The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-08
THE cURFEW HEROINE.

Tonight, . told in prose, is as follows:
1t lacked quite half an hour of curfew
toll. The old bcll-ringer came forth
from under the waited roof of his cot
tage stoop, and stood with uncovered
head in the clear, sweet-scented air.
He had grown blind and deaf in the
service, but his arm was as muscular as
ever, and he who listened this day
marked no faltering in the heavy metal
lie throbs Of the cathedral bell. Old
Jasper had lived through many changes.
He had tolled out the notes of mourning
for good Queen Bess, and with tears
scarcely dry he had rung the glad It'd
ings of the coronation Of James. Charles
|. had been crowned, and reigned and
cxpiated his weakness before all Eng
land in Jasper's time, and now he who
under army held all the Commonwealth
in the hollow of hishand, ruled as more
than monarch, and still the old man
with the habit of long life upon him
rang his matin and sorrow.
Jasper stood alone now, lifting his
dimmed eyes up to the softly dappled
SKY.
The walls of his memory seemed so
written over-so crossed and recrossed
by the annals Of the years that had gone
before that there seemed little room for
anything in the present Little reck-
oned he that, Cromwell's spearsmen
were camped on the moor beyond the
village Cromwell himself rode
with his guardsmen league away; he
only knew that the bell had been runo
in the tower when William the Con.
queror made curfew law. had been
spared'by Puritan and Roundhead, and
that his arm for sixty years had never
failed him at even tide.
He was moving with q slow step to-
ward the gate, when woman came
hurriedly in from the street and stood
beside him; lovely woman. but with a
face 50 blanched that it seemed carved
in the whitest of marble, with all of its
roundness and dimples. Her great,
solemn eyes We're 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 can
not hear your clatter,
For Heavens sake, Jasper, do not
ring the curfew bells tonight
What na ring curfew? Ye must be
daft, lassie."
Jasper, for sweet Heavens sake
for my sake-for one night in all your
long life forget to ring the bell. Fail
this once and my lover shall live, whom
Cromwell says shall die at curfew toll.
Do you hear? My lover. Richard
Temple See, Jasper, here is money to
make your old age happy. / sold my
jewelry that the. Lady Maud gave me,
and the gold shall be yours for one
curfew "
Would you bride me, Lily dc We're:
Ye're a changeling. Ye've ma the blood
of the Plantagenets in we're veins as
ye're mother had What, corrupt the
bell-ringer under her Majesty, good
Queen Bess? Not for all the gold that
Lady Maud could bring me- Babes
have been born and strong men have
died before now at the ringing of my
bell. Avail Avail"
| And out on the village green, with
solemn shadows of the lichens lengthen
ing over it, a strong man awaited the
curfew to toll for his death. He stoot
handsome, and brave, and tall-tallel
by an inch than the tallest pikemar
who guarded him.
| What had he done that he should die
Little it mattercd in those days, wher
the sword that the great Cromwell
welded was so prone to fall. what hi
or others had done He, had beer
scribe to the late Lord up at the castle
and Lady Maud, forgetting that maj
must WOO and women must wait, hat
given her heart to him without the ask
ing, while the gentle Lily De We're, dis
tant kinswoman and poor companion
of her, had, without seeking. found Tn
treasures Of his true love and held then
fast. Then he had joined the army ant
made one of the pious soldiers who's
evil passions were never stirred but b.
sign or symbol of poetry. But a scorne,
woman's hatred had reached him eyel
there. Enemies and deep plots has
conquered him. Tonight he was t.
die,
The beautiful world lay as vivi
picture before him. The dark gree
wood above the rocky hill where Robin
Hood and his merry men had dwell
the frowning castle with its draw-bridg
and square towers, the long stretch c
moor with the purple shadows upon ii
the green, Straight walks OF the village
the .irds overhead, even the daisies a
his feet be saw. But ah! more viyidl
than all, he saw the great red sun wit
its hay veil lingering above the tree
as though it pitied him with more f'la'
human pity.
He was God-fcaring and God
serving man. He had long made hi
peace with Heaven. Nothing stood be
tween him and death nothing ros
pleading between him and those VIII
were to destroy him but the sweet fac
Of Lily De We're. whom he loved. Sh
had knclt at CromWell's feet an
lpleaded for him. She wearied Heave
with her prayers. but all without avail
Slowly now the great sun went down
o Slowly the last fim was hid beneath tn
: greenwood. Thirty minutes moro ar
his soul would be with God. The coli
did not forsake his cheeks. The dal
t. rings Of hair lay on warm brow
was his purpose to die as martyrs al
t. lbrave men die. What was life that
J. should cling to it? He almost felt Il
air pulsate with the first heavy roll
the death knell But no sound cam
Still facing the soldiers with his clea
gray eyes upon them, he waited.
c The crimson banners in the We
III were paling TO pink, The kline hi
e ceased their lowings and had been gat
d cred in the rick yards.
r. All nature had sounded her curfe'
i but old Jasper was silent.
!, The bell ringer, with his gray he
- - vet barred, had traversed half the d
lance between his cottage and the "
covered tower when a form went fifth
past him, with pale, shadowy rob
. floating around it, and hair that the lt
d western lights touched and tinted
= with halo.
N ''Ah, Huldan. Huldah!' the old III
muttered;' chow swift she flies? | W