Gilpin observer., 1901-01-24
Anne Bede's Debt.
Her Sister Would Obey tho Law,
Though Sho Was Innocent.
BY koloman Mikszrath.
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The judges were in their places.

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 smelled of sheepskins,
peasants, eau-de-vie, and the leaden
ventilators in the upper glasses of the
skylight turned slowly and slothfully.
The jurors, too, leaned wearily
against the backs of their chairs. One
of them had closed his eyes and let his
hand fall inert, lulled to somnolence by
the monotonous scratching of the
clerks pen. Another tapped and softly
beat the rataplan 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
glacial stare, bent fixedly upon the
door whence would issue the culprits
in course of trial and on whom they
waited to pronounce sentence.
"Is there not still another one?" de-
manded he presently of the sleepy look
ing tipstaff at his elbow in harsh, res
onant voice.
"One," responded the other; n girl"
"Eh, bien! Bring her in then" said
the president.
The crier called, the door opened, the
girl entered.
A current of fresh air glided in with
her and softly famed the faces and tic
kled the lashes of the curious assist
ants. At the same moment a 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.
"A girl said the tipstaff-a child,
rather, scarcely more than en- 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 rs 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 indif-
ferently.
. The girl nervously rearranged the
that covered her head,
caught her breath heavily, then an
swered. signing:
"My affair is sad, NJ. President; very.
very sad"
Her voice. soft and dolorous. went to |
the heart like good music that even |
when one hears it 10 longer seems still |
to vibrate in the air and change every
4 tbip~- hy ,Y,ystoricuc In paunp.n
The faces of the jurors were no Ion
ger so morose. The portrait of the |
king ard farther away still of the Ju-
dex Curie appeared to make to her
from the silent wall benignant signs, |
encouraging her to bravely recount the |
affair, 80 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 I'M
clasp the buttons of her corsage and |
draw it from her bosom, piece of
cracking parchment stamped and clos
ed with the ponderous official seal.
"A Judgment" murmured the prcsi-
dent, running his eye over the paper
"a judgment against Anne Bcde, as
signed to begin today punishment of
SIX months imprisonment.
The girl nodded sorrowfully: the
handwriting. loosened by the move
ment, fell from her hand. and heavy
tress of her long blacl; hair all unbound
veiled her features. 1t sought perhaps
to shield them from the gaze of the
people, for II she was white as II lily
awhile ago she was purple with shame
at this moment.
.'It Is Il week since we received It,"
stammered she in broken voice. The
court officer brought 1t himself and eX-
planned what II 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 1t as n 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" murmurcd he, "the law is
the law"
Anu nc Tchu HHeW 'u' suhih"i9 w
fore him. the black. scrawling scratch
cs across the white pngc. declaring,
'Anne Bode condemned to six months
imprisonment for the receiving of stol-
en- goods"
Meanwhile the leaden ventilator had
quickened It's pace and spun furiously.
outside the wind had risen. and now 1t
shook the windows. whistled through
the crevlccs and seemed to hiss re-
about the cars of the gap
Sng crowd:
"The law: yes. the law Is the lnw'
The head of the president bent af-
firmatiyely before this importunate
voice. He dropped his eyes and touch