The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-10-17

q. ~".t"ter OF teber. an
twas mine to steal" she broke \
psssionately.
The king bent forward an
searched her face in asfonishmen,
She was very small and slight: tru.
'eber was of swarfhy. heavy build.
me glri shook her head in quicl
ing.
Are we alone? l heard somethin,
- breath. is no one here?"
we are alone-save for one whom
.hou mayest trust" he treasured
her. Speak on"
she spoke in a quick. low tone. he,
hands now clasped in eager explana
uon. now pressed tight against he,
breast or stretched out in HELPLESS
appeal
hear?-
Speak on" he said again.
When Geber lay dying, as they
thought, my lord. he grieyed sore
and was fercely angered, too. that
'here was no man-child TO bear his
hane-only a girl That night his
wife Rizpah bore two more. and thew
feared to tell him lest he curse them
an They were frail; one died that
night. and they knew the other could
not live. Then one came who told that
Ioor Phenecian woman, who dwelt
IN the town below. had borne two
babes that night. one of them a bov.
Damei' 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 thar m
pledge which he valued more than
all the world And he gave her the
Treat Ruby which he always wore.
He took the child; then. lest SOME
thing might occur. he knew not what.
ret feared. he took them both. Bur
bcoer did not die: he lived. and they
Jared not return the babes lest swift |
fall The mother-pv
of grief. they said. but |
others say twas not that. Then they
searched for the jewel. but il was not
Q be found. and they dared not noise
ne loss abroad The boy. my brother.
lied when but a lad. for he was never
trong. but ! have lived. and twas
'ot long ago that I learned all this
'aahma, my nurse, told me all when
ne was dying-how she had cared
or my mother through all her sick
ess. thinking TO cure her in spite
all her grief But she awoke from
IeeP one night TO find her dead. She
hen took the jewel from its hiding
lace, and later. by good fortune.
as made nurse in the house of
eber. Before she died she gave the
wei TO me. and i wore il aIways
ere beneath my robe. One night. I
l sang before Geber, the little
lcket slipped from the folds of INV 1
'oe, and he saw it. He asked that q
might wear il. and I cared not a
weis mean naught to me: but he /
"a promised that | might have il
hen i wished and when he would e
q give ii to mel stole it, (
And thou wished to give il t>I1
me one?" questioned the king gent 4
e
Aye. my lord" she answered. not
derstanding the drift Of the kings a
estion- "Geber had promised me in b.
lrnage TO Abner. who is old and 81
~ rich they say. but did not wish h,
go to him. though I knew Geber
lst be obeyed- So I wrote to him CT
asked him IL he knew that I wa. in
nd. for he had only seen me once. az
would he not let me be free III
en- he 'Srote that he had not known oil
J would say no more il would
him the jewel which he knew an
onged to me- for Geber had told IN
! so when he wished TO buy II from cls
~ IN
But how came it with David. SON Of
Abner?" asked the king. hin
lit fell from my robe as / leaned tn
the balustrade,- she faltered. an
d he-picked IL up ella
he king leaned forward. .earchip~ sh,
young face. an,
Ind the broken jar just above
re he was found?- wa
broke it. my lord. | turned Cir
'tly and forgot twas there she 1t
vered quickly. wit
ill the king bent forward. loo
here was earth upon HIS feet %
garments, and the bank was torn tina
broken. showing where he had $
N from the rocks to the road as
'ath thy window. How camst trul
p he asked. sternly. so
e girl gave little cry and nut fheI
her hands as IL to ward of a 81
Ter. kim
lust ! tell il ALP she asked with as
o. gres
ow can | Judge the matter II me?
ot know the truth. daughter ?-he II
]. then turned toward the pris- el, Z
His head was hidden against IL d,
wall and his tightly clenched "A
5 had caused the great muscles up (
and out. the cords making deep as h,
His shoulders heaved. but NO "1
! was heard save the soft. un- had
y voice Of the girl. thou
) had raised her head proudly chan
stood with her hands tightly gives
ed. An
e loved one another. nv lord. ing