Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-03-04
ANNE BEDE'S DEBT.
The judges were in their places.

skins, peasants, cam de rie, and the
aeaden yentilators in the upper glasses
of the skylight turned solwly and
Biothfully.
The Jurors, too, leaned YEARLY
against the backs of their chairs. One
of them had closed his eyes and let his
hand fall inert, lulled to somnolence by
pen. Another tapped and softly beat
the rat-a-pian with his pencil on the
table.
The president pushed his spectacles
TO the tip of his nose and mopped bis
damp brow, his stern gray eyes, with
= glacial stare, bent fixedly upon the
door whence would issue the culprits
an course OF trial, and on whom
they waited to pronounce the SEN
1ence.
els there not still another one ?''
demanded he, presently, of the sleepy
docking tipstatf at his elbow in hard,
resonant voice.
One" responded the other; "a
girl"
En- bien bring her in them" said
she president.
The crier called, the door opened, the
girl entered
A current of fresh air gided in with
her and softly famed the faces and
flckled the lashes of the curious assist
ANTS. AT the same moment ray of
sunlight pierced the shrouding fog and
danced between the frosty etchings of
the panes across the dusty walls
zSnd furniture OF the hall of audience.
"a girl had said the tipstaff-a
child, rather, scarcely more than on the
verge of maidenhood, and so pretty in
her little furred jacket, embroidered
with wreaths and blossoms and fitting
Alike the skin the rounded waist, straight
2nd slender as the stem of a young
palm. Her black eyes were lowered to
the floor, but her white brow was clear
and unclouded.
f'W hat is it that you have done, my
Ghild?" questioned the president in
differently.
The girl nervOusly rearranged the
handkerchief that covered her head,
caught her breath heavily, then an
'SWered, styling;
My affair !, sad, NJ lie President,
very, very sa :
Her voice, SO lland dolorous, went to
the heart like good music, that, even
when one hears it no longer, seems
still to vlbrate in the air and change
everything by its mysterious infu-
ence,
The faces of the jurors were no longer
so morose. The portrait of the king,
and farther away still of the JudeX
Suri@, appeared to make to her from
the silent wall benignant signs, en-
Couraging her to bravely recount the
-aHair so very sad"
''But see YOU" said she, "this writ
ang; it will tell you better than l
can"
Only she Lad first to seek it; to un-
clasp the buttons of her cOrsage and
draw it from her bosom-a piece of
cracking parchment, stamped and
closed with the ponderous official |
seal.
"A Judgment. murmured the presi-
dent, running his eye over the paper,
"a judgment against Anne Bede, as |
signed to begin to-day punishment of |
six months Imprisonment"
The girl nodded sorrowfully; the |
handkerchief, loosened by the move
ment, fell from her head, and a heavy |
tress other long black hair, all unbound. |
Telled her features. 1t sought, perhaps, !
10 shield them from the gaze of the |
people, for if she was white as a lily |
q while ago. she was purple with shame |
at this moment.
1T is a week since we received it."
stsSamered she in a broken voice. |
fsThe court officer brought it himself |
and explained what it wished to tell us, |
and nay poor mother said to me: |
law, and one should not take it as |
pleasantly | have come, therefore,
toto begin the six months I"
The president wiped his glasses, then |
wiped them again, his cold, stern gaze
seeking the faces of his colleagues, the |
windows, the floor, the great iron stove,
through whose grated door fiery eyes
seemed to sparkle and threateningly re-
gard him.
The law" murmured he, "the law
is the law ~
And he read anew the summary be-
fore him, the black, sprawllng scratches
across the white page, declaring Anne
Bede condemned to six months i'm
goods"
Meanwhile the leaden ventilator had
~quickened It's pace and spun turiously.
Outside the wind had risen, anu now it
shook the windows, Whlstled through
the crevices and seemed to hiss remorse-
aesslv about the ears of the gaping
crowd:
>stahe law, yes, the law is the law''
The head of the president benz al
Tentatively before this importunate
voice; he dropped his eyes and touched
the bell for the tipstaff.
Accompany Anne Bede." said he,
<tto the house Of the inspector OF pris-
0ns."
The man bowed, the child turned
<obediently, but her little rose red lips
opened and shook TREMENDOUSLY, as if
words were on them that she could not
speak.
"Perhaps, my child" said the pres
ident, noticing her distress, 0per-
haps you have still something to
say to US.
:'Only-that I am Lizette, Lizette
Bede, NJ. lie President; Anne Bede vas
mv sister, and we buried her, poor
giil week ago."
. Twas not you, then, that was con-
rdemned and sentenced?" cried the presi-
dent, surprised.
''Ah! bon Dieu, MOI Why should
aavc been condemned who have never
sione IaRm to fy?'
E'Then why are you here, mad child
chat you are 2''
because, if you please, it is because
Anne died while this business was be-
fore the royal table" (the lower court