News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-09-01

"No; what can it matter?' the
prisoner repeated mechanically, sip
ping his black coffee and munching
his dry bread.
As soon as Henri had gone the pris-
oner balanced the egg on the palm of
his hand and looked at it triumphant
ly; next he took it between his thumb
and finger and shook it gently to as
sure himself that it was as fresh as
Henri had said; then drawing out
some cotton from the corner of the
old comfort upon the bed he wrapped
it loosely about the egg and placedit
under the pit of his right arm, ingeni-
Ously fastening his sleeve so that the
egg must stay in place.
By giving his full attention to the
experiment and always keeping the
egg at an even temperature he was
rewarded at the end of three weeks by
having gray chicken break its way
from the shell, its breast and neck a
pale yellow. The excitement caused
by the success of his venture sent a
color to his cheek and light to his
eye that Henri had not seen there
since the prisoner had given upstudy-
ing the spiders and flies in his cell.
GA May morning like this puts new
life into everyOne-even a poor pris-
oner," he whispered in explanation to
himself, for q little chicken, brOoded
by the old comfort, had not yet told
it's existence by a single chirp. The
next day it was eating crumbs greedi-
ly, running about the cell, pecking at
dirt-filled chinks in the brick-laid
floor, and chirping in answer to it's
masters call.
Henri, coming in with theprisoners
tray, nearly dropped it in his surprise
at the sight of the chicken.
"What is it, Monsieur" he asked
like one dumfounded.
''The fresh egg Marie sent me-"
and the prisoners eye glinted with
amusement at Henri's confusion.
AYE, so it is: so it is, "+said Henri,
still rubbing his head, land no harm.
either. 1t is as like the old hen as
twins and shall have fine picking Of
corn from our grain-box when it is
larger"
A month went by and the chicken
was growing finely. 1t had shingled
it's wings with mouse-grey feathers,
had begun to set a yellow tOp-not
upon it's head, and had almost
scratched grooves into the bricks in
it's search for more gravel.
"Her dantiness would be glad of a
spadeful of earth from your garden,
Henri" said Monsieur Gonyeau one
day.
"A spadeful, Monsieur she shall
have a box full of the wormiest there,
and no harm done, responded Henri
as he tossed handful OF green grass
upon the floor for the chicken to pick
at then locking the cell door. he went
down, down, the double flight of
stairs and round the corner of the
jail to his lodge.
"Marie," he called, "have you
box can fill with earth for Monsieur's
chicken?" At the word chicken he
lowered his voice. The warden need
not yet know of the chicken.
Marie soon brought a box, and
with bright eyes watched her father
dig the earth to fill it. Now his sspade
struck something hard, buried in the
ground foot below the surface. She
sprang forward with a little shrek
and drew a big, rusty key from the
hole he had made.
"See, see, mon PEREZ" she said,
sinking her soft voice to whisper,
perhaps it is the one lost long ago
that fitted Monsieur's door! Hide it
in the earth in the box, as if it were
there by accident. VOLTA! the chick
en- scratches, scratches, the key comes |
to the surface; an idea strikes Mon |
sieur; he will try the key in his door; |
it twists, it turns, behold the door is |
unlocked and Monsieur is" and she |
stopped to glance back over her
shoulder, then moving nearer, with
her lips close to her fathers ear, cries
softly, very softly, Monsieur is free"
"Marie, my daughter said Henri,
drawing away, "you are too quick;
let me think" and he took the key
into his own hands. "No, Marie, it
is not the key, but it is not so bad,'c
and he turned it over and over on his
rough palm, "a little filing, perhaps,
and scraping off of the rust will do |
much. We will plant it as you say"
and, putting few spadefuls of
ground into the box, he laid the key
in and sandwiched it from sight with
another layer of earth.
"Now," he said gruftiy, "the box is
we'll enough filed" and with his peas
ant strength, he swung it to his
shoulder Marie's lips were drawn
with anxiety, till listening, she heard |
him carrying it safely into Monsieur's
CELL
Four, five, six days went by. Every
time that Henri turned the key in the
prisoners cell chill went over him,
for he would have to tell Marie that
Monsieur, the prisoner, was still there.
Monsieur Gonyeau," he ventured
the sixth day, "does the little hen
like well her box of gravel?"
"She likes it greatly. Thanks to
you, Henri" answered the prisoner.
"See now how she is at it. If it were
water, we would be spattered from
head to foot,
"That is well" said Henri, going
nearer the box. 81 thought she
would come to it before this
"To the sand, my good man? All!
Yes" said the prisoner, not under
standing.
Henri dared not say more. Trem-
bling as he was, he caught up the tray
and hastened out, coughing to hide
his agitation.
After he had gone, Monsieur also
approached the box. The little hen,
scratching vigorously to waylay a
worm which had just wriggled out of
sight, had at last uncovered the key.
In q moment he had clutched it to