Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-21

Lie ulu EOL CuNlpldlu. he DaQ never
courted their favor, and he cared not that
it was withheld from him. He had acc om.
plished his wishes. In his beautiful house
he was as completely cut off from his fellow
beings as he was in his huts on the noun.
tain of snow.
a common roadway ran past the frontage
of his freehold, and in Rants going to and
fro he was in the habit of meeting the
islanders who had used the path for gen.
erations. Between him and them no greet.
ing was ever exchanged. Children stood
aside to allow him to pass women held
their garments close to them, SO that they
should not come in contact with his. The
familiar path ran parallel with the right
bank of the Valley of Lilies, and so deter.
mined now were the islanders to avoid all
association with the hunchback, that they
cut another path on the left bank. The
old roadway Immediately fell into disuse.
"Avoid it, was the tacit and universal re-
solve. No surer sign could have been given
of the deep antagonism which existed be.
tween Rant and the inhabitants of the Sill
yer Isle. After all these years he was
more than ever an alien from the sympa-
thies of his fellows.
| But, with soul that loved beauty, that
worshiped it silently in every form, Rant
turned this circumstance to advantage. He
clothed the old roadway with wild flowers,
and Nature, benign and benefcent, graci-
Gus to one and all alike, was soon seen here
in her most beautiful aspect. Rants free
hold literally lay embosomed in bed of
brightest form and color.
The only human beings who still held to
Rant were Evangeline, Bertha and the
Sylvesters. 1t was singular that neither
Evangeline nor any member of the Sylves-
ter family had been asked by Rant to visit
his new possession. Bertha was the only
person permitted to enter and roam about
at will, and out of this circumstance had
grown the trouble which now hung over
the hunchback's head.
There were some on the isle to whose
minds, in their strong dislike of him, Rant
was nettle. 1T reflects shame upon
us, they thought, "that such man
should be allowed to live among us. Some
evil will fall upon the land if we do not rid
ourselves of him." But this could not be
accomplished by any action of theirs. Rant
had now as strong a claim to residence as
themselves. He had purchased land OF
them, and it was his for ever. The more
they thought of this the more it CALLED
them; the sharper grew the nettle's point
Their only chance of Kidding themselves of
his hateful presence lay in the hope that
some discovery might be made respecting
him which would compel him voluntarily
to quit the isle.
They questioned the captain of The
White Dove.
How is it." they asked, "that your
ship is engaged only in carrying out the
wishes of the hunchback ?"
For at no time had the captain of The
White Dove endeavored to trade on his
own account with the islanders Its visits
were regular, and it never came without
bringing a number of packages and cases
| for Rant
It's easily answered, " said the captain.
"The hunchback is the owner of my ship"
| Is he masterit is creditable to server"
Decidedly he is. 1 know nothing
against him. Hark we, masters. 1t would
be well if there were more in the world like
him."
You would fill the earth with deform-
ity," they exclaimed in wonder.
"There is another kind of deformity,"
retorted the captain of The White Dove,
ethan deformity of the body. The mind
gets twisted sometimes, as yours seems to
have got"
Have you daughter? p
"Three."
"Would you allow such man to marry
child of yours 2:
"Heaven forbid But that does not
prevent me from pitying him for his mis-
fortune, nor from doing justice to him.
Take lesson from my book, masters. You
are no more perfect than other men"
"You are warm in your defense, captain.
What binds you SO closely to the hunch-
back ?"
First, self-interest. Second, he is good
to the poor"
In what way"
"In this. There is never day upon
which bid farewell that he does not place
in my hand packet of gold, saying, Use
this for the unfortunate ; and would you
believe-no, perhaps you would not-that
he never asks for an account? Are my
reasons sufficient"
" Yes,' they answered and were in
clined to waver but only for short time.
Their prejudice against Rant was too strong
to be blown away by the words of man
who confessed he served his master from
motives of self-interest.
The captain of The White Dove re-
ported this conversation to Rant. The
hunchback smiled.
"They are right in their way" he said,
"and | in mine but all roads are not
alike. One day it may be otherwise be-
tween them and me.
Thus matters went on until within few
weeks of Mauvain's return to the Silver
Isle.
| At this time circumstance was brought
to the knowledge of the islanders which
caused them to assemble and determine
upon course Of action with respect to the
hunchback.
Not even to the Sylvesters was it known
that Bertha was free of the hunchback's
house. and was in the habit of visiting it.
The discovery was led up to by curious
monger who had long been tormented by a
desire to obtain glimpse of the mysteri-
GUS residence. He selected dark night
for his purpose, and as he was reconnoiter-
ing, endeavoring to find a means of ingress