Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-06-16

VIII they not anticipate their Office IL
! dash my head against them?" An
hysterioal laugh chokes him as he cx.
claims, Why should - He was but a
man who died first in their fierce
embrace; and l should be less than man
not to be able TO do as muchi"
The evening sun was descending, and
Vivenzio beheld its golden beams
streaming through one of the windows
What thrill of joy shot through his
soul at the sight, 1t was a precious
link, that united him, for the moment.
with the world beyond There was
ecstasy in the thought. As he gazed,
I long and earnestly, it seemed as IL the
windows had lowered sufficiently for
him TO reach them. With one bound
he was beneath them-with one wild
spring he clung TO the bars Whether
twas SO contrived, purposely to madden
with delight the wretch who looked, he
knew not; but at the extremity
of long vista cut through the
solid rocks, the ocean. the sky,
the setting sun, olive groves,
shady walks, and, in the farthest dis
tance, delicious glimpses of magnificent
Sicily, burst upon his sight How ex-
quisite was the cool breeze as it swept
across his cheek, loaded with fragrance.
He inhaled it as though it were the
breath ofcontinued life. How he gazed,
painted, and still clung to his hold.
sometimes hanging by one hand, some
times by the other, and then grasping
the bars with both, as loath to quit the
smiling paradise outstretched before
him; till exhausted. and his hands
swollen and benumbed, he dropped
helpless down, and lay stunned for
considerable time by the fall
When he recovered, the glorious vision
had vanished. lie was in darkness He
doubted whether it was not a dream
that had passed before his sleeping
fancy; but gradually his scattered
thoughts returned, and with them came
remembrance. Yes, he had looked once
again upon the gorgeous splendor of
naturel Once again his eyes had trem-
bled beneath their veiled lids, at the
SUMS radiance, and sought repose in,the
soft verdure of the olive tree, or the
gentle swell of undulating waves
oh, that he were mariner exposed
upon those waves to the worst fury of
storm and tempest; or very wretch,
loathsome with disease, plague
stricken, and his body one leprous con-
tagion from crown to sole, hunted
forth to gasp out the remnant of infec-
tious life beneath those verdant trees,
so he might shun the destiny upon
whose edge he totteredi
Vain thoughts like these would steal
L.
spite of himself; but they scarcely
moved it from that stupor into which
it had sunk, and which kept him, dur
ing the whole night, like one who had
been drugged with opium.
In this pitiable condition, the sixth
and last morning dawned upon Viven-
zio, if dawn it might be called-the
dim, obscure light which family strug-
gled through the ONE SOLITARY window
of his dungeon. He could hardly be
said to notice the melancholy token.
And vet he did notice it; for as he
raised his eyes and saw the portentous
sign, there was slight convulsive dis
tortion of his countenance. But what
did attract his notice, and at the Sigh
of which his agitation was excessive,
was the change his iron bed had under
gone 1t was a bed no longer. Itstood
before him, the visible sem blsnce of .
funeral couch or bierl When he behold
this, he started from the ground; and,
in raising himself, suddenly struck his
head against the roof, which was now
so low that he could no longer stand
upright Gods will be done' was all
he said, as he crouched his body, and
placed his hand upon the bier; for such
it was. The iron bedstead had been so
contrived, by the mechanical art of
Ludovico Sforza, that, as the advanc-
ing walls came in contact with its head
and feet, pressure was produced upon
concealed springs, which, when made
to play, set in motion a very simple
though ingeniously contrived machin-
cry, that effected the transforma-
ton.
Vivenzio seated himself on his bier.
Then he knelt and prayed fervently;
and sometimes tears would gush from
him. The air seemed thick, and he
breathed with difficulty; or it might be
that he fancisd it was so, from the mar
row limits of his dungeon, which were
now so diminished that he could neither
stand up nor lie down at his full
length But his wasted spirits and op-
pressed mind no longer struggled
within him. He was past hope, and
fear shook him no more Happy II
thus revenge had struck it's fatal blow;
for he would have fallen beneath it al
most unconscious of apang. But such
a lethargy of the soul. after such an
excitement of its passions, had entered
into the diabolical calculations of Tolf;
and the artifcer of his designs had i'm
agined a counteracting device.
The tolling of an enormous bell struck
upon the ears of Vivenziol He
started 1t beat but once The sound
was so close and stunning that it
seemed to shatter his very brain, while
it echoed through the rocky passages
like reverberating peals of thunder
This was followed by sudden crash
of the roof and walls, as if they were
about to fall upon and close around
him at once. Vivenzio screamed, and
instinctively spread forth his arms, as
though he had a giants strength to
hold them back. They had moved
nearer to him, and were now motion
less Vivenzio looked up. and saw the
roof almost touching his head, even rs
he sat covering beneath it; and he felt
that farther contraction of but few
inches only must commence the fright
full operation Reused as he had been,
he now gasped for breath. His body
shook violently-he was bent nearly
double His hands rested upon either
wall, and his feet were drawn under
him to avoid the pressure in front
Thus he remained for an hour, when
that deafening bell beat again, and
again there came the crash OF horrid
death. But the concussion was now so
great that it struck Vivenzio down. As
he lay gathered up in lessened bulk,
the bell beat loud and frequent-crash
succeeded Grassland on, and on, and
on came the mysterious engine OF
death, till Vivenzio's smothered groans
were heard no more He was horribly
crushed by the ponderous roof and
collapsing sides-and the fattened bier
was his IRON SHRoUDl
Taxing Two Chances.
Clara-Oh, l wouldn't for the world
kiss man unless I were engaged to
him.
Priscilla-Why, saw you kiss Jack
Manley last night and Tom Winthrop
tonight.
Clara-Truly; but I'm engaged to
them.-Once a Week.