, 1891-01-06
ANN BEDES DEBT.

The judges were in their places.
Outside the fog weighed heavily upon
the shapeless building, effaced the walls
and glued itself TO the windows, conceal
ing their frosty Towering.
In the hall itself the air was thick and
sitting. 1t smelled ofsheep skins, peas
ants. a de vie, and the leaden ventila-
ors in the upper glasses of the skylight
turned slowly and slothfully.
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 the monot-
scratching of the clerks pen.
Another tapped and softly peat the rat
a-plan with his pencil on the table.
The president pushed his spectacles to
the tip Of his nose and mopped his damp
brow, his stern gray eyes, with a glacial
stare, bent fixedly upon the door whence
would issue the culprits in course OF
trial, and on whom they waited to pro
nounce the sentence.
''Is there not still another one?' de
manded he, presently, of the sleepy look
ing tipstaff at his elbow in n hard, re,
sOnant voice.
Zone" responded the other; "a girl
"Eh bienl bring her in then" aid the
president.
The crier called, the loon opened, the
girl entered.
A current of fresh air glided in with
her and softly famed the faces and
tickled the lashes of the curious assist
ants. At h same moment a ray of
sunlight pierced the s~hrouding fog and
danced between the frosty etchings OF
the pHnes across the dusty walls ant
furniture of the hall of audience.
"A girl" had said the tipstaf-a child,
rather, scarcely more than on the verge
of maidenhood, and 50 pretty in her little
furred jacket, embroidered with wreaths
and blossoms and fitting like the skin the
rounded waist, straight and slender as
the stem of a young palm. Her black
eyes were lowered to the floor, but her
white brow was clear and unclouded.
What is it that you have done, my
child?' questioned the president indiffer.
emily.
The girl nervously r~earranged hel
handkerchief that covered her head
caught her breath heavily then answered
signing;
My affair is sad, NJ. lie President
very, very sad"
Her voice, soft and dolorous, went 10
the heart like good music, that, even
when n hears it no longer, seems still
to vibrate in the air and change every
thing by its mysterious influence.
The faces of the jurors were no longer
so morose. The portrait of the king, and
farther away still Of the Judex Curie,
appeared to make to her from the silent
wall benignant signs, encouraging her
TO brayely recount the affair $50 very,
very sad"
But see you said she, this writing.
lit will tell you better than l can"
Only she had first to seek it; to unclasp
the buttons of her corsage and draw il
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, assigned
to begin today Il punishment of six
months imprisonment"
The girl nodded sorrowfully; the hand
kerchief, loosened by the movement, fell
from her head, and a heavy tress of her
long black hair, all unbound, yelled her
features. 1t sought, perhaps, TO shield
them from the gaze of the people, for if
she was white as a lily a while ago, she
was purple with shame at this moment.
1t is a week since we received II, y
stammered she in u broken voice. 1.-THE
court officer brought it himself and ex-
planned what it wished to tell us, and
my poor mother said to me: Thou must
go, my child. the law is the law, and
one should not take it as a pleasantly
1 have come, therefore, toto begin the
six months
The president wiped his glasses, her
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, 1.-THE law is
the lawl"
And he read anew the summary before
him the black, sprawling scratches across
the white page, declaring "Anne Bede
condemned to six months' imprisonment
for receiving stolen goods
Meanwhile the leaden ventilator had
quickened it's pace and spun ~furiously.
outside the wind had risen, and now it
shook the windows, whistled through
the crevices and seemed to hiss remorse-
lessly about the ears of the gaping
crowd;
Tho law. yes. the law is the lawr'
TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD PIECES.
Mr. .lobn npr,;s og D. III