The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-09-15
[Hayerhil (Mass) Bulletln.l
The CurfeW Heroine.

waited rOOI OF MS cottage sIOOp, abu sIOOO
with uncovered head in the clear, sweet
scented air. He bad grown blind aud deaf
In the service, but his arm was as muscular
as ever. and be who listened this day marked
no falterlng ia the heavy metallic LhfoDs oil
the cathedral bell. Old Jasper had lived
through many changes. He had tolled out
his notes OF mourning for good Queen Bess,
and with tears scarcely dry had ruDg the
glad tidings of the coronation of James.
Charles |. bad been crowned, reigned, and
expiated his weakness before all England IN
Jasper's time, and now be who under the
army held all the commonwealth in the
hollow of his hand, ruled as more than a
monarch. and still the old man, with the
habit of q long lite upon him, rang his matin
and sorrow.
The walls of his memory seemed so writ
ten oversee crossed and recrossed by The
annals of the years that had goue before
that there seemed little room for anything
in the present. Little recxoned he that
CromwelPs spearsmen were camped on the
mOoI beyond the village-that Crom well
himself rode with his guardsmen league
away; he only knew that The bell had been
rung in the tower when William the Con
Qnereor made curfew law, had been
spared by Puritan and Rouudhead, aud
that his arm for sixty long years had never
failed him at eventide.
He was moving with a slow step toward
the gate, when a woman came hurriedly in
from the street aud stood beside him; a
lovely woman, but with face so blanched.
that il seemed carved in The wilderness of
marble, with all Of its roundness and dim
pies. Her great. solemn eyes were raised to
the aged face in pItiful appeal, and the lips
were forming words that he could not under
stand.
Speak up, lass; am deaf and cannot
hear your clatter."
''For heavens sake, Jasper, do not ring
the curfew bells to-nightp'
"Wha'! nj ring curfew? Ye must be
daft, lassiep'
"Jaso-r, for sweet heavens sake-for my
sake--f II one night in all your long life, for
get to ring the bell. Fail this once, and my
die al curfew toll. d you heal? Ny lover,
Richard Teuple. See. Jasper, here is money
TO make your Old age happy. sold my jew
elrY thai Lady Maud gave me, and the gold
shall all be- yours for one curfew."
"Would you bride me, Lily de We're? Ie
are a cbangeliDg. Ye've ma he blood of the
Pantaganets in ye're veins as ye're mother
had. VIVA, corrupt the bel ringer under
her Majesty, good Queen Bess? Not for all
the gold LADY Maud could bring me. Babes
have been born and strong men have died
before now al the ringing of my bell. Ava!
Awar'
And ont on the village green, with the
solemn shadows Of the lichens | ngihening
over it, a strong man awaited the curfew TO
toll for his death. He stood handsome and
brave. and tall-taller by an inch than the
tallest pikeman who guarded him.
What had he done that he hould die?
Little it matlered in those days, wien the
sword welded by the great Cromwell was S.
prone to fall, what he or others had doue.
He had bern scribe to the lale Lord up at
the asile, aud Lady Maud forgetting that
man must WOO and woman must wait, had
gwen her heart to him without the asking,
while the gentle Lily de We're, distant klns-
man ano poor companio 10 her, had, with
out the seeking, found the treasures of his
true love and held them fast. Then be had
Joined the army, and made one of the pions
soldiers whose evil passions were never
stirred but by sign or symbol Of poetry.
But a scorned woman's hatred had reached
him even there. Enemies and deep plots
had comprised hun about and conquered
him. Tonight he was to die.
The beautiful world lay as a vivid picture
before him. The dark green wood above the
rocky hill where Robin Hood and his merry
men had dwell; the frownipg castle with its
drawbridge and square towers, the long
stretch of moor with The purple shadows
upon it, he green, sraight walks of the vii
lag-, the birds overhead, even tue daisies al
his feet be- saw. But, ahl more wildly than
ali, he saw the great red sun with It's hazy
veil, lingering above the tree tops as though
1t pjtied BIN with more than human pity.
He was God feari, g and God serving
man. He had long made his peace with
heaven. Nothing stood between him and
death-nothing rose pleading between hun
and those who were 10 destroy hun, but he
sweet face of Lily de We're, whom he loved
She had kn.lt at Cromwelfs feet, and
pleaded for him. She wearied heaven with
her prayers, but all without avail.
Slowly now the great sun went down
Slowly the last rim was hid beneath tht
greenwOod. Thirty minutes more aud be
would be with God. Fbe coor did not for.
sake his cheeks. The dark rings of hair lay
upon warm brow. 1t was his purpose tC
die as martyrs and brave men die. Whal
was life that he should cling to il? He al
most felt the air pusate with the first heavy
roll If the d. ath kneli. But no sound came
Sill facing the soldiers, with his clear gray
eyes upon them Ike waited.
All nat ire b Ad sounded her curfew, but
Old Jasper was silent.
The DELL ringer with his gray head We
barred, had traveIsed ball the distance be
tween his cottage and he UNCOVERED tower
when form vent fitting past him, with
pale, shadow bes floating around il, anC
hair thai The low western lights touched anC
tinted as with halo.
Sab, Huldah, Huldahv' the old man NUT
tered; ''how swift she flies! | will come
5000, deaf. My work is almost DONE"
Huldah was the good vile who had gone
from him in her early womaa hood, aud fo
whom he had mouTned ali his lpng life. Blu
tue fieeting form was not Huldah's. 1t wa
Lily de We're, hurried by a sudden and des
p, rate purpose towards the cathedral.
$50 help me G d, cuIfew shall not RIM
to-nightl Cromwell aud bis dragons come
this way. Once more will keel at hi,
feet aud pleadv'
She entered he ruined arch. She wrenchet
from its fastenibgs the carved aud wormeateI
door that barred The way to the tower. Sh'
assembled with flying and frenzied feet tn
steps, her heart lifted up To God for Rich
ards deliverance from peril. The bats flew
out and shouk the dust OF centuries from th
black carving. AS she went up she caugh
q imposes of the interior of tbe great buildln;
with It's grolned OF, ITS cheVrOns and clus
tered columns; it's pictured saints and carvet
image of the virgin, which the pilages o
ages had spared to be dealt with by time
the most relentless Vandal Of all.
Up-still up-beyond the rainbow tint
thrown by the stained glass across he
d+ath-white brow; up-stil up-past opel
arcade and arch, with griffin and gargoye
staring at her from under bracket and cor
nice, with all the bld-ousness and mediava
rvIng; the stairs, flight by fight, growing
frazier beneath her yorng feet: now a sleu
der network between her and this cute
world; but stlll up.
Her breath was coming short and gaspiug
She saw through an open space old Jaspe
erusg the road at The foot Of the lower. Oh
ROY far! lhe seconds were treasures which
Cromwell with all bis blood-bought Com
monwea ,th could not purchase from her
Up-ah-there, just above her, with it
great brazen mouth and wicked tongue, tn
bell hung. A worm-eaten block for slep
and one small, white hand bad ciasped 1t
self about the clapper-the other prepare
at the tremble TO rise and clasp lis mate
and the feet to swing off-and thus she val
ed, Jasper was old ami slow, but be wa
sure, and IL came at last. A faint quive
and the young feet swung from their rest
and the young hands clasped for more thai
their precious life the writhing thing. Their
was groanng and creaking OF rude pulley
above, and then the strokes came heavy AM
strong. Jasper's hand had not lost its Gun
ming nor his arm its strength. The tender
soft lorm was dashed to aud fro. But sh
Cling fA and na1S apma1 fhfuo