The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-24
THE ROANOKE TIMES. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER p. 1899

lights touched and tinted as with halo.
An, Huldah, Huldahm the old man
muttered, chow swift she hiesi l will
come soon, dear. My work is almost done. "
Huidah was the good wife who had zone
from him in her early womunhood, and for
whom he had mourned all his long life.
But the ileetlng form was not Huldah's; it
was Liiy DE We're, hurried by sudden and
desperate purpose toward the cathedral.
30 help me God, curfcw shall not ring
tonight! Cromwell and his dragons come
inns way. Once more / will kneel Mt his
feet and plead"
She entered the ruined arch Sbc
wrenched from its fastenings the carved
ana worm eaten door that barred the way
TO the tower. She assembled with flying
ana irenHled feet the steps; her heart lifted
up 10 God for Richards deliverance from
peril. The bats flew out and shook the
uust Oh centuries from the black carvings
AS she went up she caught glimpses of the
interior of the great building, with it's
groined roof, its chcvrons and clustered
columns; its pictured saint and carved
image OF the Virgin, which the pillagers of
ages hau spared To be dealt with by time,
the most relentless vandal of all
Up-still up-bcyond the rainbow tints
thrown by the stained glass across her
death white brow; up-still up-past omen
arcade and arch with griffin and gargovles
staring ut her from under brackets and
cornlce, with all the hiGeousness and me.
diieval carving; the stairs, flight by flight
growing trailer beneath her young feet;
now but slender network between her
and the outer world; but still up.
Her breath was coming short and gasp
ing. She saw through an open space old
Jasper cross the road ut the foot of the
tower. Oh, how fart The seconds were
treasures, which Cromwell, with all his
blood bought commonwealth, 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 n step and one
small white hand had claspcd itself above
the clappcr-the other prepared, Mt the
trem0le, 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. y faint CULVER, and
the young feet swung from their rest and
the tender hands clasped for more than
their precious life the writhing thing.
There was grooming and creaking of the
rude pulleys above and then the strokes
came heavy and strong. Jusper's hand
had not forgot its cunning nor his arm it's
strength The tender, soft form was swung
and dashed to and fro, hut she chung to
and carcssed the cold. cruel thing. Let
one stroke come and Il thousand might fol-
low-for its fatal work would be done.
She wreathed her white arms about it.. 81
that at every pull of the great ropes it
crushed into the flesh. 1t tore her and
wounded and bruised, but there in the sol.
emp twilight the brave woman swung and
fought with the curfcw, and God gave her
victory.
The old bell ringer said to himself:
AYE, 1Iuldah, my work is done. The pul-
leys are getting too heavy for my old arms.
My ears, too, have failed me- dinna hear
one stroke of the curfcw. Dear old bell, it
is my ears that have gone false. and not
thou. Farewell, old friend"
And just beyond the worn pavement Il
shadowy form again went fitting 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
the hands hung wounded and powerless at
her side
Cromwell paused with his horsemcn
under the dismantled May pole before the
village green. He SAW man who was to
die mt sunset standing up in the dusky air,
tall rs king and beautiful us a bsnlom,
He gazed with knitted brow and angry eve,
but his lips did not give utterance to the
quick command that trcmbled on them,
for girl came flying toward him. Pike
man ana archer stepped aside to let her
pass. She threw herself upon the turf at
his horses feet; she lifted her bleeding and
tortured hands to his gaze, and once more
poured out her prayer for the life of her
lover. With trembling lips she told him
why Richard still lived-why the curfew
had not sounded.
Lady Maud, looking out of her latticed
window at the castle, saw the great pro-
tector dsmount, lift the faintng form in
his arms and bear her to her lover. She
saw the guards release the prisoner, and
She heard the shouts of JOY at his deliver
ance; then she welcomed the night that
smut the scene out from her envious eye
and sepulchered her in its gloom
At the next matin bell old Jasper died
and Mt curfew toll he was laid beside the
wife who had died in his youth, but the
memory of whom had been with him
always.-Somervillc journal.