Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-24

What do | here? lIa. hal you do
well to ask me. Count Claudio; you,
who would have torn "A young maiden
away by force. and compelled her to
your arms; YOU, who in the dead of
night, with your hireling aSsassins.
steal in through open windows like Il
thief, and with worse than thief's OBJ
ject in view it is we'll very well, for
you to ask me- Count Claudio. what
do here.
There was an intensity of scorn I'm
the accents and manner of the .JeweSs
which could not but have its effect.
But he determined TO put bold face
on the matter.
ut is false, accused woman false;
and you know it. -
An exclamation of fury broke from
her.
Silence, rash boy; tits not false.
But now ! heard YOU own it, rs did yon
woman pointing to the Countess
Donati.) 'BesideS, for my own ends,
| myself kept watch over the Palace
Donati, and saw YOU scale the wall and
mount TO the window y
"IIa! and what, then, was your OBJ
ject sorccreSS, in sending your own
cmiSsary? Surprising your words are
true, did not YOU charge your ruilian
accomplish, who has paid the penalty
of his life for the attempt, to carry of
the girl?"
And what if did? Who has bet
ter right than |, her mother /, Rudiga
the JewesS, called the Woman in
Redo
lit is false, accursed bag" shricked
the countess, as She heard her-"false
as your own heretcal soul"'
1T is not false, said the Jewess,
sternly; lit is true; have the proofs.
A dead silence fell upon her hearers
as she produced a packet of papers
from her bosom, and commenced to
unfold and arrange them. All watch
ed and waited for her next words with
GREATNESS interest, for a pre- ointment
told them that the denoucment ap-
preached
Francesca" said the Jewess to the
maiden, approach.
She obcycd unresistingly, as though
impelled by hidden power.
The Jewes> took one of the papers
from the roll and unfoldcd it. 1t WAS
a torn aud >oiled document, and bore
on the face of it evidence of considera-
BILE antiquity.
Addressing the girl, the Jewess
spoke as follows in tones of great sol
emnity:
Francesca, daughter, heed well
what ! am about to say. That YOU
are. indeed, my daughter know full
well. and will shortly convince YOU.
The voice of nature Is strong i'm my
heart; nor is it silent in yours. | read
it i'm your eyes your looks, your agita-
ton. You know. oh, daughter, that |
speak the truth-that my claim To YOU
is sanctioned 10y the immutahle laws of
the Most High; and though for a
time the cyil-doer may triumph, God
Will assurcdly redress the wrongs of
the injured. and punish the guilty.
when it shall seem fit to His all-sccing
wisdom. Speak. francesca, | am
about to convince thee that am no vain
bOaster. but that | can prove my
words. Wilt thou lly in the face of ma
turc? and when have convinced thee
shat | speak truly. and am indeed thy
mother, wilt thou refuse thy obedience
deny that am thy mother? Surely
it cannot be.
Francesca gazed in the utmost dis
trcs> r>t un one, then on the other of
the cl imuuts. On the one hand was
habit, and the love She bore the Coun-
tess. who had ever been To her the
kindcst and most indulgcnt of parents:
on the other hand the words and man
ner of the JcWcs, were such rs 10 com
pei her to believe them true. and above
all, "A still small voice whispered with
i'm her that in the Woman i'm Red she
saw her mother. She could scarce de
fine the feeling. but each moment il
gained i'm strength. 1t seemed as if.
though from the far-distant past. dim
memories of the voice and features of
The Jewess arose and bore witness to
the truth of her story.
Between the two feelings, love and
duty. the poor girls mind was in sad
trouble and pcrplcNity.
The Woman in Red watched her per-
plcNity with ill-conccalcd satisfaction.
She saw that She had created great
impression ON the girls mind
Both the Countess DOnati and Clau-
lilo were silent They waited to hear
what she had TO say. and Judge, then,
whether she could maintain her pre-
tensions or not. But each inwardlv
felt conviction that she was right,
and would establish her case.
A. for Hector Fiaramonte, he was so
stricken with Supcrstitious awe at the
Heath of Briyadura; and the fulfill
ment thereby of Rudiga's prophecy,
that he stood in very wholesome awe
of her, and. fearing lest She might adj
venture like prediction with regard
10 himself, kept at rs great distance
and aS much out of sight as possible
Presently the Woman in Red again
spoke-not hurridly or diilidently, but
slowly. deliberately, as though well
knowing what she said, and the effect
it would have. She held out a paper
she had in her hand.
Here is document, signed by the
worthy cure of the village of Castel-
Ian. regarding the infant daughter of
one Miriam, Jewess, and her hus-
band, Reuben. a foul murder was
committed, and the child stolen from
one Margaret d'Arbel, who had her in
custody during the temporary absence
of her parents. \ proclamation was
made by the authorities, Offering a
large reward for the discovery Of the
murderer; and as the Identification !
of the stolen child would tend To bring !
the murderer to Justice, the most ac-
curate description was given of her. |
Here is the original of the description |
displayed in the markct-place at Gas.