The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-22


that the low western lights touched and
tinted as with halo.
"Ah! Huldah, Huldahw the old man
muttered: chow swift she flies! / will
come soon, dear. My work is almost
donem Huldah 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
ring tonight! Cromwell and his dra-
goOns come this way. Once more 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 foot the steps ; her
heart lifted up to God for Richards de-
liverance from peril. The bats flew out
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 roof,
its chevrOns and clustered columns; its
pictured saint and carved image of the
Virgin, which the pillagers of ali ages
had spared to be dealt with by Time,
the most relentless Nandal of all.
Up-still up-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 gargoyle staring at her from under
bracket and cOrnice, with all the hid
eousness of medi3Yal carving the
stairs, flight by flight, growing Trailer
! beneath her young feet; now but a slen-
! der fret work between her and the outer
world, but still up!
! Her breath was coming short and
gasping. She saw, through an open
space, old Jasper cross the road at the
! foot of the tower. Oh, how far! The
| seconds were 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 braZen mouth and wicked
! tongue, the bell hung!
A worm-eateu block for a step, and
one small, white hand had clasped it.
self above the clapper-the other pre-
! pared, at the first tTemble, to rise and
clasp its mate, and the feet 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 ten
der hands clasped for more than theil
tender life, the writhing thing. There
was groaning and creaking of the rude
pulleys above, and then the stroke!
came heavy aud strong. Jasper's hand
had not lost its cunning, nor his arm it:
strength. The tender soft form was
swung and dashed to and fro. 1t wa:
bruised by the braZen sides and tortured
by the uhshapely tongue. But SHE
clung to aud cdTessed the cold, crue
thing. Let one stroke come and 1
thousand might follOw-fOr its fata
work would be done. She writhed he
white arm about it, so that at every
pull of the great ropes it crushed intC
the flesh. Ii tore, wounded and bruised
her-but there in the solemn twiligh
the brave woman swung, and fough
with the cruel curfew; and God gav,
her victory!
The old bel-ringer said to himself
"Aye, Huldah, my work is done. Til,
pulleys are getting too heavy for my
old arms. My ears, too, have failed IN,
at last. | dInna hear one stroke of tht
curfew. Dear old bell, it is my ear
that have gone false, and not thou
Farewell, old friend"
And just beyond the worn pavemen
shaGowy form again went fitting pas
him. There were drops of blood upOl
the white garments; aud the face wa
like the face of one who walked in he
sleep, and the hands hung wounded an,
powerless at her side.
, Cromwell paused with his hOrseme
; under the dIsmantled maypole befor
the village green. He saw the ma
who was TO die at sunset standing up il
the dusky air, tall as a king and beauti
ful as Absalom. He gazed with knitte
brow aud angry eye; but his lips di
not give utterance to the quick com
maud that tremOled upon them, for
J young girl came flying toward him
Pikeman and archer stepped aside t
let her pass. She threw herself upO
the turf at his horses feet; she LITE
} her bleeding and tortured hands TO hi
! gaze, and once more poured out he
, prayer for the life of her lover; wit
trembling lips she told him why Rich
ard still lived-why the curfew ha
never sounded.
r Lady Maud, looking out from her lat
} ticed window at the castle, saw tn
e great Protector dismOunt, lift the faint
J ing form in his arms and bear her [
/ her lover. She saY the guards releas
| the prisoner, and she heard the shout
of joy at his deliverance; then she we
] coined the night that shut the scene OF
/ from her envious eyes, and sepulture
r her in its gloom.
e At the next matin bell old Jaspt
4 died; at curfew toll he was laid besiC
t the wife who had died in his youth bl
d the memory of whom had been wit
:, him always.
o Elizabeth Wallbridge, "The Dair,
q mans Dauphter.U is dear to the hpa