The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-05-08

gasping. She saw, through an open
space, old Jasper cross the road at the
foot of the tower. Oh, how far, The
seconds wers treasures which Cromwell
with all his blood bought Common
wealth could not purchase from her.
Still up-ah-there, Just above her,
with Its great brdzen mouth and wicked
tongue, the bell hung
wOrm-eaten block for a stem. and
one small, white hand had elasped itself
above the clapper-the other prepared.
at the first tremble, to rise and clasp its
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 quiver, and the young feet
swung from their rest, and the tender
hands elasped for more than their prec-
lous life the w-ithing thing. There was
groanlng and creaking of the rude pull
leys above, and then the strOaks came
heavy and strong Jasper's hand had
not lost its cunning, nor his arm its
strength The tender, soft form was
dashed and swung to and fro. 1t was
bruised by the braZen sides and tortured
by the unshapely tongue. But she clung
to and caressed the cold, cruel thing.
Let one stroke come and n thousand
might follow-fOr its fatal work would
be DONE She writhed her white arm
about IL, 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. i dina hear one stroke of the
curfew. Dear old bell, it is my ears
and not thou that has grown false.
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 it her
sleep, and the hands hung wounded and
pOwerless at her side.
Cromwell passed with his hOrsemen |
under the disInantled 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 Absalom. He gazed with knitted |
brow and angry eye, but his lip did not |
give utterance to the quick command
that trembled on them, for young girl
came flying toward him. Pikeman and
archer stepped aside to let her pass. She
threw herself upon the turf at his hOrs-
es feet; she lifted her bleeding and tor
tured hands to his gaze, and once more
pour out her prayer fer the life of her
lover; with trembling lips she told him
why Richard still lived-why the curfew
had never sounded.
Lady Maun, 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 delivernce; then she welcOm-
ed the night that shut the scene out
from her envious eyes and sepultured
her in its gloom.
At the next matin old Jasper died; at
eurfew toll he was laid beside the wife |
who had died in his youth, but the |
of whom had been with him al |
ways.-HedTth and Home