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


MIR. Malinin!' re heard in loud
whisper.
aIischa jumped up from his bed.
Through the little window in the
door he saw the overseers restless
eye.
why are you talking?" asked the
Of man
II: l wasn't talking" answered
Mischa surprised
But ! heard you"
That was evidently only
Neutrality-suspicious. | advise you
&c control yourself"
The watchman's eye vanished for a
moment, then appeared again, and
the old man began in warning
Whisper:
There was another man here once
who used to talk to himself-just as
you do-to tell the truth-ny
nephew"
"well-and-?o asked Mischa
"Well--they put him in the mad
house"
Your nephew"
'Nes. yes" whispered the old man,
and his eye hoppel strangely up and
down He was evidently also holding
his heal in affirmation.
And he was-here?" asked Mischa
softly.
Yes, in Number Nine"
"And you ha1e-you were you here
too?' stammered Mischa, who felt as
though his heart would stop beating.
a have been here seventeen years?"
answered the old man quietly. ut is
going eighteen" he added.
Mischa stared at the old mans sad
eyes and long, bony hands, and want
ed to ask:
Did you guard your nephew, just
sc you guard me?"
But he did not ask the question as
he was afraid of offending the Old
man, but merely observed:
"You have been here long time"
wait minute I'll get a chair"
the overseer whispered, blinking his
eyes, at is too hard for me to bend
down; my back hurts me-"
He went away, Mischa stood by the
door; he heard his shutting steps, and
thought
IF that man has a soul it must be
as black aud shrivelled up and dry as
his face"
The old man returned, placed the
chair noiselessly by the door, and his
eye appeared again at the little win
dow.
"So-that is better" he began; 81
can't sleep-all my bones ache-you
don't sleep either-so We'll talk a lit
lie while-we may at night-in the
daytime it is forbidden-but at night
who knows the difference? In the
daytime I make believe | am very
strict with you. / would not dare be
otherwise the authorities demand 1t.
But a. night can talk with you lit
tie. And besides, you are not a Grim
inal? You have not murdered-nor
stolen. All, ali, you are red-cheekel,
young. | am sorry for you-you laugh
you reioice-as though you had been
promoted. All! Youth! You should
have obeyed the authorities"
It made Mischa uncomfortable to
hear those words. He bent his head
nervously to the door and asked the
cid man:
"What was your nephew"
The dry, coiorless voice buzzed in
the room again:
He was a locksmith. He
had shot an engineer. -. They
wrote about him in the newspapers.
One happened to have been
brought here and in tbHt
very paper there was something about
him. He rfead and laughed
just as you do His mother, my sis
ter, wept and wept. But tears
won't wash ont blood stains. l often
said to him. Well, Fedor, how do
you like it in PRISON. But he only
laughed At first he was silent, mad,
Then he began to talk, just as you
DO "
What did he say?" Mischa inquired
softly.
"Ah, different things,
who can remember them all?
say. arn't you from Kaluga?"
Eyes, certainly"
MN! / thought so. / know your
family name There was once
postmaster in Kaluga by the name Of
Malinin"
ut was my father"
as that so! l am from Kaluga, too.
Is your father dead?"
YES"
800. Wen all die some
time"
They both spoke in whispers and
their voices rustled in the stiffness
like aspen leaves. From outside the
window came the dull sound of the
guards measured tread on the pave
ment as if it We're counting off the
passing moments. And from some
passing moments. And from some
where in the distance, hardly distin-
guishable through the heavy damp
ress of the night, came the melancho-
ly tones of bell, which struck the
hour.
DO you find it tiresome here?"
Mischa asked.
For old people the time hangs
heavy everywhere" came the cold
whisper from behind the door.
''And your nephew
did Won pf,v him when he