The National tribune., 1893-03-23

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ted to speak to bis pris-
oners. He had nothing
to do. Days. weeks. months passed on, and he
was still in his dungeon. He was never brought
! to trial. and the unfortunate man was most
miserable. lie thought he would lose his
senses. for his reason began to give away.
/. Feeling all over his blouse ore 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 tho floor
until he haf found them.
This he continued to do, day after day. week
| after week, month after month, until the
months rolled into years. But they were no
(. longer weary years. He had now object in
! life He would defeat the purpose of his jailers,
/, who fondly hoped to make him insane. He
| would live now until he became TN aged man,
cheered BY the companionship of bis fonr pins.
/. And then, when he had become too old to
| move about his narrow dungeon, he would BIO
content to lie down with his four silent friends
! and die.
In bis dreams these pins would often assume
i familiar shapes. Their heads would take on
| the likeness of his friends and his relations.
They would talk and laugh with him. How
| happy were these dream moments to the con-
| deInned. There was his dear old mothers
face. How she beamcd upon him And there
were his beloved wife and his two rosy checked
| children-they kissed their chubby .hands to
| their father. His heart seemed bursting with
joy.
One night he had fearful dream. He
dreamed he had lost his pins! Oh, horror of
4
/ drops upon his face, his arms, his breast.
Thus he found himself when, with 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 filed his heart, as he
! again betook himself to slumber.
| Ten years had passed. and the prisoner and
his pins wero still inseparable. His keeper,
who never yet had spoken to him, was now re-
garded with a new interest. He feared that
| this man-hated as one of his oppressors-had
! discovered his occupation, and that he would
| endeavor to deprive him of this solace Care
/ fully now he guarded his pins.
! One day he lost all his pins: He had scat
| tered them. he thought, as BEFORE but now
| they eluded his grasp. He carefully felt over
every inch of the floor of his dungeon. Again
| and again he repeated his search, until he grew
weary of the task, bat not one pin could
/ he find.
AS he lay angry and despairing on the stone
foor he was aroused by the noise of the keeper
removing the chains and bolts from the door,
| Presently lie entered, bearing with him the
| prisoners scanty supply OF bread and water.
By the dim light Of the torch which he carried
| the prisoner tancied he could discern mock
| ing smile upon his face. This, then, was the
cause. He had stolen his pins! He was now
| rejoicing at his discontinue! He must have
| discovered them while the prisoner slept Hate
| now filed the sou! of the condemned. His &C.
/ cupaton had been stolen from him. but new
thought at onco engaged his mind, diffusing
! through him kind Of mad joy. He would de.
/ wise means TO torture, to kill his keeper. He
knew that ills man-the satellite of an often
sive Goverrment-despised MIN. He would
DO revenged.
| For long time he gloated over his contem.
| plated plan, how long he knew not, when
suddenly light shoDe before him. 1t came
| from the torch borne by the keeper who had
returned. Placing his torch in crevice in the
wall he walked to the opposite corner of the
dungeon from that in which the prisoner
crouched, and, turning his back toward him,
began TO fasten chain to the wall. Ha he
was then to be chained to the wall. His blood
boiled at this new indignity. He wished to
attack the keeper at once, but he had no
weapon His eyes fell upon his hands. They
| were long and sinewy. He had once been
strong man, but long confinement and lack Of
nourishmcnt had weakened him. The keeper
was undoubtedly strong man. All this while
! he remained with his hack TO the prisoner. 1t
| was plain he regarded him with contempt and
did not fesr an attack. He even hummed
fragment of an insulting song
Cautiously, slowly, like cat approaching
mouse, tho condemned moves upon his victim.
Rage lends him strength. With one bound he
! il on the keepers shoulders. His long, bony
| hands meet like wise upon his throat. Then
| terrible struggle begins. The keeper tries to
| shake him of. He is a strong man, but he
feels he has met his match. Then the keeper
beats him 6ercely upon the head and face with
a bolt Of iron. The blood flows down his face
| and blinds his eyes. but he does not relax his
hold. They roll upon the ground, the con-
demned uppermost. The keeper has managed
to secure his dagger. He stabs the prisoner
once in tho breast. Then the dagger falls from
his hand, his eyes and tongue protrude in
frightful manner, his face is mixture of pur-
pic and red, blood trickles from his nostrils.
He is dead.
With maniacal cry of delight the prisoner
| staggers to his feet, blood streaming from his
breast and head. He attempts to reach the
door, but his strength fails him. He is NOR
tally hurt. With scream he falls lifeess
| across the threshold, striking his head upon the
hard stone floor
But what of the pins? The prisoner had
been in the habit before lying down to sleep of
| fastening the four pins in the left cuff Of his
blouse. The fear of detection so operated upon
his mind that one night, in fit Of somnam-
bnlism, he had put the pins side by side in the
edge Of the garment and there they were
afterward found and commented upon by the
| authorities of the prison.-Philadelphid Times.
A Feathered Treasure.
HeW York Press.
In each wing of an ostrich 20 white plumes
grow to maturity every eight months. rs short
| feathers besides are plucked for tips from each
wing 65 of the tail feathers have commercial
value. The female ostrich lays 20 eggs year.
| Think of it, you women who are making
dozen corsetcovers for "a cents and furnishing