The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

ed that you should be brought back
10 me and the request was refused
why. it matters not. Now l under
stand the reason-that this was so or
dained. l demand no more that force
should be used TO you. l demand thai
You shall come of your own free will
10 suffer the reward of your sin. Or
IL you so desire. bide where you are OF
your own free will. and be dealt with
as God shall decree.
This hangs upon your judgment II
you come and ask it of me, j Will con-
slider the question of the sparing OF
Jerusalem and its inhabitants. II you
refuse TO come. 1 viii certainly puI
every one Of them to the sword. save
such Of the women and children as may
be kept for slaves. Decide then, niece
and quickly, whether you Will return
with my envoys or bide where they hnd
you.-YUSUF SALAH-ED-DlN.
Rosamund finished reading, and the
letter fiuttered from her hand down to
the marble floor Then the Queen said:
Lady. we ask this sacrifice of you
in the name of these and OF their fell
lows" and she pointed TO the women
and the children behind her.
And my life?" unused Rosamund
aloud 1t is all I have When / have
paid it away ] shall be beggared.' and
her eyes wandered TO where the tall
shape of Wulf stood by pillar of the
church.
'.Perchance saladin will be merciful, ="
hazarded the Queen. -.
Why should he be merciful," an
swered Rosamund, who has always
warned me that if 1 escaped from him
and was recaptured 1 must die? Nay,
he will offer me Islam or death, which
means-death.
But il you stay here you must die, -
pleaded the Queen, "or at least fall into
your life is but one life and with ii you
can buy those Of eighty thousand
souls.
rs that so sure?" asked Rosamund
The Sultan has made no promise; he
he says only that if l pray ii of him
he viii consider the question Of SPAR
ing of Jerusalem"
"But-but." went on the Queen.
'he says also that If you do not come
he viii certainly put Jerusalem TO the
sword, and to Sir Balian he said that
if you gave yourself up he thought he
might grant terms which we should be
glad to take. Therefore we dare ask
of you TO give your life in payment
for such a hope. ,Think-think, what
otherwise must be the lot of these.
and again she pointed to the women
and children-"ay and your own
sisterhood and of all of US. Whereas,
il you die. it will be gently and with
honor, and your name shall be wor-
SHIPPED as a saint and martyr in every
church in Christendom.
oh, refuse not our prayer, but
show that you are indeed great
enough TO step forward TO meet the
death that comes to every one of us,
and thereby earn the blessings of half
the world and make sure your place
i'm heaven nigh 10 him who also died
for men. Plead with her. my sisters
plead with her,"
Then the women and children threw
themselves down before her, and with
tears and sobbing prayed her that she
would give up her life for theirs.
Rosamund looked at them and smiled,
and said in clear voice:
What say you. my cousin, Sir Wulf
4 Arcy2 Come hither. and, as is fitting
in this strait, give me your counsel,
So the gray-eyed, war-worn Wulf
strode up the aisle. and, standing by
the altar rails saluted her
You have heard said Rosamund.
Your counsel? Would you have me
die2"
Alas" he answered in hoarse
voice. 1T is hard to speak. Yet, they
are many-you are but one.
Now there was a murmur of ap
plause For il was known that this
knight loved the lady. and that but the
other day he had stood there to defend
her TO the death against those who
would give her UP TO Saladin.
Now Rosamund laughed out. and the
sweet sound of. her laugh was strange
in that solemn place and hour.
All. Wulfl" she said. "Wulf. who
must ever speak the truth even when
I no
have il otherwise. Queen, and all you
foolish people, / did but try your tenn
pers. Could you, then. think me so
base that ! would spare to spend this
poor life of mine, and to forego such
few joys as God might have in store
for me. when those of tens of thou
sands may hang upon the issue? Nay,
nay; it is far otherwise"
Then Rosamund sheathed the dagger
that all this while she had held in her
hand. and. lifting the letter from the
floor, touched her brow with it in signal
of obedience, saying in Arabic to the
ENJOYS:
Il am the slave cf Salah-ed- Din,
Commander of the Faithful. / am the
small dust beneath his feet. Take no
tice. Emirs, that in presence of all here
gathered, of my own free will ] deter
mine to accompany you to the Sultan's
sparing of the lives of the citizens of
Jerusalem, and afterward to suffer the
punishment of death in payment of my
flight, according to his high decree. One
request I make only, if he be pleased to
grant it-that my body be brought
back TO Jerusalem for burial before this
altar. where Of my own act l lay down
my life. Emirs, am ready"
Now the ENJOYS bowed before her in
solemn admiration and the air grew
thick with blessings. AS Rosamund
stepped down from the altar the Queen
threw her arms about her neck and
kissed her, while lords and knights.
women and children, pressed their lips
upon her hands, upon the hem of her
white robe, and even on her feet, call
ing her saint" and "deliverer."
"Alas." she answered, waving them
back. "As yet I am neither of these
things, though the latter Of them
hope to be. Come; let us be going"
Aye" echoed Wulf stepping to her
side, let us be going,
Rosamund started at the words. and
all there stared.
Listen, Queen, Emirs and people.,
he went on Il am this Iady's kins
man and her knight. sworn to serve
her to the end. If she be guilty of a
crime against the Sultan, / am more
guilty. and on ma alca ehon eof1 ~.