The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-10-11

falsei / stole the jewel"
"Thou!--a daughter of Geber the
Deputy--hast stolen from thine own
father!" exclaimed the king.
mo, no daughter of Geber, and
twas mine to steal" she broke in
passionately.
The king bent forward and
searched her face in astonishment.
She was very small and slight; true,
Geber was of swarthy, heavy build.
The girl shook her head in quick
denial, then turned as though listen
ing.
"Are we alone? heard something
"a breath. Is no one here?"
"We are alone-save for one whom
thou mayest trust" he treasured
her. speak on"
She spoke in a quick, low tone, her
hands now clasped in eager explana-
ton, now pressed tight against her
breast or stretched out in helpless
appeal.
otis a long story. viii the king
hear?"
Speak on" he said again.
"When Geber lay dying, as they
thought, my lord, he grieved sore
and was fiercely angered, too, that
there was no man-child to bear his
name-only a girl. That night his
wife Rizpah bore two more, and they
feared to tell him lest he curse them
all. They were frail; one died that
night, and they knew the other could
not live. Then one came who told that
poor Phenecian woman, who dwelt
in the town below, had borne two
babes that night, one of them boy.
Daniel, the brother, himself went to
the woman to buy the boy, but she re-
fused, and then he said he would but
borrow him and would leave that as
pledge which he valued more than
all the world. And he gave her the
Great Ruby which he always wore.
He took the child; then, lest some
thing might occur, he knew not what,
vet feared, he took them both. But
Geber did not die; he lived, and they
dared not return the babes lest swift
punishment fall. The mother-my
mother-died of grief. they said, but
others say twas not that. Then they
searched for the jewel, but it was not
| to be found, and they dared not noise
the loss abroad. The boy, my brother,
died when but lad, for he was never
strong, but / have lived, and twas
not long ago that l learned all this
Naahma, my nurse, told me all when
she was dying-how she had cared
for my mother through all her sick
ness, thinking to cure her in spite
of all her grief. But she awoke from
sleep one night to find her dead. She
then took the jewel from its hiding
place, and later, by good fortune
was made nurse in the house OF
Geber. Before she died she gave the
Jewel to me, and / wore it always
here beneath my robe. One night
as l sang before Geber, the little
packet slipped from the folds OF my
robe, and he saw it. He asked tha'
he might wear it, and 1 cared not
jewels mean naught to me; but h
had promised that 1 might have /
when ! wished, and when he woul'
not give it to mel stole it."
"And thou wished to give it to-
some one?" questioned the king gent
ly.
AYE, my lord" she answered, no
understanding the drift of the king
question. "Geber had promised me Il
marriage to Abner, who is old an
!, very rich, they say, but did not wis
to go to him, though 1 knew Gebe
must be obeyed. So 1 wrote to hir
and asked him If he knew that l wa
blind, for he had only seen me once
and would he not let me be free
Then he wrote that he had not know
and would say no more If l woui
give him the jewel which he kne'
belonged to me, for Geber had tol
him so when he wished to buy it froI
him."
But how came 1t with David, so
|, of Abner?" asked the king.
cit fell from my robe as leane
over the balustrade," she falteret
'and he-picked it up"
:. The king leaned forward, searchin
. the young face.
5 "And the broken jar just abov
!, where he was found?"
81 broke it, my lord. turne
8 swiftly and forgot twas there" sh
answered quickly.
;, Still the king bent forward.
There was earth upon his fee
and garments, and the bank was tor
: and broken, showing where he ha
b fallen from the rocks to the roa
beneath thy window. How cams
n that?" he asked, sternly.
The girl gave little cry and pr
e out her hands as If to ward off
q danger.
r "Must 1 tell it alp" she asked wit
e sob.
slow can judge the matter IL
g do not know the truth, daughter" h
t asked, then turned toward the pri
e oner. His head was hidden again,
k the wall and his tightly clenche
d hands had caused the great muscle
l. to stand out, the cords making dee
It cuts. His shoulders heaved, but \
r sound was heard save the soft, III
II steodv voice of the girl.