The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1897-12-23


one row Of grating few feet before the
other-keeps the prisoners from any
personal contact with the outer world,
represented by the restaurateur and
his aids, the surgeon and the chaplain.
In the room adjoining mine were con-
fined Greek and a young woman, who
passed portion of their time in sing
ing to the music of guitar and occa-
sionally tambourine. Much of the rest
was spent in eating, drinking and sleep
ing, to judge from the long intervals of
silence But there were noisy episodes
which conveyed strong proofs that the
lady could scold as well as sing. and
sometimes the quarrels rose TO terri
BILE pitch, a thump, followed by a
scream, furnishing the climax. 1t was
Christmas day. The snow fell heavily,
deadening the sound of the church bells,
which, through broken pane, remind
ed me of the holy festival. l expected
to hear my neighbors sing hymns. My
own time was DEVOTED to my books
the only relief to an enforced solitude.
Toward evening, while the guard
slept, distinctly heard the voice of the
man Greek. He seemed TO be growing
rather than speaking, and in the inter
walls Of his silence heard the female
sob Not very merry Christmas,
thought l. Sometimes one voice rose
above the other. The one was shrill, the
other loud and angry. Then there was
scufflo; then all was tranquil Night
had fallen, and had hoped the parties
had gone TO sleep But again the muir
murs, the expostulations, the outbursts.
disturbed my quiet And now the wom-
an became voluble, and spasmodic bursts
of grief alone interrupted the torrent of
her eloquence. Often the man called out
what appeared to be "Silencel" adding
few words, none of which was dis
tinct enough to be caught, in minatory
tone. Then came another struggle,
words, bitter words, stified cries, heavy
fall. scream, silence again.
could not sleep. What had been the
issue of the last quarrel9 Had the
peace and good will" taught by the
Redeemer, whose natal day the outer
Christian world was celebrating, ulti-
mately prevailed. and were the recent
antagonists illustrating the Horatian
maxim that the falling out Of lovers is
the renewal Of love? Or had the last
fall so stunned the feebler of the two
individuals as to render the revival Of
either love or anger temporarily impos-
sible?
was not long in doubt 1t was past
midnight when was awakened by dol
orous cries and heavy sobs, vehement
protestation5 and earnest apostrophes in
the voice of the man. knocked loudly
at the wall to suggest silence. He evil
IDENTIFY did not heed the knocking.
called out in good Italian, "Be quietr"
1t was of no avail. / reused up the
guard and asked him what was the mat
ter with the gentleman. My custodian
suggested he was drunk. / could not,
however, divest my mind of the idea
that a deed of darkness had been perpe
trated
The night wore away, 1 could not
sleep. no longer heard the voice of
the woman. Even the mans voice was
hushed But instead of the usual sounds
my ear was assailed with knockings on
the floor and a noise as of a saw or file
at work. When the restaurateur came
round in the morning to take orders for
breakfast, told him what had heard
and suggested that the lady might be
ill and need medical aid. He went next
door, but was sent away with the init
nation that nothing was wanted. Two
or three more days elapsed. The time
had arrived for my release. On the very
day indeed when l was to be enamel
pated my neighbors were also to be
freed. heard the officers arrive next
door. Some words were uttered, follow
ell by an alteration. Then the man cried
bitterly What could be the matter?
More officers came. The man was fetter-
ed and taken away. Where was the wo-
and under some absurd notion that her
existence would be forgotten by the au-
thorities he had taken up two planks
and deposited the dead body of the poor
girl beneath them. This explained the
operations which followed upon the ST.
leDce. When was released, I saw my
quondam neighbor sitting in veranda
of the place where went to reclaim my
fumigated apparel, guarded by two SOL
diers. He was little old man of ma
lignant aspect remembered having
seen him at the harbor with handsome
young Greek whom 1 supposed to be
his child. No one knew exactly what
their relative position was. 1t was
enough that no had shed her blood on
Christmas night.
w. A. GncRIsT