Middletown transcript., 1902-11-01

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of gold eoin on the floor, q figure titsgSed
itself forward on lis hGnds and knees to
the priests feet. "Fof filthy dross / have
bartered my life; more than that-the
sunshine of great Amada's smilei would
have let another bear the burden of my
sin. Not sol He made an honorable pur-
chase. l am the guilty coward, behold
me! Undone! undoneP' and the keeper
who had sold the stork to Osborne, beat
on his breast and tore bis hair.
"What has he done, Mateu?' Evelyn
asked bewildered. As she spoke the priest
spurned the wretch, groveIing abjectly
before him, with his foot.
1T is the keeper" Matsu explained
swiftly. "He has confessed that he sold
the stork to Mr.. Osborne"
"0h," Evelyn cried in distress, ''now
what will they do with him?"
HE must die" Matsu replied cheer
fully.
''Oh, no. no; Mr.. Osborne won't let him
die. 1t is impossible"
'"There is one chance, Amada's gracious
pardon, and for that there is only one
sign"
"Behold it! Behold itr'
The priest, the keeper, Matsu and the
little page, joining in the cry, dropped on
| their faces before the shrine, where, kind
ling like the first rays of sunrise, rosy
flame dickeriug from base to dome of the
sparkling pile, chased the shadows to the
farthest corner of the room. The stork,
preening his feathers in the cheerful light,
bent over the PROSTATE figure of the keeper
and ran his bill through the mans un
kempt hair.
''Great Amada, thou hast prevailedP'
the priest cried in an awe-struck whisper.
"Go, your life is given you Tor better
use hereafter" he added, turning to the
keeper.
The man rose and with bowed head
stole softly from the room.
| The priest prostrated himself once
more and silence fell on the group. At
last the page, tip-toeing across the
floor, motioned to Matsu and led the
way from the room.
In the shadows of the curtains Evelyn
stopped and looked back.
The priest lay like fallen idol among
his splendid yellow robes. The stork on
one leg kept guard over him. A light
still burned on Amada's shrine. The
stork's feathers shone in it like molten
silver.
As the little party from the Spindrift
hurried down to the wharf at the foot of
the temple grounds, Evelyn's quick ear
was attacted by some unsual uproar in
the direction of the town.
ut is the Jail; they are storning the
iail!' she cried. ''Quick, Matsul'' and
seizing Matsu's arm, she ran along the
narrow street. 1t was nearly midnight.
The English and American colonies,
scattered on hill to the north of Toy
anna, were too far from the disturbance
to hear anything of it. The lanterns in
the black and red shops lining the street
had long been extinguished, and it was
SO dark that Evelyn stumpled over the
uneven pavement, rudely jostled by the
crowd, which gained in volume as it
neared the Jail.
A mob surged around the walls of the
Jail, beating upon drums, dancing and
shouting. 1t was made up mainly of the
members of an ultra-religious sect, and
it repeated "Heathenl Vandal' as it
stormed in an angry tide against the jail
entrance. As the confusion approached
a climax, the door opened and Osborne
stood in the doorway.
Evelyn, even at the moment, felt reas-
sured by his calnlness. He seemed al
most amused at the violence of the mob,
until his eyes fell on Evelyn, who was
trying to push her way towards him.
Before he could speak, some one bolder
than the rest seized the girl roughly by
the waist and lifting her from the ground,
bent a coarse, ieering face over hers.
"Look outp Osborne cried, and fol-
lowed the warming with blow in the
face of the offender. In an instant he
was the center of struggling crowd.
He backed against the wall Of the Jail and
rained blows right and left.
But dozen men were upon him, and
although he fought with the strength of
tiger, shielding Evelyn with his body,
he Was soon oYerpowered, and an un.
lucky blow with some blunt instrument
upon his head knocked breath and sense
out of him. Evelyn and the maid in an
other moment saw the unconscious victim |
of the mob's rage being hustled along q |
side alley. Before what looked like a |
blank wall the crowd stopped. A door
opened as if by magic, and in the yellow |
glare from within the building, Osborne |
and his captors were outlined like NOV
ing silhouette. Then the door closed and |
the darkness swallowed them.
"Oh, where is Matsu?' Evelyn cried
distractsdly. "We should have sent him
for the priest Now perhaps it is to latel"
She looked back. Down the dark
street, now almost deserted, two shapes
were hurrying. Evelyn could see the
geam Of yellow robe and distinguish
Matsu's small figure. The high priest,
for it was he, reached the scene of the
disturbance first. He knocked twice on
the door in the wall, and receiving no
reply, called loudly. The door was
opened. The priest entered the building
with Evelyn, the maid and Mastu close
at his heels. In room thick with in
cense, the leaders of the mob were as
sembled. At some distance from them,
Osborne, still unconscious, lay on a rug
before shrine. Evelyn ran to him and
turning, appealed to the priest as if he
could understand her:
"They have killed him!" she cried.
The little priest smiled and bent over
Osborne. Then, taking phial from the
folds OF bis robe, he raised the PROSTATE
figure and moistened Osborne's lips with n
q few drops of a liquid from the phial
In minute or two Osborne stirred and
opened his eyes.
The priest turned to the men and after
a few decisive words, ordered them to :
carry Osborne back to his quarters in the
town. /.
Osborne had smiled feebly at Evelyn
and closed his eyes again as if he were
IT'LL dazed and hardly conscious.
"He says he will be all right soon," .
Matsu whispered to Evelyn, interpreting
something which the high priest said to
him. II must accompany you to the
yacht at once. Tomorrow you can see
Mr.. Osborne, and he,', T, indicating the
priest, ''will attend to the punishment
IF these people,"
Evelyn suffered herself to follow the
,mall procession until it separated at the
street leading down to the wharf.
The priest, walking at the head of the
hastily improvised little on which Os-