The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-19

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Above all this tangled network OF circum-
stantial evidence she saw but one thing
clearly and plainly and to this creation OF
her mind she chung with the energy OF
despair. 1t Was that a single word from her
cousin. Anton Petroviich, could save her,
the door open and present himself at the
bar of the tribunal she was lost.
What mattered it to her If friends and foes
alike persisted in declaring 10 her that An
ton had been lost in distant scar was ne
not the only human being who could step
between her and lifelong Punishment to
Siberia, and how could God in his infinite
love and wisdom fail to send Anton to her
in the nick Of timep Had her lawyer not
lately received orders from Odessa that
several merchantmen had been signaled?
Why might not Anton be among them?
Why might he not be on his way that very
minute? Why might he not burst, hatless
and breathless, into the room at any IN
stantP
Many heart grew weary, many eyes
filed with tears at sight OF this poor wretch
ed creature clinging for dear life to this fan
tastic hope, Just as the shipwreCked sailor
scans the horizon for the expected SAIL or
Just as Akoulina herself would have
watched for the performance of miracle
after its solemn PRONUNCIATION by the priest
at the altar.
As the hands of the great clock drew
nearer and nearer to the hour of midday, at
which time the court would rise, but not
without first passing the dread sentence OF
Imprisonment for life, Akoulina's lips
parted, her bosom heaved, the blood left
her face, her fingers twitched convulsively,
her whole form trembled with suppressed
emotion. 1t was painful sight to contem-
plate Again, for the last time, the Pres-
dent OF the tribunal Intercepted her, only
10 elicit the same reply already uttered a
score of times, in nervous broken accents
with almost savage glare burning in her
eyes,
~ am innocent! ! know nothing of the
fire! Send for Anton Petrovitch. He will
tell you So. l know nothing about it, l
am innocentp
There was such ring of truth in the
woman'S voice that, in spite of the chain of
ciTcumstantial evidence which the prosecu-
ton had forged about her, many in the
audience were now convinced OF her limo
cence. L could see, yes, and feel, too, with
the keen instinct of childhood, that the
judges themselves were shaken in their con-
vlcti0n, and while every one realized that
they could not do otherwise than condemn
the woman upon the evidence before them,
yet the majority of the vast audience felt
that they would pronounce sentence with
terrible misglvIngs.
My child heart yearned for something to
stay the course of justice about to go astray,
something that would justify the judges in
suspending sentence on this innocent
woman, and in my despair. [ too, fixed my
gaze upnn the door of the courtroom, hop
ing and praying that Anton PetroVitch
might push it open and call out:
Hold, Im Anton Petrovitch Akoulina
is innocent. I'm ready to swear iti''
At that instant a Tufiie OF childish laugh
ter danced through the gloom of the vas
chamber like sunbeam. 1t was one of
AkOulina's children, so0u to become an or
phan, for in few moments their mother
would be as good, nay worse. than dead to
fnAr = la
little creatures; who would work herself to
death for them as Akoulina had done?
saw the eyes OF the Judges tnrn toward
the spot whence the soft musical sound had
come. On, will it not incline their hearts TO
mercy for that wretched mother? All, no,
it was not to be, for | now saw the presid-
ing Justice neryousiy adjust his robe and
arrange his papers. They were about
to retire for consultation. They were
absent for brief moment, but in that brief
moment | seemed TO live lifetime. My
heart rose in my throat; L sank upon the
bench beside me and covered my eyes with
my hands. heard nothing. saw nothing,
until the low, solemn, measured tones OF the
President OF tie court aroused me. I'M
covered my eyes. The presiding Judge was
on his feet holding paper in his hands.
Then, as If convinced that all hope was
gone, Aknulna started up with a terrible
look OF mingled terror and despair on her
face, without taking her eyes for an instant
off the erucifiX suspended on the wall, she
stretched her hands behind her. and, while
feeling for the heads Of her children and
pronounciDg their names with a voice
broken by heartrending sobs, she fell in q
heap half upon the bench and half on the
floor. Then, as she stretched her trembling
hands up toward the figure of the cruciied
Savior, she burst out IN plte0us accents:
'Oh, Christ dear Lord, save me! Have
mercy on thy servant, have mercy on her
childrenr'
The scene which DOW ensued beggars de-
scription. The peasants threw themselves,
with sohs and lamentations. on their knees,
stretching their hands out toward the cruel
fix, and repeated in tones of pleading ten
der enough to melt heart OF stone: "Oh,
Christ, dear Lord, save her She is inno-
cent! Have mercy on her-have pity on her
children p'
An ashen pallor came upon the faces of
the Judges and court officers. No one dared
to move finger or stir hand. A deep
and mysterious silence fell upon the vast
assemblage. | no longer looked toward
the door. No, | raised my eyes reverently
to the ceiling, for it seemed to my boy
heart that heaven would not be able to with
stand such an appeal, and | expected every
instant to see the ceiling open and celestial
messenger, with wings and raiment more
radiant than tho dawn, descend and lift the
wretched Akoulina from the floor where
she now lay PROSTATE and lifeless.
Suddenly death-like knell rang out,
solemn and clear in that great silent cham
Der. The clock had begun to strike the
hour of noon. Never had | in my keenest
griefs suffered any pain like that which now
oppressed me. Every one OF those awful
strokes seemed TO fall upon my very
heart, jarring 1t to the very core. l
tried 10 count, but it was impossible, for
while | could feel the hammer shifting my
heart yet in my ears there was but one
deep. dull, continuous roar.
i now saw that AkOulina, with q sudden
movement, mad partially raised herself from
the flour an d, with one arm clutching her
eldest child cOnvulsively to her bosom, and
with the other clinging to the railing. WAS
watching the door of the courtroom with
an expression of terrible intensity as her
lips moved in keeping tally OF the strokes of
the great clock.
Inyoluntar a hundred heads turned
with hers and twice hundred eyes were
riyeted upon that doorway.
held my breath, although there was
choking sensation in my throat.
1t came at last! With the same remorse-
less deliberation that hummer struck its
eleventh blow and went to its twelfth and
last! AS 1t fell, there was a rush. a whirr,
a creakiDg. The door few open and struck
against the wall with a bang that sent
tremor through me and made me start
backward like one brought face TO face
with some dead friend to whose wretched
soul the prayers Of man have been power
less to give repOse.
CHAPTER III.
A subdued and long-drawn half sigh,
half grOan. burst from the assembly. An
ton Petr0vitch had not come. knew it be-
fore all the others, for the wrinkled hand
of the intruder with Its strangely shaped
nails was ms well known to me as my own.
needed not to await the appearance of the
mans body wrapped in its rude and torn
sheepskin.
Uncle Fedia," murmured to myself as
the peddler stepped quite within the court
room and closed the door behind him. l
was closer to him than any one in that great
hall, so close that my sensitive nostriIs
caught that same odor of which Eve already
spoken. He saw me and his lips moved
and although whispered Uncle Fedia,"
yet lie seemed not to hear me. His small,
deep-set, sparkling eyes were riYeted upon
the three Judges for a moment, and then
they glanced timidly at Akoulina and her
children, and as was looking him straight