Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-12-28
VOL. XI.

Shl tlldb Su6 WdS
But perhaps you'll catch cold.
"I'm not afraid of that, either. I'm
as warm as toast Come along, Willis y
And she began to ascend the tower.
Halfway up, we came to an iron bound
door, which, luckily for us, was also
open, or it would have arrested oul
progress.
FsI say, Willis! Whatever would
people say of us, if they could see us
now9" she cried, as we stopped for q
moment to rest and take breath.
Flap flap flap! "Tu-whoo ttl-
whoo tu-whoo !" And a large owl
flew past us, evidently disturbed by our
intrusion.
"Oh, Willis, whatever was that y
she said, seizing me by the arm.
"Only an owl, dear"
6 Is that all How the horrid thing
frightened me y
g thought that you were never
frightened, Polly"
=" Not by the supernatural, she re
piled. But owls do not come under
that category"
A few steps more, and we had reach
ed the summit, and were standing just
beneath the bells,
ooh, Wi1lis-Willis ! The view
from here is enough to make any one
poetical " she cried, clapping her
hands. 81 had no idea that It was
half so beautiful. Look at the lights
in the village-look at the Grange =
look at the shadows on the blinds I
wonder if they've missed us yet.
| just then there came sudden gust
of wind, followed by loud bang.
Whatever was that, Willis2n
l guessed It's meaning Immediately,
and hurried down the stairs, to find
that the middle door had blown to, and
| that we were securely fastened in.
Here was a pretty position to be placed
in! Laugh as much as you please, but
how would you like to be shut up iii
the belfry of an old Norman church
tower, just before midnight on Christ
mas Eve?
"Oh, dear! oh, dear What are
we to do now2 Whatever will become
of us 2 /" asked Polly.
Be calm, dearest-compose YOUR
self. Our case is not utterly hopeless,
after all. I have box of fuzees in my
pocket. I'll light them one by one,
|, But there's nobody about to see
them," she returned. s'Oh, suppose
we have to stay here all MI ght It's
not twelve o'clock yet, and tie moon
will go down soon, and it will be eight
hours before daylight"
Polly!" said quietly.
"Oh, don't waste time talking to me,
If you please. Oh, why did you bring
me up here2 Oh, whatever will be-
come of us Even if we're missed.
nobody will ever think of looking up
here for us. Oh, Willis--Willis do do
something! Can't you tear our pock-
et-handkerchiefs into strips, and tie
the pieces together, and let yourself
down Tn sure If I were man I
would -
'EI fear, Polly, that our handker-
chiefs are not sufficiently strong to
bear my weight" [ answered, smiling
'fBut If the worst comes to the worst,
I suppose we shall have to pull one of
the bells
"Oh, you mustn't do that-it would
alarm the whole village. And what
would people say? Please don't laugh,
Willis I'm getting SO cold! I begin
to shiver all over. I'm sure, if we have
to stay here, I shall die before morning
"Never mind, dearest, I'll not desert
you at least, we'll die together I
said, in order to keep up her spirits,
| but beginning to feel very uncomforta-
BILE myself; for although the air was
scarcely perceptible outside, it swept
through the horrible belfry with almost
force enough to cut off ones ear.
{" "A-tishyu! a-tishyu! I'm catching
an awful cold, Willis! I can feel it
coming on" she said, after pause.
"Here's nice warm corner" an
swered. 'fCrouch down in the recess
while I reconnoitre. Take the fuzees,
light them one by one, and you can
warm your hands by them," I added,
tying my white handkerchief over her
head as [ spoke.
Don't let me rob you, Willis.
I'm sure you want it more than I do I
have my shawl"
HNever mind me, Polly. I'm more
used to this sort of thing thanyou are !"
"Used to being locked up in belfries
all night?" she inquired, laughing for
the first time since our Imprisonment.
Not exactly" I answered. "But
listen. Don't you hear voices?n
"Of course do," she said, jumping
up. ooh, how fortunate for us It's
the bell-ringers Don't you know it's
the custom at Merton to ring the bells
on Christmas Eve?n
HThank goodness then we shall
soon be delivered from our captivity" {"
[ said.
AS I spoke, the bells began to swing
loo oIv IL
dong ding clash clang ding
dong I could hear the voices of the
bellringers beneath, so [ ran down the
steps, and shouted loudly for assist
ance; but the bells destroyed the
sound
"Hallo, there halo !--Giles Stub
bins! Halo there :"
Stubbins I knew to be the senior bell
ringers name.
"Mussy on us wa-at be that - I
heard the old man ask his companion.
Didn't We hear zoomat ~
''Noa, [ heerd nought," was the re-
ply; and again [ shouted and ratified
at the door.
"Didn't ye hear nought then,
David ?" asked Stebbins.
"Aye did L! heerd a screechin'
loike, and raatlin' o'erhead. Giles
Giles TAX my word for 'un, it be a
ghoast! Ar'n't ye ne'er heerd tell as
how this plaice be haunted. Coon
AWAY, man, COON AWAY !"
"Lord preserve US all F." returned
Giles, "Ye make all my teeth chat
ter in my head"
"Eh, Giles Giles COON AWAY
man, COON away! I've seen 'un-Ive
seen 'un y
"Seen what?n
"Why, the ghoast L seed 'un put
'un's head out O belfry window, Just
now, all whoite loile [ never seed
nought so horrible aforel 1t looked
for a the world loike a skeleton in q