Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-03-06

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color did not forsake his cheeks The
dark ngs of hair lap upon a warm
brow. IL was his purpose to die rs
martyrs and brave men die. What
was life that he should cling to it?
He almost felt the air pulsste with the
tir>t heavy roll of the death knell.
But no sound cane. Still facing the
soliiers with his clear gray eyes upon
them he waited
The crimson banners in the west
were pallng to pink. The kline had
ceased their lowing, and had been
gathered into the rick yards.
All nature had sounded her curfew,
but old Jtspar was silent!
The bell-ringer with his gray head
vet barred. had traversed half the dis
tance between his cottage and the ivy
covered tower when form went fit
ting past him, with pale, shadowy
robes floating round it and hair that
] the low western lights touched and
tinted as with halo.
"Ah. Huliah, Hnldahl" the old
man mntterei; "how swift she flies?
| will come soon, dear. My work is
almos. done"
Hnldah was the good wife who mad
gone from hun IN her early woman.
hood. ami for whom he had mourned
all his long lite. But the fleeting form
was not Huldah's. 1t was LILY De
We're, hu"riei by sudden AMI des-
perate purpose to ward the cathedral.
$50 help me Coz. curfew shall not
ring 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 fastening the
carved and worm -paten door that
barred the way 20 the tower. She as
cended with flying and frenzied feet
the steps; her heart lifted up to God
for Richard's 8 deliverance from peril.
The bats few out and shook the dust
of centuries from the black carving.
AS she went up she caught glimpses of
the interior of the great building, with
its grained roof. its chevrons and clus-
tered columns; its pictured saint and
carved image of the virgin, which the
pilIages of ages had been spared to be
dealt with by time, the most relentless
vanda,l of all.
Neutrality-suspicious. the rain
bow unts thrown hv the stained glass
across her death white brow; up-still
--up--past open arch, with griffin and
gargoyles staring at her from under
bracket and cornice, with all the hid
eousness and medIeval carving; the
stairs. flight by flight, growing Trailer
beneath Ter young feet; now but
slender network between her and the
outer world; but still up.
Her breath was coming short and
gasping. Sne saw through an open
space old Jasper cross the road at the
foot of the tower. On, how far! The
seconds were treasures which Crom.
we'll, with all his blood bought com.
monwealth. 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 step, and one
small white hand had clasped itself
above the clapper--the other prepared,
at the tremble. to rise and clasp its
mate, and the feet to swing off---and
thus she waited. Jasper was old and
slow, hut he was sure and it came ut
last. A faint quiver, and the young
feet swung from their rest, and the
tender hands clasped for more than
their precious life the writhing thing.
There was groaning ana creaking of
the rude pulleys above, and then the
strokes came heavy aud strong. Jas
per's hand had not forgot Its cunning,
nor his arm its strength. The tender,
soft form was swung and dashed to
and fro. But she clung to and Ca
ressed the cold. cruel thing. Le; one
stroke come and a thousand might fol.
low for its fatal work would. be done.
She wreathed her white arms about 1t,
80 that with every pull OF the great
rope 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
curfew, and God gave her victory.
The old bell ringer said to himself:
AYE, Huldah, my work is done. The
pull eys are getting too heavy for my
old arms; my ears, too, have failed me.
dinna hear one stroke of the curfew.
Dear old bell! 1t is my ears that have
gone false. aud not thou. Farewell,
old friend"
And just beyond the worn pave
ment shadowy form again went fit
ting 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 her hands
hung wounded aud powerless at her
side. Cromwell pause with his horse
men under the dismantled May. pole
before the village green. He saw the
man who was to die ut sunset standing
up in the dusky air, tall as king and
beautiful as Ahsoom. He gazed with
knitted brow aud angry eye, but his
lips did not give utterance to the