Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-05-26

nv StOtto DT IhS XVI
geously colored light admitted by tn,
painted glass, and imagination supplied
the rest. Here were the vast clustered
p HAIRS, the echoing aisles, the groil e
and arched magnifcence of the roof
and al over a silence of the dead tht
intruder crossed her arms upon hel
bosom, for the place was chiIl-and The
next moment Mabel Lorne knelt before
the shrine of the Virgin. She had hard
~ passed a minute in devotion, when q
heavy hand was laid upon her shoulder
with a huttering heart she started to hel
teet, and beheld the face of Father
Francis, dimly seen close to hers.
Father y she exclaimed.
Daughter" returned the priest in a
voice trembling with passionate eager.
ness. Tor he thought he had his victim in
his clutch, thou must go with me :" and
at the same instant, before 81 e could make
a motion to prevent him, he slipped a
handkerchief, prepared for the purpose,
over the lower part of her face, and she
was unable to utter a sound.
Come. sweet one. come ~ said Father
Francis, IN a low, tremulous voice. as he
attempted to seize her arm and waist
Surprise and despair, however, gave Ma
bel strength; making a frantic effort, she
freed herself from the rude grasp, and
fled. Uttering a muttered imprecation
the priest pursued, but his flowing
robes hindered his progress. With reeli
ing head, and almost insensible of what
she did, Mabel flew over the pavement
she tried to make for the door. but hel
confusion was too great to enable her tc
discover it-she heard the footsteps o.
the priest close to her, and fed, unwit
ting whether she went.
"Ha Lnow | have thee" painted thu
monk, as the fugitive appeared driven into
q ruIFasEasf Tire Dnfldfhg, andShe made
plunge forward to grasp her. He wa.
disappointed. A low proved door stood
open In the wall leading to a spiral stone
staircase, and up it she flew like the wind
AS Mabel put her foot upon the first ster
"a loud clang rang through the cathe
dat was the first chime Of twelve
struck by the great clock. Up-up-ur
went pursuer and pursued. Fear gave
unnatural swiftness to Mabel, and she
rushed upwards-round and round the
spiral staircase-as though her feet felt
not the stone steps. The priest was close
behind-with clenched teeth and g~laring
eyes; maddened by passion and disap-
pointment, he made desperate efforts to
overtake his victim, and sometimes Mabel
heard his loud paintings close behind her.
Up they went. higher and higher; the
gyratlons of the Stairs seemed endless
and all the while the clock rang slowly
out the iron chimes of midnight. The
place was dark. but there was nothing to
impede ones progress and here and
there bars of white moonlight, shining
through l~oopholes, checquered the gloom,
Up! up! higher and faster-but Mabel
felt that her limbs we're failing her-she
made n more effort-one frantic bound
and 10 she saw above her, in a space on
which the moonbeams fell, the complica
ted works of the great clock. She had
no breath to raise an alarm which could
be heard by those below. She listened
to the rapidly mounting footsteps of the
priest, and her heart sunk within her
Just then the great iron hammer which
struck the hours, rang the last stroke O
twelve upon the bell. A thought darteo
like lightning through MabeI's brain
she might make that iron tongue speal
for her. Gliding through the machinery
she mounted among its framework, ane
grasplng the hammer with both hands
she strained every nerve and muscle o
her white arm, and slowly raising tn,
ponderous weight let it fall upon the bell
and 10, with a clang which rung through
her very brain, THE THIRTEENTH CHIME
fell upon the sleeping city. Breathlessly
was the priest preparing to seize her
when the ironpeal for a moment arrested
his hand. Heslooked up-there stood The
gentle creature amid the throbbing me
chanism-hes white hand convulsiyely
clasping the iron, and her face distorted
with terror and fatigue. The moonlight.
showed him all this, and showed him
moreover, the hammer again moving un
der the maiden's grasp. The danger o
his position i'm Dediately flashed across
him,-he knew that there were many
within the chapels and cells attached to
the cathedral. sleepless watchers of the
hours-and be feared the unusual number
of chimes would attract immediate atten
ton. Muttering a deep curse, he turned
and Mabel heard him hurrying down The
staircase. Cautiously she followed and
on reaching the bottom. heard his voice
committing with a brother monk.
Il am CERTAIN" said the latter, tina
the clock struck thirteen"
$50 | deemed, Brother Peter" replied
the low tones of the monk; and | have
come forth to enquire how it could be So
Cautiously keeping in the shadow, Ma
bel glided past the speakers she say
the door opposite her, and flew to
wards it. AS she ran, Father Franci
caught a glimpse of her retreating form
and made a wild gesture of rage and dis
appointment. The next moment Mabe
was in the open air. and was soon locke'
and bolted in her little room. Sinking
on the floor, she cried bitterly, and the