The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-03-17

little jim, who had been blowing the
bellows all this time, asking me If he
might go home, as his father did not
know where he was. i let him out, and
as the door fell behind him / heard the
low, dying wall of the organ as Symes
struck one or two Intellectual notes and
exhausted it's last breath. He came
down and joined me, and as / was TAX
ing up my book and lantern previous to
our departure he suddenly cried
'Hollo that tower-hole is open. just
fancy looking down through there into
the nave
"'Yes, said /, Il daresay it would be
very pretty in the meanwhile am go
ing home, however.
"'All right, said Symes. Lend me
your lantern, and I'll bid you good
night.
"'why, what are you going to do!' l
said.
"'Going up into the tower, he re
piled.
"In vain / tried to dissuade him,
using every argument to represent to
him the folly, the uselessness, the dan
ger of such proceeding. Good humor-
! tOllN Dllb ODSllLiOtl1 ilt OuiOM tboitp Ai'
remonstrances, and when at last / found
him resolved L made up my mind reluc-
family, and not in the best OF humor, to
accompany him on his FOOLS errand.
Thank God that 1 did not leave him
alone, as had intended.
CT was little disposed however, to
respond to his lively sallies as l followed
him into the staircase which led to the
tower. The lantern was of little use to
us as we climbed the worn steps. A cold
strip of moonlight came through an open
slit in the wall now and then, but other
wise we were in the dark. After some
few minutes ascent we came to door
way that led over the top of the trans
cept arch under the leads of the roof.
Begging Symes to look about him, and
to tread carefully, passed after him
through the darknes 80 into the main
tower. From where we stood, the up
per side of the dome-like ceiling of the
center of the nave, between the two
transcripts, rose like an inverted cup be-
fore us and at the apex of the dome,
through the opening which had sug-
gested this hayward undertaking, the
moonlight streamed dimly up into the
darkness of the tower. To carry out his
purpose, Symes now proceeded to crawl
mp the dome in order to look down
through the orifce. / knew it was OF nc
avail to say anything, so / stood and
watched him with anxiety, as he leaned
over the verge of the chasm.
Z" As l gazed l became aware that I'M
mediately above the opening stout
rope was swinging, TO which was at
tached a large hook. l remembered
that some repairs had been going on FOL
few days on the roof of the cathedral
and that | had seen one or two rolls o.
lead wound up through the hole on the
previous day. These thoughts were
passing through my mind when Symes
catching hold of the rope, jerked 1t tC
ascertain that it was fastened above, anC
leaned forward with his weight upon it.
as I've looked downward with EXPLANATIONS
of delight Come mp, sir, and see do !!
he cried. It's worth all the trouble Of
Il climb.
81 was just about to creep up, that
might share his qualification, when {
sudden whirring, grating sound o.
wheels above-a gasping exclamation
a scuffiing snatch with his feet at the
edge of the hole, and before L could
move L saw the poor fellow disappear
rapidly through the opening as the rope
uncoiled itself with increasing velocity
from the winch overhead. 1t flashed
across me in moment. The handle OF
the winch had been imperfectly secured
the Jerk and the subsequent weight haC
overcome the resistance, and, trusting
wholly to the rope, he had slipped from
his footing. The hope occurred to me
that the evident resistance which still
restrained the free revolutions of the
winch might prevent the descent being
80 rapid MS to endangor life or limb sc
that he would possibly land 81 safety
with only severe fright and shaking
These thoughts crowded pell-mell upor
nv mind, at the first shock of surprise
But conceive my horror when, with q
Jar, the noise of the wheels ceased, anG
the re PCS no longer descended.
How / started He has let 60
thought /, and listened breathlessly, il
sickening expectation of the crash which
l conceived must follow. But all was
still; and mechanically l crawled up tc
the edge of the hole and looked over,
thinking TO see his crushed Dody III
CHASTITY heap below me.
"No About five-and-twenty feet
down, vibrating in sheer space, was sus-
pended my poor friend, at a height of at
least fifty feet above the stone flooring
of the nave. He was in the very midst
of the stream of light that poured
through the clerestory windows. In
some way or another he had relieved the
strain upon his hands by getting his leg
over the hook at the end of the rope.
called to him to hold fast for while,
and to keep mp his courage; but never
shall forget his despairing eyes, nor the
hoarse agonizing whisper that replied
Il can't hold on I'm numbed! Loose
the winch BE quick, for Gods sake J
Waiting for no further suggestion,
/ rushed back again to the staircase and
found in the darkness, almost by intui-
tiou, the steps which led still upward
and fastened to mount them. Once or
twice, as painted in the ascent re-
member that l came to the edge OF q
sheer depth. and I drew back, scarcely