Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-06-20
CHAPTER TX.
I BREAK OUT OF PRISON.

y on are now To De ASKED TO pass over Tue |
next four weeks in as many minutes; rs |
would had done at the time! For spent |
them In a bitter cold cell in the main tower
of Bristol keep, with chair and pallet of
straw for all my furniture, aud nothing to |
stay my fast but the bread and water that |
the jailer-a sour man, If ever there were
one-brought me twice day.
One fine, frosty morning, then, when had
lain in this distress just four weeks, the door
of my cell opened, and there appeared n
young woman, not uncomely, bringing in my
bread and water. She was the jniler's daugh-
ter and wore heavy bunch Of keys at her
girdle
"Oh, good morning" said 1; for till now
her father only had visited me, and this was
a welcome change
Instead of answering cheerfully, as looked
for, she gave a little nod of the head, rather
sorrowful, and answered:
Fathers abed with tho ague."
"Now you cannot expect me to be sorry.n
"Nay," she said; and caught her looking
at me with something like compassion in her
blue eyes, which moved me to cry out sud-
denly:
~ think you are woman enough to like
pair of lovers"
ooh, ay; but where's t'other half of the
pair
"You're right. The young gentlowoman
that v j. brought hither with me, know not
if she loves me; but this do know, l would
| give my hand to learn her whereabouts and
| how she farcs.n
Better cut thy loaf" put in the girl, very
! suddenly, setting down the plate and pitcher.
Twas odd. but l seemed to hear q sob in
| her voice. However, her back was towards
| me as | glanced up. And next moment she
was gone, locking the iron door behind her.
| | turned from my breakfast with a sigh,
| having for the moment tasted the hope to
hear something of Della. But in while,
feeling hungry, picked up the loaf beside
me and broke 1t in two.
To my amaze, out dropped something that
| jingled on the stone floor.
Twas a. small 1le and, examining the loaf
again, found clasp knife also, and a strip
of paper, neatly folded, hidden in the bread.
DEARr JAcK-Col. Essex, finding good come
of his heterogeneous, hath set me ut large;
though continue under lis eye, TO wit, with
| dowager OF his acquaintance, Mistress Finch.
| Wee dwell in private house midway down St
Thomas his street, in Redcliff and she hath put
| dismal dress upon me (Jack, It's hideous), but
| otherwise uses me not i'll. But take care OF thy
| sell, my deare friend for though the colonel be a
| gentleman he is prest by them about him, and at
| our last interview / noted mischief in his eye
Canst use this e5- Cbut take care all the gates
saw guarded with troopers todayD This by one
who hath been my friend for whose sake tear the
| paper up. And believe your cordial, loving com
rade D. X
After reading this dozen times, till had
| il by heart, tore the letter into small pieces
and hid them in my pocket. This done, felt
lighter hearted than for many day, and
rather for employment than with any further
view began lazily to rub away at my window
bar The file worked well. By noon the bar
was half severed, and | broke of to whistle a
tune Twas:
Nivre en- tous cas-,
C'est lie grand soulas,
and broke of to hear the hey turning in my
lock
The jailer's daughter entered with my Sec
ond meal Her eyes were red with weeping.
Said |, docs your father beat youf'
lie has, before now she replied; but not
today"
Then why do you weepw
Not for that"
"For what, then"
"For you-oh, dear, dear! How shall
tell itl They arc going to--to"- She sat
down on the chair, and sobbed in her apron
"What is't they are going TO dof'
"To-to-h-hang you"
; The devil! Whenf
"Tut-tut-ro-morrow mo-horningm
Invent suddenly very cold all over. There
was silence for moment, and then l heard
the noise Of some one dropping plank i'll the
| courtyard below
"Whats that"
''The guc-gug'-
"Gallowst
She nodded.
! 'A-ou are but a weak girl, - said I, meditat
ing,
, ''Ay, but there's dozen troopers on tn
landing below"
''Then, my dear, you must lock me up"
decided, gloomiy, and fell TO whstling
E Vvre en- touS Co.'S,
t Cest e grand soui.5
! workman's hammer in the court below
o chimed in, beating out tho tune and driving
the moral home. heard low sob benin,
D me. The iailer's daughter was going.
t LEND me your bodlin, my dear, for me
e mento."
, She pulled it out and gave it to me.
u "ThanM you, and now good-by. Stou
Here's kiss TO take Ia my dear mistress
They shNn't hang me, my dear
z The girl went out, sobbing, and locSso tn
e door after her.
sau uO"u Iur WINE, ieennB uuieIul, 40
. found myself extremely young to be hanged
But soon the wAaug whang of the hamme
Y below reused me- Come thought, All
q soc what that rascal is doing, at any rate,
=, and, pulling the file from my pocket, besal
8 to attack the window bar with a will. | ha
no need for silence ut this great height aboy
the ground, and, besides, the hammeriug con
l. tinuod Justify.
Daylight was closing as I finished my tas
and, pulling the two pieces of the bar aside
thrust my haod out al the window.
Directly under me and about twenty fee
a from the ground | saw "A beam projecting
" about six feet long, over a sort Of doorway i
" the wall. Under this beam, on n ladder, W.
~ a carpenter fellow Mt work, fortfying it wit
two supporting tinIhers that rested on I'll
7 sill of the doorway ilo was merry enoug
AZ over the job, and paused every now an
again to fling remark TO little group
g, soldiers that stood idhng below, where IL
fellows work hog and a great coil of roI
l. reste4 AX tue ladders 6aes