The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-25
cLAUDE'S CAPTIVE.

| i've been setting trap, SAID
Claude, coming in to supper, with a
very bright face.
"Where?" said Aunt Ruth
Down by the big elm, just over the
creek. Jason helped me to make it,
and I've put a forked stick in it, with
a nice bit of apple on it's end I'm
sure I'll catch squirrel before morn
ing"
"Why do you wish to catch a
squirrel, Claude?" said his aunt
20 Aunt Ruth, squirrel is such
fun! And in the attic is cunning
little cage, with a wheel on. purpose
for the fellow to run up and down. 1t
is shame to have that cage and moth
ing to put in it! I'll be real good to
my squirrel, auntie. He shall have
fresh water and plenty of nuts, and
I'll make perfect pet of him.
But he'll be prisoner" said Aunt
Ruth.
ooh, he'll soon get used to that,
replied Claude, taking another slice of
bread and butter.
Aunt Ruth said no more, but she
secretly hoped that Claude would not
succeed in catching his squirrel. For
several days he said nothing about it,
returning from his little trips to the
elm-tree with a disappointed look. One
evening, however, he came flying with
great leaps over the meadow, and as
he drew near the house he called out
gayly: Hello, Aunt Ruth! I've got
him!"
LET me beg, then, Claude, that you
will not shut him up after the free
life of the woods, in that cubby-hole of
a cage. Put him on the loft over the
granary-that will be splendid place
for him.
But Claude shook his head He
was proud of his captive, and meant
to be good to him, and every day he
fed him plentifully- tried to do so
though often the nuts were I'M
tasted. The sharp little teeth tore at
the bars, and the bead-like eyes fairly
snapped with anxiety to be free.
Let me out! Let me Quit" Mr..
Squirrel kept saying with all his
might.
Aunt Ruth would stop and take a
plying peep at him, now and then,
saying, Eyes, you poor creature, l
would, in a minute, if you were not
my nephew's property-and perhaps
I'll do it anyway"
She set her wits to work to see if
she could give Claude a lesson, and
one day not great while after, the
little boy, who had gone to one of the
upper rooms of the house on an err
rand, found himself, to his surprise,
locked in; somebody had turned the
key on the outside.
He knocked, called, and listened;
but no one came, and not step did
he hear. He glanced from the win
dow. Aunt Ruth, with her little vel
vet bag on her arm, was TRANQUILITY
walking down the road to a neigh
boris. A party of boys were going
nutting. He heard their merry shouts
but could not make them attend his
calls. Once Rob Farley did look
round, but presently went on, as
though he had been mistaken in his
supposition.
eff this isn't a mean shame!" said
Claude.
He looked around as he spoke. He
was in one of the prettiest chambers
in the cottage, and as he began to
notice things more particularly, he
discovered that a basket of fine mel.
low pears and plate of cookies were
standing on the table. There was a
china pitcher filled with cool water
from the well. At another time Claude
would have eaten the fruit, and en-
joyed it, but he now felt so angry that
| he scorned to touch it.
81 wouldn't have believed Aunt Ruth
would play such a trick on me-" he
said, as he sat sullenly down beside
the window.
Presently Tim, the hired man,
crossed the yard below, and stopped a
minute to speak to Sally in the
kitchen.
THAT ere poor squirrel of Claudes
is grievin' hisself to DEATH" were the
words that reached the boys ears.
Tim! TIM" cried Claude, leaning
far out from the sill; "send Sally up
here, won't you, please?"
Sally's slow, heavy steps came up
the stairs. He could hear her painting
with the exertion. When she reached
the third landing Claude said very
pleadingly: Unlock the door, Sally
there's dear, good woman
| She needed no urging, and after an
hours confinement Claude was at
liberty. He rushed down to the barn
set wide the door of Bunny's prison,
and let the little victim go back to the
woods and groves.
That night his Aunt Ruth told him
the story of a great painter, named
Leonardo da Vinci, who used to buy
cages and cages of birds in the mar.
kets, just for the pleasure of setting
them free. Claude's eyes sparkled
and he said: "Aunt Ruth, that's Just