The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-10

away SUNNY HAN4S3A4eAhus 1Au HIS u6W
housemate comforted him, and he came
no more.
When you lie on your back all day
and all night, you have time to think,
especially if you do not sleep. A situa-
tion presents itself in many lights from
dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn.
One such light flashed on the paradise
and showed it to her as but the portico
of purgatory. Her husband would be
damned in the next world, even as she
was in this. His soul would be cut off
from among its people.
On this thought she brooded till it
doomed horribly in her darkness, and at
last she dictated letter to the matron,
asking Herzel to come and see her.
He obeyed and stood shamefaced at
her side, fidgeting with his peaked cap.
Her hard face softened momentarily at
the sight Of him; her bosom heaved;
suppressed sobs swelled her throat.
"Thou hast sent for me?" he muir
INJURED.
'Yes; perhaps thou didst again i'm
agine was on my deathbed?" she re-
piled, with bitter irony.
sit is not SO, Sarah. would have
come of myself, only thou wouldst not
see my face"
IT have seen it for 30 years. It is an
others turn now
He was silent.
sit is true all the same. am on my
deathbed.
He started. A pang shot through his
breast He darted an agitated glance at
her face.
'Is it not so? In this bed shall die,
but God knows how many years shall
lie in it. -
Her calm gave him an uncanny
shudder.
"And till the Holy One, blessed be-
he, takes me thou wilt live daily sim
ner. /"
81 am not to blame. God has stricken
me. I am young man.
''Thou art to blamer' Her eyes flash.
ed fire. "Blasphemer, life is sweet to
thee, yet perhaps thou wilt die firstv'
His face grew livid-
81 am young man.. }" he repeated
TREMENDOUSLY.
'tThon dost forget what Rabbi Eliezer
said, Repent one day before thy death
that is today, for who knows?"
"What wouldst thou have me do?"
"Give up - &
s.No, no" he interrupted. tit is USE
less. cannot. I am SO lonely"
"Give up" she repeated inexorably,
''thy wife. - - <.t's
"What sayest thou? My wifel But
she is not my wife. Thou art my wife. ~"
Given SO. Givem me up. Give me Gett
(divorce)."
His breath failed; his heart thumped
at the suggestion.
"Give thee Gettl" he whispered.
"Yes. Why didst thou not send me a
bill of enforcement when left thy home
for this?'
He averted his face. st thought Of
it," he stammered, land them
"And then?" He seemed to see sar-
donic glitter in the gray eyes.
I'll was afraid. -
"Afraid?" She laughed in grim
mirthlessness. afraid Of bedrilden
woman!"
II was afraid it would make thee un-
happy" The sardonic CLEAN melted
into softness, then became more terrible
than before.
"And so thou hast made me happy
tnsteadP'
Stab me not more than merit.
did not think people would be cruel
enough to tell thee.H"2 &8
Chime own lips told me. - ~
b MAY, by my SOUL" he cried, star.
tied. s4sa 4..zs 81 -'''' .'7 f's2@
Chime eyes told me, then. -
81 feared so he said, turning them
away "When she-oame into my
house, IL dared not go to see thee.
That was why did not come. though I
always meant to, Sarah, my life. I
feared to look thee in the eyes. fore
saw they would read the secret in mine,
so was afraid
''Afraid" she repeated bitterly.
"Afraid I would scratch them outi
Nay, they are good eyes. Have they not
seen my hearth For 40 years they have
been my light. Those eyes and mine
have seen our children die"
Spasmodio sobs came thiokly now.
Swallowing them down, she said, "And
she-did she not ask thee to give me
Gett?''
MAY, she was willing to 60 without.
She said thou vast as one deadlock
not thus at me- 1t is the will of God. It
was for thy sake, too, Sarah, that she
did not become my wife by law. She,
too, would have spared thee the knowl-
edge Of her,
"Yes, ye have both tender hearts!
She is mother in Israel, and thou art
spark of our father Abraham. -
'tThou dost not believe what say9"
ST can disbelieve it and still remain
a Jewess." Then. satire boiling over
into passion. she cried vehemently:
"We are thrashing empty ears. Thinkst
thou am not aware Of the judgments
Il, the granddaughter Of Reb Shloumi!
Thinkst thou am ignorant thou ceuldst
not obtain Gett against meme, who