The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-01-01
JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD
BY K0lOman Mikszrath.

Late In the evening an old Jew, clad
in rags, knocked at Nathan Welss'
door.
II am sick and weary" groaned the
broken old man. "They told me you
were n Jew. Good, kind gentleman,
have you no place where can stay and
rest awhlleT' He could scarcely speak.
His limbs shook, his face was liyid,
and his eyes rolled horribly.
"Go into the stable, my good man,
said Nathan, land rest there as long
as you please. The horses will warm
YOU" So the old man went to the sta
bic, and there he sank into n sleep so
profound that they could not wake him
in the morning. There were no tears
at his death; but, on the other hand
there was no rejoicing, such as often
occurs when tears flow most freely.
BY dying 80 abruptly he caused some
inconvenience, both to Nathan Weiss.
In whose stable he had drawn his last
breath, and to the Jewish congrega
ton whose pious duty 1t was to give
him proper burial Before he could be
buried many preliminary formallties
had to be observed, for a dead dew
is n person of Importance. No matter
how poor, wretched and desplsed he
may have been while living, he must
be washed from head to foot, combed
and brushed and clad In new garments,
so that he may make respectable ap'
pearance at his own funeral. Now, out
of the ceremony OF washing grew the
singular story have to tell.
Nobody knew the dead mans name
nor whence he came nor whittier he
was going. But when the washing
began one of his fingers was found 10
be bandaged as If 1t had been wound
ed. The bandage was removed, ana
under IL was found q tightly folded
strip Of paper which bore these words
I'm Hebrew: 81 am dead. In my pocket
are 500 gullders." 1t was very evident
that he was dead. but the 800 guilders
were not so apparent. Every pocket
was searched, but never a note or
coin came to light The elders held n
meeting over the body. and vehement
suspicious OF Nathan Weiss were free
" expressed. They went to him and
asked
"Where are the 500 guildersT
Bat Nathan swore by hearen ana
earth that he had laid neither hands
nor eyes on the money. The elders pro
ceedcd with their pous duties and laid
out the corpse decently and covered 1t
with n black pail. Then they put their
heads together again and debated what
should be done. 1t would be fine
thing II they could find the money. for
II would pay for the funeral and leave
a neat little sum for the congregation
besides.
Should they take the matter into
court? To what purpose2 If Nathan
chose to lie out of it. they could do
nothing.
"What have we to do with cOurtsT
said Simon Schwarz. LET us decide
the matter ourselves with wisdom and
cunning. like King Solomon"
They all agreed not to go to court for
they knew that all the terrors Of the
law would not wiring the secret from
the breast Of any Of their number who
might chance to share 1t and that Ma
than, If he were really guilty, would
not be fool enough to confess. They
therefore begged old Simon Schwarz'
the wlsest among them, to act as judge
with plenary power to use any means
of getting ut the truth that he might
deem expedient. Simon thought over
II all day, and In the evening he went
to Nathan and said:
Hear, Nathan. You must go, with
two witnesses, to the death chamber,
take the dead mans hand in yours ana
say, 'On my honor and conscience
solemnly swear that l have not stolen
your 500 guilders.
All the elders assented to this ar
rangement, although the earmarks OF
its superlative wisdom were not clearly
apparent. Nathan himself was espe-
cially pleased with the verdict, for he
thought 1t gave him an opportunity to
clear himself of all suspicion. AT the
Amounted Observation-Disclosures and
the witnesses entered the death cham
Der. The black pail covered the face
and form Of the old man, all but one
yellow, wrinkled hand, which hung
down at the side Of the bier. Two flick
ering candles threw an uncanny light
over the scene Nathan approached
the bier and grasped the pendent hand.
How cold 1t wasl He shuddered and
shivered, but retained the hand In his
while his trembling voice uttered the
words:
Good old man, on my honor and
conscience | solemnly swear that |
have not stolen your 500 guilders."
The next instant Nathan uttered
frIghtful shrek. The dead mans hand
had contracted and held his fast In
grip Of steel!
Pardon! Pityp he murmured. "Iiave
mercy, JehovahI | did steal the mon
ey, but / will restore It. Not q guilder
shall be lacking. 1t Is hidden under
the bake trough"
"Aha, you scoundrelw cried the dead
man Qmpersonated by Simon Schwartz
casting off the pail and springing to
his feet.
$50 got the truth out of you, did IL
Anal You thought me like the other
Judge, whom one can fool with lies"
And the elders bowed their heads to
his superior wisdom and cried with
one voice that his like had not been
seen since SOlomon's day.-Translated
From the Hungarian For New York
Commercial Advertiser.
Reasonable Presumption.
A. Won crrro n wa my