The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-10-16
Anne Bede's Debt.
Her Sister Would Obey the Law,
Though She Was Innocent.
BY koloman Mikszrath.
The JUDGES were in their places.

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 a
glacial stare, bent fxedly 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 oneT de-
manded he presently of the sleepy look
ing tipstaff at his elbow in harsh. res
onant voice.
"One," responded the other; girl"
eth, bien! Bring her in then" said
the president.
The crter called, the door opened, the
girl entered.
A current of fresh afr glided In with
her and softly famed the faces and tic
kled 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 young
palm. Her black eyes were lowered to
the floor, but her white brow was clear
and unclouded.
'What is it that you have done, my
child?" 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, M. 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 its mysterious influence.
The faces of the Jurors were no lon
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, $50 very, very sad"
"But see you" said she, this writ
ing. It will tell you better than l can"
Only she had first to seek 1t, to un
clasp the buttons of her corsage and
draw 1t 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 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
ut Is a week since we received IT.
stammered she In broken voice. ''The
court officer brought 1t himself and ex-
planned what 1t 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 1t as pleasantly
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.
"rhe law" murmured he, '-the law Is
the lawW --..s,----
And he read anew the summary be-
fore him, the black, scrawllng scratch
es across the white page, declaring,
Same Bede condemned to six months
Imprisonment for the receiving of stol
en- goods" 's--s -,'--.ss; v''., .se-e-.---
Meanwhile the leaden ventilator had
nNafn fttFf 81
Outside the wind had risen, and now 1t
shook the windows, whistled through
the ,cvevlces and seemed to hiss re-
morselessly about the ears Of the gap
ing crowd;
1.-THE law; yes, the law is the lawp'
The head Of the president bent af-
flrmatively 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 ODE
diently, 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 us"
"Only that | am Llzette Lizette
Bede, M lie President. Anne Bede was
my sister, and we buried her, poor girl
a week ago.
"'Twas not you then that was con
demned and sentencedY' cried the pres
ident, surprised.
"Ah hon Diem mol Whv ahould