Smyrna times., 1893-11-08
THE FOUR PINS.

Government. He was arrested. con-
demned to Imprisonment for life. and
confined to dungeon many feet under
ground.
He had no light, and never could
tell when it was day or night. He had
no one to speak to, for no one was al
lowed to see him except the keeper of
the prison, and he was not permitted
to speak to the prisoner. He had II 9TH
ing to do. Days, weeks, month passed
on, and he was still in his dungeon.
he was never brought to trial, and the
unfortunate man was most miserable.
He thought he would lose his senses.
for his reason began to give away.
Feeling over his blouse one day he
found four pins, and he actually wept
for joy.
Yet what could they be to him?
He took them from his blouse and
threw them on the floor of his dungeon
and then he went down on his hands
and knees and felt all over the floor
until he had found them.
This he continued to do dav after
day, week after week, month after
month, until months rolled into wears.
But they were no longer weary years.
be had now an object in life.
He would defeat the purpose of his
Jallers, who fondly hoped to make him
insane.
He would live now until be became
an aged man, cheered by the COM
panionship of his four pins. And then
when he bad become too old to move
about his narrow dungeon he would be
content to lie down with his four ST.
lent friends and die.
In his dreams these pins would often
assume familiar shapes. Their heads
would take on the likeness of his
friends and his relatives.
They would talk and laugh with him.
How happy were these dream mo-
ments to the condemned?
There was his dear old mothers face
How she beamed upon him!
And there was his beloved wife and
his two rosy-cheeked children-thev
kissed their chubby hands to their
father!
His heart seemed bursting with a
new strange Joy. He was lost for a
time TO the sorrow of his condition. He
was living new life in the new world
these four common pins had opened be-
fore him.
One night he had a fearful dream.
He dreamed he had lost his pins. Oh,
horror of horrors !
The perspiration broke ont in great
drops upon his face, arms and breast.
Thus he found himself when, with a
hoarse cry, he awoke.
He realized quickly that it was only
a dream. His beloved companions
were found in their accustomed place.
What sense of relief now filled his
heart as he again betook himself to
slumber
Ten years had passed, and the man
and his pins were inseparable. His
Keeper, who never yet had spoken to
him, was now regarded with a new in
terest. He feared that this man-hated
as one of his soppressor-had discovered
bis occupation, and that he would en-
deavor TO deprive him of this solace.
Carefully now he guarded his precious
pins more precious to him in his sor-
row than all the wealth of tie world
could be.
One day &c lost all his pins. He had
scattered them, he thought, as before.
but now they eluded his grasp. He |
carefully felt over every inch of his |
dungeon. Again and again he re-
peated his search until he grew weary
OF the task, but not one pin could he
find.
As he lay angry and despairing on
the prision hOOr he was aroused by the
noise of the keeper removing the chains
and bolts from the door.
Presently he entered, bearing with |
him ths prisoners scant supply of food.
By the dim light of the torch which he |
carried the prisoner fancied he could |
discern a mOcking smile upon his face.
This, then, was the cause.
He had stolen the pins.
He was now rejoicing at his discom.
future. He must have discovered them |
while the prisoner slept.
Hate now filed the soul of the con. |
demned.
His occupation had been stolen from
him, but a new thought at once en-
gagged his mind, diffusing through him |
a kind of mad Joy.
He would devise means to torture. |
to kill his keeper. He knew that this |
man-the satellite of an offensive gov. |
ernment-dispised him.
He would be revenged.
For long time he gloated over his |
contemplated plan. How long he |
knew not.
Then suddenly light sbOpe before |
him through the bars Of his cell.
It came from the torch borne by the |
keeper, who had returned. Placing |
his torch in a crevice in the wall, he
walked to the opposite corner of the
hnN L. II
prisoner crouched, and turning his
back toward him he began to fasten a
chain to the wall.
Hal He was thep to be chained to
the WALL His blood boiled at this new
indignity.
He wished to attack the keeper at
once, but be had no weapon.
His eyes fell upon his hands. They
were long and sinewy. He had once
been strong man, but long confine-
ment and lack Of nourishment had
weakened him.
The keeper was undoubtedly a
strong man. All this while be re-
NAMED with his back to the prisoner.
IL was plain he regarded him with
contempt aud did not fear an attack.
He even hummed fragment of an in
surfing song as ne STOOD In his strength
and consciousness Of freedom near the
door.
Cautiously, slowly-like cat ap.
proaohlRg Q mouse-the condemned
moves upon his victim.
Rage lends him strength.
With one bound he is on the keepers
shoulders. His long, bony hands meet
like wise upon his throat.
Then terrible struggle begins
these two, keeper and prisoner, in that
prison cell.
The keeper tries to shake him of.
BE is strong man, but he feels that
he has met his match.
Then the keeper beats him fieruelv
upon the head and face with a bolt Of
iron. The blood flows down his face.
but be does not relax his hold.
They roll upon the ground-the con-
demned uppermost. The keeper has