Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-08-20
The Sturw Teller,
AT THE STAKE.
A story of the Middle Ages.

ssTo the stake with her! Away with the
sorceress Gods curse be on her. for her
evil doings?" shouted the mob.
It was early morning, yet even at that
hour the judgment hall of the little town OF
Bourdonnis was thronged with the populace.
Men, women and children, old and young,
the noble and the burgher, priests, soldiers
and common people, crowded the spacious
hall and cried madly for her blood.
The evening before female, closely yelled
and attended by two servants, whose dark
countenances bespoke the sons of Ethiopia,
had arrived at Bourdonnis and put up at one
of the principal hostelries of the place.
Strange rumOrs soon arose respecting her.
Her garb, her mien, her language, and her
'complexion were said to be those of Sara
cen, against which accused race the chivalry
of Europe and the church itself warred in
vain. These rumors gained additional
strength when the landlord of the inn where
she had stopped, was heard to say that he
had seen her practicing sorcery, charge
easily credited in that age, and one which
few, especially in q case like this, had the
hardihood to disbelieve. In less than an
hour the whole population of the town was
about, surrounding the hostelry, and crying
out for vengeance against the sorceress.
Such connections were both frequent and
sanguinary in that superstitious age.
The soldiery, however, interfered by ar
resting the unsuspecting victim of these ru-
mors and at an early hour the prisoner had
been brought into the Judgment hall to
await the mockery of trial. -,
"Answer me, daughter of Belial!" said
the Judge, as soon as the murmurs of the
mob allowed him to be heard. "Will you
confess your crime? Speak, or you die!
Know you that the rack, aye! fire itself
awaits youif your obstinacy continues"
The prisoner was slight girlish creature,
sitting with her face buried in her hands,
directly opposite to the judge. She was ap-
parently young, and her figure, so far as
could be seen through the thick veil which
shrouded her form, was light and agile as
that of a sylph. To the judges question
she made no answer. She only shook her
head despondingly, and those nigh her fan
cied they heard her sob.
At these fearful words, repeated now for
the second time, and growled forth with an
ominous ferceness, appalling even to the
hearer, the prisoner was observed to tremble,
whether with fear or otherwise, we know
not, and lifting her veil up with sudden
effort, she rose to her feet, turned hastily
around to the mob, and disclosed cOunte-
nance of such surprising loveliness to their
gaze, that even those who had cried out most
unrelentingly for her blood now shrank
been less eager for her condemnation aud
IDLY nurmured in her favor.
"What would we have of me?" she said
addressing the judge, and for the first time
standing unveiled before him. GAS there is
a God in whom we both believe, I have told
you only the truth. am stranger, a for.
eigner, defenceless woman, but nOtth less
the affianced bride of one of your proudest
noblemen, the count de Garonne."
The tone in which she spoke was low, but
oh! how touchingly sweet; and her words
were uttered in broken French, with per-
ceptible Oriental accent. Loud murmurs
rose in her favor as she ceased speaking
The tide was turning. But the judge now
spoke.
"Out on thee for a base slanderer of a no.
BILE son of France and holy crusader! Thou
the betrothed bride of Garonne! AS soon
would the eagle mate with the vulture.
tell thee, woman, that thy story of having
been shipwrecked in coming to France, and
of all thy train having been lost except thy
two Ethiopian myrmidons, is foul lie
and / am almost minded to wiring the
truth from thee on the rack"
II have said it," said the prisoner in a
firm voice, for she felt that her life depend
ed on her firmness, land if you will give
but one week, one little week, and I'll
prove it before man as we'll as God. l came
from Syria in the same fleet with my lord
but under charge of his mothers confessor-
now saint in heaven but being separat
ed by storm, in which our galley was
shipwrecked, was thrown unprotected on
your shores. I am stranger here. My
servants even have deserted me. l do nc
one harm. 1 plot no treason. All l ask
is to pass on my way. Oh" she continued
in burst of emotion, eff you have daugh
ter, think what would be your feelings il
she was thus to be set upon in a strange
land," and she burst into tears. Again the
crowd murmured in her favor.
"Woman! sternly interposed the Judge
unmoved by her emotion, ''look at the
victim of your sorcery, and seek no Longer
to deceive us by your lies. Send forth Phil
lip the Deformedn'
At the words of the judge, an officia
bearing a white wand stepped into side
room, and in moment reappeared with g
cripple hideously deformed, whom the pop
ulace recognized as the landlord of the hos
telry. When confronted with the prison
er he glared at her with look of demoniac
al hatred.
"Know you this woman?" asked the
judge"
"a " to nv cost - answered the criDple