Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-11
TFoR REcoRDUNIoNl
SET TN A SILVER SEA (!
ROMANCE BY B. L. FARJEON.
PENRAvEN"

sVernly 10 living creabuie Aeeu s's'i v
in this land of plenty. The guiltiest can
obtain food for the asking"
Pardon me, retorted Rant, with fine
irony, 81 forgot myself. thought for a
moment that other food than bread was
needed for life and reason that to deli
cately nurtured woman some mark of sym
pathy, some word of gentleness, some look
of kindness, were necessity of her being
the want of which can only be supplied
by a merciful dispensation which deprives
her of her wits. That is the good fortune
which has overtaken Bertha Christof she
is not full-witted, and has but one hope in
this world or the Dext-a hope that lies in
the grave of child To whom, then, is
she responsible, and to whom am /? If
she is no mans daughter, l have wronged
no man, even were I guilty of a wrong,
which l am not. In years gone by you
passed Judgment upon this woman. Ques-
ton now your hearts as to the justice of
the punishment you meted out to her."
eve have our laws" said the President,
the woman sinned"
"She did not sin; she erred, being a
weak, trusting woman, and in this respect
your laws are cruel and merciIess. Before
the man whose child she is lay straight
path of merciful duty. Her mother, as
Daniel Christof knows-you see now why
called him here to-day, although the
whole of my purpose is not yet disclosed
was yielding, gentle and timerous. -
"We would have you remember" inter-
rupted the President, in gentle tone,
"that the man you summoned here from
his life of solitude has already suffered
much.
And l would have you remember that
the woman you summoned here from her
lonely life has suffered martyrdom. My
pity is for the weak, not for the strong; for
the innocent, not for the guilty. Bertha's
mother was woman whose plastic mind
was ready to receive, without question,
the law of right and wrong from the lips
of those she loved. That she had neither
| wisdom nor strength was Natures doing
She died young, but not before she had
transmitted her weakest qualities to
daughter, whose heart and mind are not Of
the Spartan order. As well blame me for
my shape as Bertha Christof for faith and
tenderness. But forget again. you have
done the one avoid, then, the other injus-
tice. This faith and this tenderness were
sufficient to destroy the happiness of her
life. What was done? Was balm poured
upon her wounds? No; those who should
have comforted her stricken soul heaped
fire upon her, and added shame to shame.
You cast her out from among you; her
father drove her from her home. And this
was justice You pray in your churches
that you shall not be led into temptation,
and you strike with merciless hand the
woman who was so innocently led, and was
not endowed with strength to resist. By
accident l met her. When? Years ago,
at midnight. Where? In the great mar
ket place of the isle in which the statue of
Evangeline is set up. A strange time and
strange place for such meeting, seeing
what it has led to-"
He paused, and looked first at Margaret
Sylvester and then at Harold. His action
had the effect of drawing the attention of
Margaret and Harold, each upon the other;
it was as if he were the link between the
two, to draw them together, or keep them
apart.
Decidedly" thought Harold, "the
hunchback is a clever comedian, and has
scenes in the background from which,
when the time suits him, he will draw the
curtain. Does he intend that 1 shall play
an active part in his comedy"
at may be satisfaction to you," said
the President to Ranf, "to be informed
that we are disposed to believe you speak
the truth we do not take into account
your manner of expressing it, nor the
bearing you adopt towards ourselves. We
accept it as natural in you. But nothing
must be concealed from US.
"You ask too much" said Rant, with a
scornful smile; 81 do not intend to bare
my heart to you. What is necessary in
this inquiry shall be told nothing more.
It is barely possible that there are points
| touchinu hhe nresent scene INIT not imme
diately connected with it, nor of conse-
quence in its clear explanation, which
affect others present besides myself.
| Therefore l must be guarded, and intend
to be. Be assured of this; whatever l
may say, however l may act, shall not
stray from the path of right and justice. }"
"You had, said the President, ga pur-
pose in view when you went to the market
place at midnight, years ago as you say,
and there by accident first met Bertha
Christof."
ga definite purpose" replied the hunch-
back; 81 went to examine closely the
statue of Evangeline there set up. To
what end it is not necessary here to ex-
plain. / chose the hour of midnight so
that might be undisturbed. 1 call upon
Matthew Sylvester, in confirmation of my
statement. He will remember a certain
conversation which took place between us
at the foot of the mountain. 1t was OF his
own seeking. The message sent to me by
one of my white doves ran in this wise :
Grandfather Matthew wishes to see the
master of the mountain. He will be at its
foot an hour before sunrise Tomorrow. l
ask him if he remembers it,"
81 remember the OCCASION" said Mat
thew Sylvester, "and the message; the
words, no doubt, are correct"
You remember, zoo, the conversation p
SCI do"
/ bearing in mind that had never cast
more than casual glance at the statue of
Evangeline, can you trace from our con-
yersation any motive NAV have had for a