The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-12-08

ences, Il m horribly lrlg htened
Pm scared But"-with sudden re-
solve--I will. One-two- three
more rounds, then again that deli
cate broken whisper over his head
in the utter dark.
John, because you have been so
good as to come with me meckly, /
will tell you a secret--a secret,
mind The bell shall not fing-no !
but = = : Z; love
him.
A whispered laugh was Johns
only answer-a laugh whose faint
echoes assembled to her with odd in
timation Of jubliant triumph, as if
the COLLINS perdue in this murkcy
tower were weirdly deriding the
words she had spoken.
She loitered no longer now-no
other whispers came down to John
waiting patiently there in the dark
A minute two minutes three
and he heard her carefully de-
scending football In another mo-
ment she stood beside him.
"Here--take it, please" said
she, with delighted selfgratulation.
1T is so dreadful heavy Where
are you ? Take it"
"What?" said John, in an aston
ished whisper, "The bell p
The clapper, laughing. you
know the real one was broken and
this bit of iron is used in its stead.
Now listen-hide it in the coal closet
there safely-whileI run to the
chancel and leave my cloak on the
rail to prove so Will Bennett that it
was none other-who did this
thing, He will find it there when
he comes in the morning (chuckling
softly to see what was wrong with
the bell
She pushed the vcstibule door
open and vanished while John,
waiting n G tious moment, set light
foot upon tie ladder and digappear
ed.
When she had CROPPED her way
back 10 the veitihule she spoke his
name softly John.
YES"
"Did you hide it y
YES"
Good john and in the velvet
darkness she nestled her warm
young body a moment against him
with movement infinitely caress-
ing and seductive. John held her
there.
Listen said he, in That still
whisper Of his. Let US see the fun.
Let US hide in the porch there and
watch the mystifcation of old Eli"
John delightedly, what IL beau
tiful thought Old Eli will never
dare go up there to solve the mys-
tery-hc says the old tower is
haunted .
"The gate !" breathed John in
sudden warning and drew the lex
IDLE form out into the dusky porch
behind u thick letcrsporun bash
that thickly thanked one side the
low stone steps.
She lay against him trembling
with laughter and excitement, her
warm bosom rising in quick, soft
pants against his side, he held her
with both his arms and waited, with
lis lips upon her curling hair . ,s.....
A soft step-a quaint old figure
with a smoky lantern "a wheczy
cough. II went up the steps close
by them, the light lumining his rug
ged African features, crossed the
porch and dissappcred in the veeti-
bule He lad set his lantern on
the thresho d, and its murky light
sheened mi-tily on the glossy leaves
the everg zen behind which those
two crouch d concealed ; it revealed
the whittier ess Of h two hands
linked in guy excitement and the
CLEAN of her teeth behind her laugh
ing lips as she peered cagercly for
ward.
John :" he murmured, iubliant-
ly, in that enc moment of waiting.
John was : lzing at herlips her cyl
the pale light giving the beautiiuT'
joy Of his features fall to the view
of any eye which might chance to
look, and At the sound of her 9oice
he held her close, pressing his cheek
to her hair.
Listen y said he aloud, and as
he spoke another stronger and
sweeter voice broke forth into ner-
ry clamor
1t pealed and toned and ,ibrated
with full terrated and eXultant jub-
lance, lacing and interacingt he dull
Get silence of the night with a myr-