Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-10-21
A LEGEND OF Z
EARLY BRITTANY.
eLrAsN /. ARCHER.

.A%A@tA|N~E
uReme mber this, my warming" said the
.uo,,m sl,lemDIy as be left the mystified
"a man lby the wayside. "The gilt that /
W. oivdn thee Is priceless, but II thou
,r,rseress my com mand and use IT other
'r,ss than to provide for the needs OF the
sadv. thou shalt never see the inner gates
OF Paradise"
picking his way carefully over the
.,onv mountain path, the pilgrim passed
:" and the tattered beggar stared after
s,,n until the STOPPING figure was no
longer in sight.
aAmIa child to believe such rubbish"
catered the beggar passionntely, as he
.,ook his cleDehed hand toward the
smpty pass. $50, wicked pilgrim, and
cot liars reward. | may oa beggar
snt am not a fool. The idea OF telling
.,e that whatever ] wish for will come
,nto This bag. / have lived too long to be
deceived by you. You work miraclesl"
This old man laughed bitterly and pick
inc M his half-empty weather stained
..ct that contained his earthly posses
s,ons, and slung 1t savagely over his
shoulder.
He had begged aims and he felt that the
r,trrim had Knocked his distress. His
rr,de. IL a beggar can have pride, had
heen touched by the seemingly ridiculous
rsnly and, as he slowly descended the
mountain path toward the village in the
valley below, his anger toward the IN
.-.1atar hto xad NJ
"Msy the foul fiend fly away with biml
Iwish he were in the bag, I'd tie him up
and give him what he deserves. He
needn't think" But the sentence
euded In an exclamation OF terrified alarm
for the loose fold OF the bag by which
he had carried 1t was suddenly wrench
from his fingers. Turning, be beheld the
object OF his wrath, the very pilgrim that
had met him half an hour ago, struggling
with no ungentIe hands to free himself
from the bag.
miracle so evident and so astounding
could not fail to impress the hardened old
beggsr with a sense of the supernatural,
and he fell criDging in abiect fear at the
feet of the wrathful stranger. The pilgrim
uttered not a word, but cast such glance
OF scorn upon the offender that the old
man covered his face with a fold OF his
tattered robe, and when he looked up
again be was alone.
Sunset was near at hand and the still
frightened wayfarer knew that he must
make haste or spend the night in the
forest. As the shadows lengt hened, how
ever, bis fright wore of somewhat. His
lifelong scepticism struggled for mastery
but, try as he might, he could not account
for the fact that the strange charm had
worked for once.
who'd have thought It'll" he CALCULATED
and time and again before he reached the
village the same exclamation burst from
his lips.
But new marveIs awaited him. He had
feared that the doner OF this magic gift
had taken 1t away upon being used so
shabby, but, TO his surprise and delight,
when he reached the village he found that
the bag st i'll retained Its wonderful power
His wishes were no sooner formed than
an added weight IN the bag announced
their fnliilIment.
Bul the new gift bought with 1t COM
plicat ions that v ere as puzzling as they
were strange. The old man was, like
most beggers, OF courteous nature and
be soon found himself almost uncon-
sciousIy wishing Tor things that were en-
bsrRssingly bulky, for the bag had
power Of infinite distention, and as ac-
emulation went on grew distressipgly
heavy.
He soon learned that he must control
his wishes or meet with serious trou BILE.
Shop keerers all over the village were In
stale OF suppressed excitement. When
ever the beggar passed their door some
thing of the wares exposed for sale was
sure TO disappear before the very eyes OF
Its amazed owner. In the resulting con-
fusion OF tradesmen and customers the
old man would stink guiltiy away in the
darkness, knowing full well where the
missing articles had gone.
His conscience, however, had been so
long dormant that 1t would probably
have given him very little trouble, but he
marked with alarm t,,at he had already
lie ihereupon made great haste to escape
nom the village. But he was no match
Tor his pursuers aud was soon overtaken
and captured.
The anger OF the populace knew no
bounds. They emptied the bag of its
precious contents and from all around tine
cry OF thief" greeted the now thorough
~ frightened old man. Officers hurried
MIN of to prison and cast him into dark
and mouidy dungeon. But the beggar's
spirits revived at being safe from the
mon, for his native shrewdness had al
resdS suggested way Of escape.
Late in the night, when he felt sure
mat all the town was sleeping and no
doubt his iailers also, be clasped the
usglc bag to his bosom and, chuckling
gieeiuily at his anticipated escape, mutt
tered something under his breath. The
next instant the keys OF the dungeon