Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-12-24
ANN BEDE'S 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, eau de vie, and the leaden ventila.
ors in the upper glasses of the skylight
turned slowly and slothfully.
The jurors, too, leaned wcarily against
the backs OF their chairs. One of them
had closed his ewes and let his hand fall
inert, iulled TO somnolence by the mouot.
onous scratching of the clerks pen.
Another tapped and softly beat the rat
aplan with his pencil on the table
The president pushed his sprctaCles 10
the tip Of his nose and mopped his damp
brow, his stern gray eyes. with glacial
stare. bent tixedly upon the door whence
would issue the eulprits in course Of
trial, and on whom they waited Ia pro
nounce the sentence.
Is there not still another one" de
manaed he, presently Of the sleepy look
ing tipstaf at his elbow in hard. re-
sonant voice
One, responded the other; "a girl.
''Eh bien! bring her in them" aid the
president.
The cricr called, the door opened, the
girl entered.
\ current of fresh air glided in with
her and softly famed the faces and
tclsled 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 and
furniture Of the hall of audience.
~ girl had said the tipstaff IA child
rather, scarcely more than on the verge
Of maidenhood, and 50 pretty in her little
furned jacket, embroidered with wreaths
and blossoms and fitting like the skin the
rounded waist, straight aud slender as
the stem Of II 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
chiid?' questioned the president indiffer-
emily.
The girl neryously rearranged her
handkerchief that covered her head,
caught her breath heavily then answered.
signing;
My affair is sad, NJ. lie President,
very, very sad. T"
Her voice, soft and dulorous, went to
the heart like good music, that, even
when one hears 1t 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
a
farther away still of the Judex Curia.
appeared to make To her from the silent
wall benignant signs, encouraging her
To hravely recount the affair 80 very,
very sal.
But SEQ you, said she, this writing;
cit viii tell you better than can"
Only she had first TO seek it; to unclasp
the buttons Of her corsage and draw it
from her bosom-a piece of cracking
parchment, stamped and closed with the
pun1erous official seal.
"A judgment murmured the presi-
dent, running his eye over the paper, IA
Judgment against Anne Bede, assigned
to begin today punishment Of SIX
months imprisonment
The girl nodded sorrowtully: the hand
kerchief, loosened hy the movement, fell
from her head, and heavy tress OF her
long black hair, all unbound, yeiled her
features. 1t spnght, perhaps, to shield
them from the gaze of the people, for if
she was white n a lily while ago, she
was purple with shame al this moment
1T is "a week since we received II"
stammered she in u broken voice. THE
court officer brought il himself and ex-
planned what il 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 il as pleasantly
have come, therefore, toto begin the
six months!"
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
Tho law, murmured he, the law is
the law
And he read anew the summary before
him. the black. sprawlilg scratches across
the white page. declaring Anne Bede
condemned to six months imprisonment
for receiving stolen goods"
Meanwhile the lenden ventilator had
quickcned its pace and spun fnriously
Outside the wind had risen, and now il
shook the windows, whistled through
the creyices and seemed to hiss remorse-
lessly about the ears Of the gaping
crowd
"fhe law, yes. the law Ii the lawr'