The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-12-21
Anne Bede's Debt.
Her Sister Would Obey the Law,
Though She Was Innocent.
BY KoIoman Mikszrath.
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The judges were in their places.

AlN JhNlSNo WIZ III NlltAI IllttNtS.
Outside the fog weighed heavily upon
the shapeless building effaced the
walls and glued itself to the windows
cOncealing their frosty Towering.
In the hall itself the air was thick
and sitting. 1t smclled of sheepskins
peasants, eau-de-vie, and the leadcn
ventilators 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 eyes and let his
hand fall inert, lulled to somnolcnce by
'thc monotonous scratching Of the
clerks pen. Another tapped and softly
beat the rataplan with his pencil ON the
table.
The president pushed his spcctaclos
to the tip of his nose and mopped his
damp brow. his stern gray eyes, with Il
glacial stare, bent fixedly upon the
door whence would issue the culprits
in course of trial and on whom They
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'Is there not still another ouc:" O.
mand1d he presently of the sleepy loo
ing tipstaft at his elbow in a harsh. res
onant voice.
"Onc," responded the other; Sil,'
'Eh, bien. Bring her in then" sad
the president.
The crier called, the door opepcd, the
girl entered.
y current of fresh air glided in Wiz
her and softly famed the faces and H.
klcd the lashes Of the curious assist
ants. At the same moment a ray yt
sunlight pierced the shrouding fog anu
danced between the frosty etchings Of
the panes across the dusty walls and
furniture of the Hall Of Audience.
"a girl said the tipstaff-a child
rather, scarcely more than on the verge
Of maidenhOod and so pretty in her lit
tie furred jacket embroidered with
wreaths and blossoms and fitting like
the skin the rounded waist. straight
and slender as the stem of Il young
palm. Her black eyes were lowered to
the floor, but her white brow was clear
and uncloudod.
"What is it that you have done, my
child?' questioned the president indif-
fcrently.
The girl nerv0usly rearranged the
handkerchief that covered her head.
caught her breath heavily, then an
swered signing:
t'NT a fi'oi i.,C sod NJ
very sad"
Her voice. soft and dolorous, went to
the heart like good music that even
when one 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 lon
ger so morose. The portrait of the
king and farther away still of the Ju-
dcX Curie appeared to make to her
from the silent wall benignant signs,
encouraging her to brayely recount the
affair, so very, very sad"
But see you" said she, ''this writ
ing. 1t will tell you better than can"
Only she had 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 clos
ed 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 today a punishment of
six months Imprisonment"
The girl nodded sorrowfully; the
handwriting, loosened by the move
mcnt, fell from her hand, and 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
awhile ago she was purple with shame
at this moment.
at is week since we received it,"
stammered she in broken voice "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
have come. therefore, toto begin the
six months"
The president wiped his glasses, then
wiped again, his cold. stern gaze seek
Ing the faces of his colleagues. the win
dows, 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 laww
And he read anew the summary be-
fore him. the black, scrawling scratch
es across the white page, declaring,
"Anne Bede condemned to six months
Imprisonment for the receiving of stol.
en- goods"
Meanwhile the leaden ventilator had
Qulckened its pace and spun furiously
Outside the wind had risen, and now il
shook the windows, whistled through
the crevices and seemed to hiss re
morselessly about the ears of the gap
ing crowd:
"The law; yes, the law is the lawY
The head of the president bent af
iirmatively before this importunatt
voice. He dropped his eyes and touch
ed the bell for the tlpstaff.
Accompany Anne Bede," said he, ''tC
the house of the inspector of prisons"
The man bowed. the child turned ODE
diently, but her little rose red lips open
I'D and shook tremuIously, as II words
were On them that she could not speak