The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-08


 turned from him in loathing--and vow I ed to bring him up as work of char | ity done in behalf of Jehan Frollo. one of the little stock of good works which the Archdeacon had determined to lay up for his brother beforehand in case th yeuns rogue should one day run short of that Kind of coin the only kind taken at the toll gate of para disc
 He had named him ouasimodo be- cause it happened to be Quasimodo Sunday when the child was discover cd in the little wooden bed in the I portico, and also because the deform- name appropriate But whatever opin- ion the people whe throngsd the Place de Grave held regarding the hunch- back they all went joyously to see him flogged. The culprit was lifted to the platform of the pillory amid prodigious hooting mingled with laugh I ter. The face of the victim betrayed no emotion other than the astonish- ment of savage or an idiot. He was | bound by a fresh series of thongs to the pillory, his shirt was stripped from him and he appeared to the mob in all his hideousness. His shoulders were | scaly and hairy, his breast like that | of a camel. One shoulder was higher than the other and the head. too bie for t1e body. was covered by shock l of coArse, red hair. In his misshapen face there was only oneeye. The place where the other should have been was occupied by an enormous wart. 1 An official clad in the livery of the city began to lay upon the bare flesh | of Quasimodo blow after blow with a whip composed of long. white. glis- | tening thongs. The blood began to | triclle in a hundred little streams down the swart shoulders of the hunch- l back.
 That ouasimodo 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. It was the Archdeacon. Dom Claude gave one look at the bleeding wretch then turned and rode away without word.
 The punishment ended. The eulprit hung by his thongs. bloody and pant 1 ing. "Waterr' he gasped. The crowd booted and pelted him. But a slender l female followed by a white goat as- l cended the platform. Quasimodo re- cognized her as the girl whom he had tried to carry away the preceding night and thought she came to add her bows I to those of the others. But she un- loosed goudr of water from her girdle and held 1t to the lipe of the exhausted wretch.
 I A great tear stole out of the single 1 eye of Quasimodo. Just then harsh l voice cried out: Away with the | Egyptian! Death to the sorceressP'
 It. was Sister Gudule. the recluse of | RoIande's Tower, who, from the cell I where she had retired years before to | await death, thus mathematical she | Egyptian and her race. Sixteen years before this maclated, half crazed creature had been a gay young woman 1 of dissolute life whom the people Of Rheims had known as Chanteheurte. But her girl baby had been stolen by gypsies, who had left a misshapen brat l Of their own in its place, and she had come to Paris to have herself walled up in the cell of Rolands Tower, place constructed for such penances- There was no door to 1t; only win dow through which food and water were passed at times by the charitable. l There she was known as Sister Guduie. and passed her time in contemplating a baby's shoe fixed in one corner, the sole relic of her lost child. Death to the Egyptianw shouted Sister Gudule. Esmeralda shuddered and fled.
 For several weeks after his release l from the pillory Quasimodo avoided Dom Claude as much as possible. though he was still the submissive slave to the priest, the faithful dog, and trem- bled at a look from him. But he com muneQ more Lnan ever WtLn tne BIedS bells of Notre Dame. for which Quasi modo had a weird. strange passion. though they had made him death with their tremendous reverberations. All day long he patted the hanging metal masses; and when their clangoE shook the towers he watched their swaying with gleamlng eyes. He could not hear them, but he thrilled with their pulsations.
 Big Mary" hanging In the south ern tower, was his favorlte. When he had signaled to his assistants below to begin, when the windlasses ereaked and the great cone of metal began to sway he would watch It's increase of motion till, at a given moment, he leaped on 1t, clinging with hands and feet and knees, to be swung far out over the city in a frenzy of excitment.
 The moodiness of Dom Claude in- creased; the fever in his soul consumed him. One day, having supplied his brother as usual with money and good advice. Dom Claude, proving about the streets as was his wont on the chance of seeing the gypsy girl; caught sight of his young Jehan talking with Cap tain 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 Egyptian" and went away iaugh- ing. The Archdeacon followed them to tavern and waited outside until it was dark, when Phoebus came out alone and went down the street hum ming love song. s
 Perceiving afteR a while that he was followed, the captain turned sharply around and confronted his pursuer. Even his stout heart quaned a little, for by the dim light he saw a figure which he took to be the Goblin Monk of Paris. But seeing that the stranger was of real flesh and blood his cour- age returned.
 Captain Phoebus de Chateaupers,' said the stranger in a hollow voice you have an asslgnatlon this evening"
 '"rhe devilr exclaimed Phoebus. "So you know my name? I plead guilty It is with charming La Esmeraida."
 "Phoebus de Chateaupers, thou liest!' cried the stranger
 Fire and furyT shouted Phoebus If you have a weapon, draw""
 Tomorrow, next week, ten years hence-any time you wish" replied the monk. T shall be ready to cut your throat But now so to your assigna- tion."
 Well" replied the captain, "a sword and a girl are two delightful things to encounter at a meeting; but I do l not see why should give up one when I may have both. So we will defer our little affair until tomorrow. But for get. I must have money; I have not a single sou left"
 "Here is money" returned the