The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-08


 off to prison the Archdeason of Josas was pacing in agitation up and down the gloomy aisles of Notre Dame muttering wildly to himesf of sorcery and of fiends that come in human shape to tempt men to their destruction.
 The Place de Grave was crowded the next day when they brought the hunch- back of Notre Dame there to stand In the pillory beneath the permanent gal lows and to be fogged as he stood. All Paris knew the hunchback of Notre Dame. Some people whispered that ne was none other than the devil himself to whom Dom Claude had sold his soul. QuaSimodo was to serve the archdeacon so long, and then the hunchback was to fly away with his reverence. There were people, of course, who did not believe this even in the middle ages disagreeable persons were to be found who would question an obvious truth. These skept cal ones said that Dom Claude had taken the misshapen monster some sixteen years before from the public receptacle for foundlings in the porch of the cath edral, where he had been left-taken him when all others had turned from him in loathing-and vowed to bring him up as work of charity done in behalf of Jehan Frollo, one of the little stock of good works which the archdeacon had de- termined to lay up for his brother before hand in case the young rogue should one day run short of that kind of coin, the only kind taken at the toll gate of par adise.
 He had named him Quasimodo because it happened to be Quasimodo Sunday when the child was discovered in the lit- tie wooden bed in the portico, and also because the deformed condition of the founding made the name appropriate. But whatever opinion the people who thronged the Place de Grave held regard ing the hunchback they all went joyously to see him hogged The culprit was lifted to the platform of the pillory amid prodigious hooting mingled with laughter. The face of the victim betrayed no emo rion other than the astonishment of a savage or an idiot. He was bound by fresh series of thongs to the pillory, his , shirt was stripped from him and he ap- beard to the mob in all his hideousness. His shoulders were scaly and hairy, ms breast like that of camel. One shoulder was higher than the other and the head' too big for the body, was covered by d shock of coarse, red hair. In his mis- shapen face there was only one eye. The place where the other should have been was occupied by an enormous wart.
 An official clad in the livery of the city began to lay upon the bare flesh of quasi modo blow after blow with whip com posed of long, white, glistenng thongs. The blood began to trickle in a hundred little streams down the swart shoulders of the hunchback.
 That Quasimodo was deaf all Knew. For any cry of pain which he gave. one might have thought that he was dumb also In the midst of his torment, priest rode into the place on mule lt was the achdeacon. Dom Claude gave one look at the bleeding wretch-th9n turned and rode away without word.
 The punishment ended. The culprlt hung by his thongs. bloody and panting. ''Water," ne gasped. The crowd hooted and pelted him. But a slender female followed by a white goat ascended the platform Quasimodo recognized her as the girl whom he had tried to carry away the preceding night, and thought sns came to add her blows to those or the others. But she unloosed gourd Of Wa ter from her girdle and held It to the IDS of the exhausted wretch.
 A great tear stole out of the single eye of Quasimodo. Just then harsh voice cried out: Away with the Egyptian! Death to the sorceress!
 If was Sister Gudule, the recluse or ho- landes Tower who, from the cell where she had retired years before 10 await death. thus mathematical the Egyptian and her race. Sixteen years before th's amaClatad. ndlI-CTdZtQ tltdtui '"o SNNfN a gay young woman of dissolute lire whom the people of Rheims had known as C,hantedeurie But her girl baby had been stolen by gypsies, who had left n,isshapen brat of their own in It's place, and she had come to Paris to nave herselI walled up in the cell of Rolandes s Io"ef' a place constructed for such penances- There was no door to 1t; only windo" through which food and water were
 l,y @1a n1,a a There she was known as Sister Gudule, ana passed her time in contemplating baby shoe fixed in one corner, the sole relic or her lost child. Death to the Egyptian! shouted Sister Gudule. Esmeralda snuu- dered and fled.
 For several weeks after his release from the pillory Quasimodo avoided Dom Claude as much as possible. though nc was still the submissive slave to the priest. the faithful dog, and trembled at a look from him. But he communed more than ever with the great bells of Notre narne for which Quasimodo had weird, strange passion, though they had made him deaf with their tremendous reverp- erations. All day long he patted the metal hanging masses and when tneir cIanqor shook the towers he watched their swaying with gieaming eyes, lie could not hear them, but he thrilled with their pulsations.
 .'Big Mary" hanging in tho southern tower was his favorite. When he had signaled to his assistants below 10 pesin, when the windlasses creaked ana the great conc of metal began to sway he would watch its increase of motion till, at a given moment. he leaped on It, cling- ing with hands and feet and knees, to pc swung far out over the city in a frenzy Of excitement.
 The moodliness of Dom Claude tn- creased: the fever in his soul consumed him One day, having supplied his brother as usual with money and good advice. Dom Claude, prowling about the streets as was his wont on the chance of seeing that gypsy girl, caught sight of his young Jehan talking with Captain Phoebus. La Esmeralda had just spread her carpet and was beginning to dance when he observed the captain whisper in the ear of Jehan; and then both young men looked significantly at the "Egyp- tan" and went away laughing. Tne archdeacon followed them to tavern and waited outside until 1t was dark,