The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-02-01

mouse sprang back, terrified, and dis
appeared beneath the crack, from
which no efforts of his could coax it
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 a
shroud Weighed heavily on his spirit
Il 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 tortures had at least given him
something to defy, and furnished exer-
else for his powers of endurance and
self-coutrol; 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 heaviIy-laden tray offer
lAH GCA4tdEACS III hd4l 4Oi lis AC44-lAA
No human being entered his dungeon,
no sound penetrated the walls which
inclosed him, and he well knew of
what tcrrors this deprivation might
become the source. In such a mood as
this the presence of the mouse, which
had crept close TO him. afforded i
welcome relief, and he joyfully threw
il some morsels of bread, abstaining
from any motion which might alarm il.
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. Hai he muttered, they
count upon my minds failing, and
think then in some fiighty moment
/ may write the names they wish. We
will make it safei" Seizing the tablet.
he with infinite pains divided it into
a myriad bits and scattered them
over the Aoor. When next the tray de-
seended it b1re, besides the food,
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 a.
they had been before No secret
watcher could havo detected the
change, and no fresh implements de-
seended 70 his subterraneau abode. He
felt satisfied his captors were ignorant
OF the means which he had taken 10
protect his loyalty against his OWE
failing courage or sanity.
Thus wretched and forsaken, he
looked forward with pathetic inter
est 10 the coming of the mouse, which
appeared as regularly as his meals
Unhappy as he was, here was = being
still more miserable, who depended
upon him for its scanty pleasure
even for its life He selected from the
stores before him ali that he thought
would best please its tiny palate. and
watched with delight as it fed al hi>
foot At the end of a week the creature
had grown so tame that it would allow
Luigi to stroke it with his fingers, and
80 plump and smooth that it scarcely
bore resemblance to the ravenous.
Fough-furred little animal that had
first besought his charity
Another week passed without d
break except the daily coming and
going OF the faint and distant day
light. and the tricks and gamOols %
The tiny being that shared Luigi sOli-
tude and furnished his one resource
against encroaching melancholy. The
familiarity between the man and the
mouse had grown closer day by day.
until, indeed, it had progressed SO far
as to become perhaps little too great
The mouse had adopted one or two
habits which wore somewhat annoy
ing It did not scruple often to wake
its master from restless slumber by
biting his hand, and would even, If the
shelf descended without disturbing
Luigi from his gloomy reveries, vent
urc TO make its way up the rough
masonry OF the wall and help itself. al
lis own sweet pleasure. to the tidbits
which most attracted its taste-a eus-
tom ali the more objectionable as the
superabundant provision made ut first
had passed oy a regular graduation in-
to comfortable repast for enc man
At this change, however, Luigi did
not grumble, rs there was still more
than sufficient to satisfy his uncertain
appetite. and it sigDified little TO him
that the wine had turned TO water and
the dainty vjands to coarser fare. But,
as time passed. he was troubled to per-
ceive that the quantity was stiil slow
ly but steadily decreasing; and when,
one day. he turned from the empty
dishes with his hunger not wholly APP
peased, he could no longer contend
against the horrible fear that he was
to be slowly starved to death. The
suspicion gained weight as he recalled
various unmistakable proofs. While
he was revolving these gloomy
thoughts the mouse frolicked reck-
lessly over his feet. and he. worn.
nervous and impatient at this mop
perfume glee, with an uncomfortable
movament of irritation, kicked it from
him. The little animal planted itself
on its hind paws at short distance
from him. and stared at him with
CLEAN of anger in its uncanny black
eyes. Luigi, however. was too much
/. absorbed TO take notice of the conduct
! of his tiny companion. except by cast
1 ing at it glance of WEAKNESS and
even repulsion, which showed that
the feelings of amusement and kind
ness with which he had formerly re-
| garded it had undergone some change
1 The mouse. as though well aware of
the altered sentiments of its benefac-