The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-10-17

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''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 establishment.
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? I 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.
"Tis long story. Will 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
a 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,
yet 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 I have lived, and twas
not long ago that I learned all this.
Mamma, 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 it's hiding
place, and later, by good fortune,
was made a nurse in the house of
Geber. Before she died she gave the
jewel to me, and I wore it always
here beneath my robe. One night,
as 1 sang before Geber, the little
packet slipped from the folds of my
robe, and he saw it. He asked that
he might wear it, and L cared not
jewels mean naught to me; but he
had promised that I might have it
when L wished, and when he would
llOU give IL W lIfc-l SUOlc IL.
''And thou wished to give it to-
some one?" questioned the king gent
ly.
"Aye, my lord" she answered, not
understanding the drift of the kings
question. "Geber had promised me in
marriage to Abner, who is old and
very rich, they say, but did not wish
to go to him, though I knew Geber
must be obeyed. So I wrote to him
and asked him if he knew that 1 was
blind, for he had only seen me once,
and would he not let me be free.
Then he wrote that he had not known
and would say no more if I would
give him the jewel which he knew
belonged to me, for Geber had told
him so when he wished to buy it from
him.
''But how came it with David, son
of Abner?" asked the king.
cit fell from my robe as l leaned
over the balustrade," she faltered,
'and he-picked it up"
The king leaned forward, searching
the young face.
''And the broken jar just above
where he was found?"
81 broke it, my lord. I turned
swiftly and forgot twas there she
answered quickly.
Still the king bent forward.
''There was earth upon his feet
and garments, and the bank was torn
and broken, showing where he had
fallen from the rocks to the road
beneath thy window. How cam'st
that?" he asked, sternly.
The girl gave little cry and put
out her hands as if to ward off a
danger.
'Must tell it all?" she asked with
sob.
''How can 1 judge the matter if I
do not know the truth, daughter?" he
asked, then turned toward the pris-
oner. His head was hidden against
the wall and his tightly clenched
hands had caused the great muscles
to stand out, the cords making deep
cuts. His shoulders heaved, but no
sound was heard save the soft, I'M
steady voice of the girl.
She had raised her head proudly
and stood with her hands tightly