The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-21

against the ceiling with buzzing peril
nacity. So that the stealthy lifting of
the door-latch startled him broad
awake in a moment, and he half rose
out Of his chair to confront the in
truder, a young man of shabby and
slouching appearance. who paused ON
he threshold before entering.
well Uncle Reubenl Pretending to
starve, as usual?"
Pretending to starvei" The old man
pushed his chair aside and stood erect,
his Indignation flushing his thin fea-
lures with a glow of new life.
Worthy nephew, do not lie" no
said, sternly; II am only a lew. I
leave lies to Christians"
The newcomer strobe into the room,
his thin lips twitching with an evil
smile.
You insult my religion" he began.
Your religion?" queried Reuben,
you mean your fathers religion. You,
aerez, never had a religion. I
think. except when as a child at the
knee of your mother-the sister who
used to be all in all to me-you lisped
your first prayers to the God of Abra-
ham, Isaac, and Jacob, the one Jeho-
yah, who hath never deserted His peo-
ple-until now!"
The last two words escaped his lips
~involuntarlly and were accompanied by
a heavy sign. y.
Young Perez looked at him morosely.
"All this is mere can't and humbug,'
he said, impatiently; Il don't care two
sous about one religion more than an
other-you kno that well enough.
With a Jewish mother and a Christian
father, am a half-breed between a lie
and a truth, l suppose, and. it doesn't
matter to me which is the truth and
which the lie. Where is Miriam?" )
she has one out" +.
That's a good hearing, at any rate.
l hate to see her crawling about like +
a snake, and staring at me with her
big eyes. You know what I've come
for well enough. / want money"
Reuben David threw up his hands
with ar eloquent gesture.
Money!" he cried; where can l get
it? Should 1 lack food If / knew?"
ooh, that's all sham!' retorted Perez.
IF you've got no money yourself, you
know very well how to find it. You
can give me a letter to one of your
hang-dog friends of usurers. and I dare
say enough cash ia be screwed out
to keep me going. 1 only want a
thousand francs; it's q mere trifle."
The old man stared at him for a
moment as though m~isdoubting the
evidence of his own eyes I'M ears.
"a thousand francs!" he exclaimed
at last. "Are you mad, nephew, or
am /? What do you expect OF me?
L have not 4 sou to buy bread. and
you demand a thousand francs, You
tell me to ask my friends-I have no
friends! Would 1 let the child Miriam
suffer the pains of hunger IL I had
friends? Would / suffer myself? I
can do nothing; nothing for my own
needs or yours. I am almost destitute
of clothing; l have to beg charity in
the streets to get sufficient money to
pay the rent for this wretched roon1;
and yet, you. knowing all this, come q
to me for a thousand francs! You
must be dreaming!" Z
Perez scowled.
Dreaming or waking, | know you
are a jew" he said. And Jews al
ways awe money. My father told
me so. And he said of you that you
could coin it, If you chose. There was
no love lost between you and him, |
remember, and between 0 both, L
believe you worried my mother into
her grave. You were always miser as
well as Jew, and | dare say you've got
q tidy hoard hidden away in this very
room, under the boards or behind tho
CRATE, for all l know. But I'll get all
| can get out of you this time depend
upon it, 1 have come prepared Tor
that, so you may as well make the
best of the business and give me what
l want without any foolery about it,
n. 1onlral 1rntYnH him EIIGnirlOHSlN
as he spoke, and lowered his voice to
a threatening whisper. Reuben made
no answer.
do YOU hear me?" continued Perez,
! advancing close up to him with a sud
den stride. 81 am sick of all your
| stories about starvation and poverty;
you are the best liar l ever met. Out
with your hidden cash, or it viii be
the worse for you! I've no tim to
stand here arguing the matter; find
me the money, / tell you, or I'll find II
for myself"
The old man met his fierce gaze
| calmly and hxedly.
you are at liberty to do so, nephew
Perez" he said, TRANQUILITY: IF you can
discover gold in this poor room you arc
welcome to it. God is my witness that Z
[ have spoken the truth to you when
[ tell you l have not q penny III the
world"
AS he uttered the words with uplitted
eyes and an eloquent gesture of sorrow
his nephew's face grew livid, the veins
in his forehead standing out Ike cords
In the rush OF evil blood that heated
his brain.
Lying dewitt" he muttered, with an
oath; then, springing forward, he lifted
his hand-lt grasped something sharp
aud glittering-there followed u brief
STRUGGLE fiercely dealt heavy blow
and Reuben David, with Il faint chok-
ing groan, fell LEAD on the door, tho
blood yelling from a CHASTITY wound IN
his throat where his nephew had NOR
tally stabbed him. The afternoon sun
light poured fully on the prone figure,
the white hair, and the red blood that
stained the floor, and the murderer.
still grasping the Spanish poniard that p
had wrought the wicked deed, stared at
his work for a moment In sick and
giddy horror. His limbs seemed para
lyzed; he had no power to stir, anu
while he stood thus rooted to the spot.
he heard in the distance the notes OF
"a e,,I1 ~ xyoino floating inward and