The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-07-23
THE FIERY DEATH.

- was carly AloIuiiiS, get even III tiisal
hour the Judgment hall of the little
town of Bourdonnis was thronged with
the populace Men, women and chill
dren, 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 eountenances bespoke the
sons of Ethiopia, had arrived at Bour-
donnis and put up at one of the princi-
pal hostelries of the place. Strange
rumors soon arose respecting her. Her
CARL, her mien, her language and her
complexion were said to be those of
Saraeen, against which accused
race the chivalry of Europe and the
church itself warred in vain. Theseru-
mors gained additional strength when
the landlord of the inn where she had
stopped was heard to say that he had
seen her praeticing sorcery, Il charge
easily credited il that age, and one
which few, especially III n case like this,
had the hardihood to disbeGeve. In
less than an hour the whole population
of the town was about, surrounding the
hos:elry, and crying out for vengeance
against the sorceress. Such commo-
tions were both frequent and sanguinary
in that superstitious age.
The soldierv, however. interfered by
arresting the unsuSpecting victim of
these rumors, and at this early hour the
prisoner had been brought into the
Judgment hail to await the mockery
of trial.
Answer me, daughter of Beliall"
said the Judge, rs 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 you If your OBJ
stinacv continues?"
The prisoner was Il slight girlish crea-
ture, sitting with her face buried in her
hands, directly opposite to the judge.
She was apparently Young and her fig
ure, so far as could be seen through the
thick veil which shrouded her form, was
light and agile as that of a svlph. To
the judges question she made no an
swer. She only shook her head des-
pondingly, and those nigh her fancied
they heard her sob.
At these fearful words, repeated now
for the second time and growled forth
with an ominous tierceness, appalling
even to the nearer. the prisoner was
observed to tremble. whether with fear
or otherwise We know not, and lifting
her veil up with Il sudden effort, she
rose to her feet turned hastily around to
the mob. and disclosed countenance of
such surprising loneliness to their gaze
that even those who had cried out most
unrelentingly for her blood now shrank
abashed into silence, while others who
had been less eager for her condemna-
ton audiblv murmured in her favor.
What would We have of me?" she
said addressing the Judge, and for the
first time standing unveiled before him.
AS there is God in whom we both
believe. | have told You only the
truth. l am a stranger, foreigner.
a defenseless woman. but not the
less the atfianced bride of one of your
proudest noblemen, the Count de Gar
onne"
The tone in which she spoke was low,
but OH how touchinglv sweet: and her
words were uttered in broken French
with a porceptible oriental accent.
Loud murmurs rose in her favor as she
ceased speaking. The tide was turning.
But the Judge now spoke.
"Ont on thee, woman of hell! Out on
thee for a base slanderer of noble of
France and holy crusader Thou the
betrothed bride of Garonnel As soon
would the eagle mate with the vulture.
I tell thee woman, that thy story of hav-
ing been shipwrecked in coming to
France, and cf all thy train having been
lost except thy two Ethiopian mvrmi-
dons. is a fonl lie, and l am almost mind
ed to wiring the truth from thee on the
rack"
II have said it," said the prisoner,
in firm voice, for she felt that her
life depended on her firmness. "and if
you will give but one week, one
little week, and I will prove it
before man as well as God. | came
from Syria in the same fleet with my
lord, but under charge of his mothers
confessor-now q saint IN heaven but
being separated by storm, in which
our galley was shipwrecked, I was
thrown unprotected on your shores. l
am stranger here. Ny servents even
have deserted me. [ do no one harm
I plot no treason. All ask is to pass
on my way. OH" she continued in
burst of emotion, "if you have daugh-
ter think what would be your feelings
if she was thus to be set upon in
strange land" and she burst into tears
Again the crowd murmured in her IA
yor.
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, Philip the Deformed!"
At the words of the Judge, an official
bearing white wand stepped into
side room, and in q moment reappeared
with cripple hideously deformed,
whom the populace recognized as the
landlord of the hostelry. When con-
fronted with the prisoner he glared at
her with lock of demoniacal hatred.
Know you this woman 2" asked the
judge.
'Ayl to my cost" answered the Grip
pie. ut is through her incarnation
that l am the being [ am. 1t was but
yesterday she came to my inn, attended
by two heathenish Philippians, whom
have heard palmers from the Holy Land
say are kept by the Panims-God's
who, three years ago, brought on Inc
ban be theirs I no sooner beheld her
than I recognized her to be the sorceress
the disease by which am crippled.
could tell her among a thousand. The
curse of God light ON her for a child of
the evil one" and the witness ground
his teeth to0ather and glanced fierceIv