agony, which would have melted tn,
heart even of that ruthless jailer, who
some years before killed Pellisson'I
spider.
The idea Of striking down this spitefu
bully passed like lightning through tn
brain of The tulip-fancier The blooC
rushed to his brow, and seemed like fir
in his eyes, which blinded him and h
raised in his two hands the heavy ju,
with all the now useless earth which re
manned in it. One instant more, and h
would have flung it on the bald head o
old Gryphus.
But a cry stopped him; a cry Of agony
uttered by poor Rosa, who, trembling an
pale, with her arms raised to heaven
made her appearance behind the CRATE
window, and thus interposed between he
father and her friend.
Gryphus then understood the DANCE