Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-13

was evidently starving. ana moved 0y
compassion, Luigi threw it some
crumbs. and watched with pleasure the
v0racity with which they were de
voured. A few more crumbs. thrown
nearer to himself, allured the only
half5satisfied creature to his side, but
when he leaned over to seize it the
mouse sprang back. terrified, and dis.
appeared beneath the crack, from
which no efforts of his could coax il
back.
The next morning Luigi slept late.
and was aroused by the swapping OF
the tiny door in the wall. The tray
again bore him bounteous meal, but
this time he brought no such appetite
to it. The gloom of his cell and the
silence which enveloped him like q
shroud weighed heavily on his spirit
II am buried alive" he cried. land
my friends might as well search the
Mediterranean for the bones OF the
sailor drowned last year as search
Genoa for me-"
The hours passed drearily. His
daily fortunes had at least given him
something to defy, and furnished exer-
else for his powers of endurance and
self-control; but here there was nothing
to be encountered. nothing TO be over
come. His thoughts grew weary with
tracing and retracing the same paths.
Five times ere the scanty twilight died
away did the tiny iron door burst
open, and the heavily-laden tray offer
its delicacies in vain for his delight.
No human being entered his dungeon,
no sound penetrated the walls which
inclosed him, and he well knew of
what terrors this deprivation might
become the source. In such a mood as
this the presence of the mouse. which
had crept close to him, afforded q
welcome relief, and he joyfully threw
it some morsels of bread. abstaining
from any motion which might alarm it.
The third day passed as the second
had done, except for one incident As
Luigi. rejecting on the probably uu-
limited Imprisonment before him. won
dered to what depths of vacancy his
busy mind might sink. his eyes fell
upon the tablet and the writing imple-
ments lying on the stone He sprang
up. Hal" he muttered, "they
count upon my minds failing, and
think then in some Eighty moment
l may write the names they wish: We
will make it safe!" Selling the tablet,
he with infinite pains divided it into
a myriad bits and scattered them
over the floor. When next the tray de-
scended it bore. besides the food, a
fresh writing-tablet.
Luigi took it silently from the shelf
and placed it on the stone. But as he
did so he noted the exact place of each
thing, and in the middle of the night
he rose without a sound poured the
ink from the bronze cup, broke the
point of the pen and set them back as
they had been before. No secret
could have detected the
change, and no fresh implements de-
to his subterranean abode. He
'elt satisfied his captors were ignorant
Of the means which he had taken to
protect his loyalty against his own
falling courage or sanity.
Another week passed without a
break except the dairy coming and
going of the faint end distant day
light, and the tricks and gambols of
he tiny being that shared Luigi's soli-
Jude and furnished his one resource
against encroaching melancholy. The
between the man and the
mouse had grown cioser day by day.
Until, indeed. it had progressed 80 far
Is to become perhaps little too great
The mouse had adopted one or two
habits which were somewhat annoy
ng. 1t did not scrupie often to wake
Is master from q estless slumber by
biting his hand. and would even. if the
shelf descended without disturbing
luigi from his gloomy reveries, vent
ire to make its way up the rough
of the wall and help itself. at
Is own sweet pleasure. to the tidbits
which most attracted its taste-a GUS
ON all tho more Objectionable as the
uperabundant provision made at first |
lad passed by regular graduation in |
o comfortable repast for one man.
At this change. however, Luigi did
lot grumble, as there YVES still more !
han sufficient to satisfy his uncertain
ppetite. and it signifed little to him |
hat the wine had turned to water and |
he dainty viands TO coarser fare. But.
8 time passed. he was troubled to per
Give that the quantity was still slow
? but steadily decreasing; and when.
ne day. he turned from the empty
ishes with his hunger not wholly ap-
eased. he could no longer contend
gainst the horrible fesr that he was
D be slowly starved to death. The
aspicion gained weight as he recalled
arious unmistakab,e proofs. While
Q was revolving these gloomy
aoughts the mouse frOlicked reck-
,ssly over his feet, and he, worn.
ervous and impatient ut this mop
Il IL