Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-01-11


the frowning castle with its drawbridge
and square towers; the long stretch of
moor with the purple shadows upon 1t;
the green, straight walks of the viii
lage; the birds overhead, even the
daisies at his feet he saw. But. nh!
more wildly than all, he saw the great
red sun with its ha2y veil lingering
above the trees, a5 though it pitied him
with more than human pity.
lie was = God-feoriag and God-sery-
ing man. lie had long made his peace
with Heaven. Nothing stood between
him and dcath-nothing rose pleading
between him and those who were to
destroy him, but the sweet face of Lily
de We're. whom he loved. She had
knclt ut Cr0mwclrs feet and pleaded
for his life. She had wcaried Heaven
with her prayers. but all without avail.
Slowly now the great sun went down.
Slowly the last red rim was hid behind
the greenwood Thirty seconds more
and his soul would be with his God.
The color did not forsake his checks
The dark rings of hair lay upon n warm
brow. 1t was his purpose TO die rs
martyrs and brave men die What was
life that he should cling To it? lie a.
most felt the air pulsatc with the first
heavy roll Of the death kucll. But no
sound came. Still facing tho soldiers
with his clear gray eyes upon them. he
waited. The crimson banners in the
west were paling to pink. The kline
had ceased their lowing and had been
gathered into tho brick-yards.
All nat are had sounded her curfew;
but old Jasper was silent.
The bcll-ringcr with his gray head
yet barred had traycrsed half the dis
tance that lay between his cottage and
the UNCOVERED tower. when a form
went fitting past him, with pale,
shadowy robes fitting around it, and
hair that the low western lights touched
and tinted n with halo.
"Ah, IIuldah, IIuldah" the old man
muttered; "how swift she flies, l will
come soon. dear. Ny work is almost
done IIuldah was the good wi1o who
had gone from him in her ,mIy woman
hood and for whom he had Iupurucd all
his long life. But the ncctiug form
was not ITuldah's, it was Lily dc We're
hurried bya sudden and desperate pur-
pos" towards the cathedral,
80 help me God. curlcw shall not
ring tonight Cromwell and his dra-
goons come this way. Once more / +
will knccl at his feet and plead"
She entered the ruined arch. She
wrenchcd from its fastening the carved /
and worm-catcn door that barred tho
way to the tower. She ascrndrd with
flying and frcuzicd feet the stops; her
heart lifted up to God for Richards
deliverance from peril The bats nnw
out and shook the dust of centuries
from the black carvings As she went
up she caught glimpscs of the interior
Of the great building. with its groiucd .
roof, its cheyrons and clustered columns.
Up-still up-Acyond the rainbow
tints 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
bracket and coruicc with all the hide
BUSINESS and medieval carving-the .
stairs. fight by flight, growing Trailer
beneath her young feet, now hut a slen-
der network 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 Crom- /.
well, with all his blood-bought common /
wealth. 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 hand had claspcd itself above tho /
clapper, the other prepared, Mt the /
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 1t came at last. A
faint culver, and the young feet swung
from their rest and the tender hands |
clasped for more than their pre-
cious life the writhing thing. There |
was a groaning and creaking of the |
rude pulleys above, and then the |
strokes came heavy and strong. las