Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-23


were paling to pink. The kline had ceased
their lowing and had been gathered into
the rick yards.
All nature had sounded her curteW; but
old Jasper was SILENT
The beIl-ringer with his gray head yet
barred traversed half the distance that lay
between his cottage and the UNCOVERED
tower, when a form went fitting past
him, with pale, shadowy robes floating
around it, and hair that the low western
lights touched and tinted as with halo.
"Ah. Huldah. Huidah!" the old man
muttered: chow swift she f1iesI 1 will
come soon. dear. My work is almost
donen Hn1dah was the good wife who
had gone from him in her early woman
hood and for whom he had mourned all
of his long life. But the fleeing form
was not Huldah's; it was Lily De We're,
hurried by a sudden and desperate pur-
pose toward the old Cathedral.
$50 help me God, curfew shall not rim
tonight Cromwell and his dragons
come this way. Once more | will Kneel
at his feet and plead"
She entered the ruined arch. She
wrenched from its fastenlngs the carved
and worm-eaten door that barred the way
and frenZied feet the steps; her heart lift
ed up to God for Richards deliverance
from peril. The bats flew out and shook
the dust of centuries from the black cary
ings. AS she went up she caught
glimpses of the interior of the great
building with it's groined roof, its ehey-
rons and clustered columns; its pictured
saint and carved image Of the Virgin,
which the pillagers of all ages had spared
to be dealt with by Time, the most relent-
less vandal of all.
Up-still uD-beyond the rainbow tints
thrown by the stained glass across her
death-white brow; up-still up-past open
arcade and arch, with griffin and gar
gOyle staring at her from under bracket
and cornice, with all the hideousness of
medieval carving; the stairs, flight by
flight, growing Trailer beneath her young
feet; now but slender fretwOrk between
her and the outer world; but still up!
Her breath was coming short and gasp
ing. She saw, through an open space, old
Jasper cross the road at the foot of the
tower. On, how far! The seconds were
treasures which Cromwell, with all his
blood bought Commonwealth, could not
purchase from her. Still up-ah-there,
just above her, with its great brazen
mouth and wicked tongue, the bell hung!
A worm-eaten block for step, and one
small, white hand had clasped itself
above the clapper-the other prepared, at
the first 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 tender
hands claspCd for more than their precious
life the writing thing. There was groan-
ing and creaking Ofthe rude pulleys above,
and then the strokes came heavy and
strong. Jasper's hand had not lost its
cunning, nor his arm its strength. The
tender, soft form was swung and dashed
to and fro. 1t was bruised by the brazen
sides and tortured by the unshapely
tongue. But she chung to and caressed
the cold, cruel thing Let one stroke
come and thousand might follow-for
its fatal work would be done. She
writhed her white arm about it, so that at
every pull of the great ropes it crushed
into the flesh. 1t 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 her the victory.
The old bell-ringer said to himself,
"Aye, Huldah, my work is done. The
pulleys are getting too heavy for my old
arm. My ears, too, have failed me at last.
dinna hear one stroke of the curfew
Dear old bell, it is my ears that have gone
false, and not thou. Farewell, old friend"
And just beyond the worn pavement a
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 power
less at her side.
Cromwell passed with his horsemen
under the dismantled May-pOle before the
village green. He saw the man who was
to die at sunset standing up in the dusky
air, tall as a king and beautiful as Absa-
lon. He gazed with knitted brow and
angry eye; but his lip did not give utter
anCe to the quick command that trembled
on them, for young girl came fiying to
ward 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 Richard
still Gved-why the curfew had never
sounded.
Lady Maud, looking out from her lat
ticed window at the castle, saw the great
Protector dismount, lift the fainting form
in his arms and bear her to her lover.
She saw the guards release the prisoner,
and she heard the shouts of Joy at his de-
liverance; then she welcomed the night
that shut the scene out from her envi0us
eyes and sepultured her in it's gloom.
AT the next matin bell old Jasper died;
at curfew toll he was laid beside the wife
who had died in his youth, but the mem
DRY of whom had been with him always.
Hearth and Home
\ Startled Bridegroom.