Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1896-01-07
NIGHT IN A DUNGEON.

1t was an old and yellow manuscript
that Jack and Arthur found in the bottom
of the little hair covered trunk up in the
attic. Perhaps the reason it had escaped
notice was that the trunk was lined with
paper of nearly tho same color. However
that may be, none of us had ever seen it
before, and when on that rainy afternoon
we were all gathered in the sitting room
Aunt Harriet opened it.
at is in your great-grandfather' hand
writing" she said, and of course we all
crowded around to see it. Your great
grandfather was a Frenchman, and of
course this is written in French" This
brought forth number of disappointed ex-
CARNATIONS, but when Aunt Harriet add
ed, And If you wish will translate it as
I go along" the faces Of the group bright
ened, anu all settled themselves comforta-
bly, to hear what Great grandfather DIAL
mar had to tell.
1T looks as If it were a story of an ad-
venture which befell him." said Aunt
Harriet, turning the yellow leaves over
leisurely. Il did not know that anything
ever happened to him. He was supposed
to have been buried in his books all the
time. But now for the manuscript. If 1
am little slow in reading, you will
know that it is because 1 cannot under
stand grandfathers French:
1t was by piece of i'll luck that I at
last fell into the dukes hands. He had
long sought to do me some harm in pay
ment for the trick 1 played him in run
ming off with the woman he loved, but for
10 years had avoided him and escaped
his vengeance. At last, however, l was
SHARED by two of the dukes retainers,
and, being blindfolded, was conveyed
whittier 1 know not for when the bandage
was removed l was being led through a
large stone hall, and my conductors were
making ready to thrust me into a narrow
dungeon which one of them unlocked. u
was of no avail to reason with the men.
They were under the dukes orders and
dare not disobey him.
So they closed the door upon me and
pushed the bolts in place with n crash,
and was alone. The dungeon was en-
tirely made of stone, with but one small
and strongly barred window, near tho
roof. The only piece of furniture in the
room was a small stone bench, upon which
seated myself to think over the sudden
circumstance which had placed me in this
strange and unpleasant position.
l knew the duke to be a stern, hard
man, and he would not spare one who had
wronged him, as he considered had done.
Mercy was not to be looked for. My only
salvation lay in escape. If 1 failed to es-
cape, my poor wife and children at homo
would not know what had become of me.
How long l sat there lost in thought do
not know, but q sense Of hunger first
caused me to raise my head and examine
my prison to discover if any food had been
left for me.
Not bit Of anything was to be seen. In
fact, the cell was bare of everything ex-
cept the bench on which 1 sat, and that
was merely a projection from tho stone
wall. 1 had always been accustomed to
have good things to eat when wanted
them, and the thought of being without
food for any length of time was not very
pleasant. In fact, had never been with
out my regular three meals day:
There seemed no possible way of escape,
and all could hope for was clemcncy from
the duke. l thought he would hardly dare
kill me in his own house. He might per-
haps try to starve me to death. But at
these thoughts l clinched my hands and
shut my teeth firmly together. would
not give up without struggle
The moonlight commenced to shine in
through the bars of tho window first in
sickly little streaks, and then as the moon
rose higher in II blaze Of white light. There
was some companionship in this, and it
Cheered mo little, and as the feeling Of
hunger had almost passed away l deter
mined to mako myself as comfortable as
possible with the limited resources within
reach. Removing my coat, rolled it up
to form pillow, and then after Offering
up my customary prayer lay down upon
the stone bench, and in few minutes, like
a tired schoolboy, was lost in a deep and
dreamless sleep.
How long l slept cannot say, butAftnr