Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-04-23

| A''"o "O~'s "HA "oHAtN InUht VIII, nlst
given her heart to him without the ask
ing; while tho gentle Lily Dc We're
distant klnswoman, and poor compnn
ion to her, had, without seeking, fount
the treasures IF his true love, aAd hcl.
them tast. Then he had joined thu
army, and made ono of tho pio,ls sol
diers whose evil passions were mover
stirred but by sign or symbol of Pop
cry. But a scornc<l woman's hatred
had reached him even there. Enemies
AMI deep plots had compassed hin
about and conquered him. To-nigh
he was to die!
! The beautiful world lay us vivit
picture before him. The dark greer
wood above the rocky hill where Robin
HOou anu his merry men had dwelt
the browning castle with his tlrawbridg<
and square towers ; tho long stretch Of
moor with the purple shadows upon it
the green, straight walks of the village
the birds over head, even the daises a,
ms feet he saw. But, ah :! more vividl,
than all, he saw the great red sun Will
its hazy veil lingering above the trees
as though it pitied him with moro thar
human pity!
he was q God fearing, and God sorv
Ing man. he had long made his ponce
with Heaven. Nothing stood between
MN and death-nothing rose pleading
between him and those who were to de-
| stroy him, but the sweet face of Lily
De We're, whom he loved. She had
knelt at Cromwell's feet and pleaded
Tor his life. She had wearied Heaven
with her prayers, but all without avail.
Slowly now the great sun went down,
Slowly the last red rim was hid behind
the green wood. Thirty seconds more
and his soul would be with his God.
The color did not forsake his cheeks.
Inc, Inc dark rings Of hair lay upon a warm
brow. 1t was his purpose to die as
martyrs and brave men die. What was
life that he should cling to it He al
most felt the air pulsate with the first
heavy roll of the death knell. But no
sound came. Still facing the soldiers
with his clear gray eyes upon them, he
waited. The crimson banners in the
west were paling to pink. The kline
had c eased their lowing, and had been
gathered into the rick yards.
All nature had sounded her curfew :
but old Jasper was silent!
The bell-ringer with his gray head
yet barred had traversed half the dis
lance that lay between his cottage and
the ivy covered tower, when q form
went fitting past him, with pale, shad-
owy robes floating around Il. and hair
that the low western lights touched and
tinted az with a halo.
All, Huldah, Huldah p the old man
muttered; how swift she flies Twill
come soon, dear. Ny work is almost
done: Huldah was the good wife,
who had gone from him in her early
womanhood, and for whom he had
mourned all his long life. But the feet
ing form was not Huldah's, it was Lilv
De We're, hurried by a sudden and des-
Perate purpose toward the old Cathe-
dral.
$50 help me God, curfew shall not
ring tonight! Cromwell and his drag
cons come this way. Once more I will
kneel at his feet and plead"
She entered the ruined arch. She
wrenched from its fastenings the carved
and worm-eaten door that barred the
way to the tower. She assembled with
flying and frenzied feet the steps her
heart lifted up to God for Richards de-
liverance from peril. The bats flew ont
and shook the dust of centuries from
the black carvings. AS she went up
she caught glimpses of the interior Of
the great building, with it's groined
root, it's chevrous and clustered COL
umns it's pictured saint and carved
image of the Virgin, which the pillagers
Of ages had spared to be dealt with by
Time, the most relentless Vandal of ali.
Up-stiu up-beyond the rainbow
tlnts thrown by the stained glass across
her death-white brow; up~still up
past open arcade and arch, with griffin
and gargoyls staring at her from under
bracket and cornice, with all the hid
eousness of medieval carving; the
stairs, flight by fight, growing Trailer
beneath her young feet; now but a
slender fretwork between her and the
outer world but still up.
Her breath was coming short and
grasping. She saw, through an open
space, old Jasper cross the road at the
foot OF fhe tower. Oh, how far The
seconds were treasures which Crom-
well, with all his blood-bought Com
monwealth, could not purchase from
her: Up-ah-there, just above her.
with its great brazen mouth and wicked
tongue, the bell hung!
A worm-eaten block for a step. and
one small white hand had clasped itself
above the clapper-the other prepared.
at the tremble, to rise and clasp it's
mate, and the feet to swing off and
thus she waited. Jasper was old and
slow-but he was sure, and it came at
last. A faint culver, and the Young
feet swung from their rest, and the ten,
der hands clasped for more than their
precious life, the wreathine thing.
There was grooming and creaking of the
rude pulleys above, and then the strokes
came heavy and strong. Jasper's hand
had not forgot its cunning, nor his arm
its strength. The tender, soft form
was swung and dashed to and fro. But
she chung to and caressed the cold. cruel
thing. Let one stroke come and a
thousand might follow--for it's fatal
work would be done. She wreathed
her white arms about it, so that at every
pull OF the great ropes it crushed into
the flesh. It tore her, and wounded
and bruised-but there in the solemn
twilight the brave woman swung. and
fought with the cruel curfew and God
gave hCr victory!
The old bell-ringer said to himself ::
AYE, Huldah, my work is done. The
pulleys are getting too heavy for my
old arms. My ears, too, have failed
me at last. I dinna hear one stroke of
the curfew. Dear old bell, it is NV
ears that have gone false, and not thou.
Farewell, old friend.'
And just beyond the worn pavement
shadowy form again went fitting past
him. There were drops of blood upon
the white garments; and the face was
like the face of one who walked in her
sleep, and the hands hung wounded and
powerless at her side.
Cromwell paused with his horsemen
under the dismantled maypole before
the village green. He saw the man
who was to die ct sunset standing mn in
the dusky air, tall as a king and beau
tiful as Absalom. He gazed with knit
tea brow and angry eye; but his lips
did not give utterance to the Quick
command that trembled on them. Tor a
young girl came flying toward him.
Pikeman and archer stepped aside to
let her pass. She threw herself upon
the turf at his horses feet; she lifted
her bleeding and tortured hands to his
gaze, and once more poured out her
prayer for the life OF her lover: with
trembling lips she told him why Rich
ard still lved-why the curfew had
never sounded.
Lady Maud, looking out Of her lat
tlced window at the castle, saw the
great Protector dismount, lift the faint