Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-05-17

lbbAtu bogs uuhAD hiu ihBbthf - htNNi u
creature that commends itself to the Law.
"You stole my dog you strangled him !"
cried Faello, fairly beside himself. They
say he is here. will see him, or l will kill
you every one Let me in let me in am
come for my dog"
"Get out fool, or / will give you to the
guards" said the jack-in-ofice, and kicked
his foot of the sill, and shut the doors again
Faello beat on them with all his might
''Thieves assassns strangers Let me
in let me in What right have you TO touch
my dog? He was doing his duty; he was
guarding my cart You murder him and the
cart is stolen. Listen lsteni listen love
him better than myself He hungers with
me- and plays with me, and we are brothers
How dare you touch him You assoed him.
o dear God TO think of it Oh, my dog
my dog Listen: l will do any work you
like for you if you will just let me see my
| dog. You shall put me in prison if you will
only let me take his place, and send him home
to the children. Will youI will you? DO you
hear -
But his cries were only echoed duly back
by the closed door and the dead wall-em-
blems of the human cowRrdice and the hu-
man injustice that make a hell of earth for
earth's dumb creatures.
He beat at the wood and the stone. and
wept to it, and prayed to it, and cursed it, and
then stood dumb and stupid the sun beating
down on his head.
"what shall do - he muttered. 80 dear
| San Rocco You love dogs. Help Pastore
help him help him help him"
Then all grew dark, and he fell down, and
the vertical rays beating on him seemed to
dart like fire through his brain.
When lie awoke again to the light of day,
he had been drawn into the shade of an arch
way, and the shoe-black was bending over
| him.
Il thought would follow you am glad
did" said the shoe-black. Are you better {?
1t was the sun. Cover your neck at the back +;
| you look stupid"
tThe dog" muttered Faello between his
| dry lips, and staggered mp on to his feet.
you should have come and asked humbly ;
| they would have let you in then What is the
use of calling them names: They are too
strong for us. They are the right side of the
door, and we are the wrong. Only that it is
noon, and not guard about, they would have
put You in prison for all those words. Oh
| yes n blacksmith that know, .he is in for
three weeks because he helped fine black
dog to slip out of the lasso. He had never
set eyes ON the beast before, but he felt sorry.
! Oh yes these are fine times this is the free
dom, you know, we old fellows fought for
Lord the fools we were to fire a shot Every
bullet then brings us a tax now Fine times !!
Wait you a bit here-keep in the shade you
look blind still, boy. know your dog; l will
| go see if he be alive"
Faello leaned his back against the archway.
| and waited his brain seemed all on fire and
spinning like "A woman's wheel. If he had
been shown then the men who had taken his
dog he would have leapt on them and killed
them. Petty laws breed great crimes. Few
rulers. big or little, remember that.
Nl...ts e., L.,
| shoe-black returned.
He is alive" he said quickly; "but he
looks bad. and they have muzzled him. They
think him dangerous They will kill him at
night if he be not bought back, poor brute ~
Faello moaned aloud.
They want five-and-twenty francs for con-
traventon, and fiye-and-twenty more because
he bit them before the rope was quite tight.
You will not get him back for less
And l have not fifty centimes upon
earth :"
Faello's head fell on his chest, and he sob
bed bitterly. The shoe-back shrugged his
shoulders and stood silent.
1t is freedom" he said ut Inst lit is what
We fought for wiseacres"
Faello did not hear him. Every muscle
and nerve of his body were quiverng.
His dog would die for want OF fifty francs
Can not you get the money, since You take
it so to heart Z" said the shoe-black Then he
lowered his voice, and added. They want to
kill him-that is it you see he is II fine dog.
A surgeon has had his eye on him some time
the surgeon means to get him and cut him up
alive or burn him to death, after gouging out
his eyes. They think to find God in that
way those gentlemen"
Faello gave one shrill weak cry, like q
wounded hares then, fleet as the hare. he
wrenched himself out of the mans grasp, and
tore once more across the wide white waste OF
the sun-parched streets and squares
The strength of lions seemed to have flow
ed back into his veins
"The devils oh, the devils" he moaned
as he flew.
He had no clear-shaped thought of what tC
do, but he said to himself that he would hav,
that fifty francs that day if he seized the sl
yer off church altar, or dashed his hant
through u goldsmith window. He would try
all honest ways first, but if they failed h,
would 60 to the galleys himself sooner than
let Pastoro go to the torture.
Suddenly hope flashed across him woulC
Ser Baldassare lend it,
He had not touched bit or drop since tn,
previous night; his clothes were wet witt
sweat as with water he saw the binding
dust of the road through dizzy eyes tn,
nerves of his temples were beating like sledge
hammers, but he held on straight along tn,
road, which he knew so well that he coult
have traversed it blindfold, with that strength
of desperation which sustains the painting stal
and the jaded fox US they race before th
hunters.
How he returned to the village he neve
could tell he ran and walked, ran and walk
ed, alternately, as a sleep-walker might in
dream. But go fast MS he would, it wa
four by the clock when he reached Impruneta
and staggered into the yard of the master pot
ter.
Could he see Ser Baldassare 7"
He had never in all his life asked such
thing before. He has lost the money,
thought the foreman, and ran and called Sc
Baldassare, as he never would have done fo
any lesser woe.
''You scoundrel You have lost the money
To the Preture you shall go :" cried the pot
ter rushing out with face of purple. Faell'
put his hand to his belt aud pulled out tn,
bankers receipt The potter snatched at
suspiciously, read, and, satisfied, grumbleC
angrily. Why had he been frightened all TO
nothing?
Faello, with few gasped words, told hi
tale, the great tears rolling down his cheek
and sitting his voice, and ended with a pite
GUS prayer to be lent the fifty francs.
''Oh, dear master" he moaned, as he sanl
on his knees in the dust, ''if it were any thin
~ a. 'eAAf "N"iN 49, NsAN " 10y -
but it is for Pnstore- the innocent soul tn
dear, tender, honest, loyal thing that love
me as my sisters never can. Oh, dear master
Pastore is nine years old. All these years h
has guarded your vases in the town, summe
and winter, waiting for me and will you le
/ him be tortured to death when you can saw
him. Oh, master master, l will work ever.
night, every feast-day, every holy-day, till
have made the money up to you. The saint
will not be angry they will know very wei
; why do it. Oh, hear me, pray lend m
the money, and will slave for you, do tn
mules work as well as my own-any thing
any thing, any thing They will torture hin
! tonight if you do not"
He paused suddenly, his great eyes swim
ming and agonized, fastened ON the face o
his employer hanging breathless on the an
swer of the mute lips as for his own sentenc
nf life or danth