Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-07-05


felt within himself something degrad-
ing, crushing, supplying. He frowned,
ana stared at the overseer's grotesque
face, which was Is immoyable as a
mask On the cheek bones ana chin
there were curious little punches OF
bright. red hair. The eyes seemed
70 be superfuous and out of place.
They were dark and oval, like the
eyes of pretty woman; soft and mild,
with long lashes, and there was some
thing friendly, sad, timid and incom-
.irehensible in them that harmonized
tragically with the deformed counter
ance.
"Ycu must walk" said the over
seer. Standing still is also forbid
Gen"
MischG walked slowly forward; the
overseer followed him a little to one
side, keeping watch behind him.
Why are you students always re-
helling?" he asked softly, looking
en- the ground. IF you had devoted
yourself 10 yom studies-then you
might have become a lawyer some
time-think of that! But-you must
make trouble-such a fine young man!
And you have mother?"
Mischa was touched by his gentle
words, and he stopped, laughed, and
was going to put his hand on the over
seer's shoulder and say some simple,
friendly wcris-but the overseer
jumped back in alarm, looked around
bin, and whispered:
Go on, Go on! II anyone should
see US I'd be punished for talking"
He walked away and disappeared
around the corner of the prison. But
the young man, filled with mingled
feelings of sadness, joy and curiosity,
began to walk slowly up and down
along the high wall which enclosed the
prison.
High over the corner towers of the
Gingy fiat-roofed prison, which SEEM
ed to be sinking into the ground,
stretched the silent, blue heaven, fad
ed and washed out, as it were, by the
autumn rains. 1t was desolate, dreary,
cppressive-even the prison walls
Ereathed forth sorrow and cold.
How many days must | spend
here? thought Mischa, looking around
him. 1t seemed to him that even if
they would let him out now he would
be able to tell many interesting things
about the prison. And once again there
came back to his mind the streets,
the masses of down-trodden people,
the black forms Of the policemen.
Carried away by his recollections he
had failed to notice how rapidly the
time for his exercise had passed and
when the pockmarked overseer APP
preached him and said: Back to
your cell, please" he cried out in
establishment:
Already"
The overseer nodded his head af-
firmatively. In the corridor he whis-
pered softly 10 Mischa:
My mamma lives in the poor
house"
And he hung his head in shame
"So!-Well-that' all right" said
Nischa, smiling, not thinking of any
suitable thing to say. Once more the
iron bolt ratified harsnly, the key
grated in the lock-Mischa remained
standing in the middle Of his cell
Looked at it, seated himself on the
he'd, and suddenly all his dreams, all
his sensations, vanished; a peculiar
feeling of darkness took possession
OF him and he sank into half-dreamy
Inconsistencies
So passed day after day in regu-
la. monotonous, gray, colorless OK
istence. But each day poured into his
soul an almost imperceptble drop of
something now, and each impression.
no matter how sman it was, seemed
like a bit of bright color in the gloomy
background of his life.
The evening inspection is over long
ago, and the prison is sunk in heavy
sleep. Strange sounds come occasional
ly through the opening in the door.
Someone murmurs in his sleep, {.
delirious perhaps. The overseer's
shuhling step goes past the door-to-
ight the old man with the staring
eyes is On duty. He walks slowly up
and down the corridor mumbling
something's to himself. Mischa lies
on his bed listening intently and think
ing.