The Press., 1901-01-31
Anne Bede's Debt.
Her Sister Would Obey the Law,
Though She Was Innocent.
BY koIoman Mikszrath.

Outside the fog weighed heavily upon
the shapeless building, effaced the
walls and glued itself to the windows,
coneealing 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 YEARLY
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.
| els there not still another one?' de-
handed he presently of the sleepy look
ing tipstan at his elbow in harsh, res
onant voice.
"One," responded the other; " a girl"
ETH, 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
killed. 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 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 a young
palm. Her black eyes were lowered to
the floor, but her white brow was clear
and unclouded.
| What is 1t that you have done, my
childw questioned the president indif-
ferently.
| The girl nervously rearranged the
handkerchief 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 no longer seems still
to vibrate in the air and change every
thing by it's mysterious influence.
The faces of the jurors were no Ion
ger so morose. The portrait of the
king and 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 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
ment, 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 lily
| awhile ago she was purple with shame
at this moment.
1T Is a 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
60. my child. The law Is the law. and
one should not take it as pleasantly
I 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.
1.-The law" murmured he. 1.-The law is
the lawv
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
quickened its pace and spun furiously.
Outside the wind had risen. and now it
shook the windows, whfstled through
/ %ho nd IN
morselessly about the ears Of the gap
| ing crowd:
| THE law: yes. the law is the law!'
| The head Of the president bent az
nrmatively before this importunate
voice. He dropped his eyes and touch
ed the bell for the tipstaff.
Accompany Anne Bede." said he, ito
the house of the inspector of prisons"
The man bowed. the child turned ohe-
aiently, but her little rose red lips open
ed and shook TREMENDOUSLY, as If words
were on them that she could not speak.
perhaps, my child" said the presi-
dent, noticing her distress, perhaps
you still have something to say to u.s.
"Only that l am Lizette-Lizette
Bede, M. lie President. Anne Bede was
my sister, and we buried her, poor girl,
| q week ago."
"'Twas not you then that was con-
demned and sentencedY cried the pres
ident, surprised.
"Ah, bon Dieu, no! Why should
have been condemned who have never
done harm to a fly?'
Then why are you here, mad child
that you areY'
Because, II you please, it is because
| Anne died while this business was be-
fore the royal table (the lower court Of
Hungary. 1T was when she was lying
in her coffin all cold and white that this
order concerning the six months ar
rived certifying that she must submit.