The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-22
The Bel Ringers Disappearance.

The Bel Ringers Disappearance.
My uncle, Abel Duane. the untempere.
Mind 10 my early OrphanaSe' vas
s.uriOus old rcclusc, ABSORBED IN peipcV
usl fusSings over musty manuscripts "h'
a. reficcnt as their illeglbliity. let orc
and again he hal seemed 70 me .asl li,.I.
on the revelation OF a secret mere Is
sOmething 1 must tell YOU DeoiHe, ms
boy" he had said, but pieity oi '''v
plenty OF time" Evidently he had lei
ihat his doop0sts were smcared against
The ANGEL OF death, and 50 ne had delay
ed only TO ma that while lndeed ther.
IS plenty OF time in eternity, 1t is moi
available for condolences, for ne went on
suddenly in "a whiri OF apopieNS. Al
we'll though he had been severe Win me
be was a good man according 10 DIS
lghts-Or rather his liver, imasinc-anu
IL ne failed In warning. he. at least icIt
ne & very coy competence. Perhaps, al
my leisure, | would ferret out the cause
of his anxiety from MS papers. Medh-
while, what should | 90 VITA myseH i,o,
| had weil-night decided 70 so 10 HG-
delberg TO take the course IN civil "a"
which deemed essential to my lie WORK
when a letter from my old ciassmate,
Arthur Springer, suggested my return 10
PiersOn. After graduation Arthur had re
manned at the college as tutor, ana DC
spite the dust Of that mummihed condi-
ton, had clearly retained his entnusl-
asms. for he wrote as from a run nehit'
and his arguments were many ana Coz
gent. The lectures were exactly wHat
REQUIRED and surely the erudite professor
In charge was beyond caUl There were
n host Of the old fellows taking special
Handkerchief and Harry, aud old Sules;
don't you remember? And the brave
Gyas and the brave Cloanthus, ana all the
rest The University Club was an ac-
compllshed fact. where the hapless. hope
less fancies OF years had at Length found
an abiding place. Il saw your FORMER
sweetheart, Kosdlind Edison. the other
day GEORGE" Springer continued. AZ ialr
wi /
come. I'm sure that ridiculous qudriei OF
yours would become 50 ridiculous as 10 De
impossible"
/ put down the sheet for a moment
for, instead Of the white of the paper
and the black Of the ink, l saw soft
round virgin eyes. AS fair ana WlnsVHne
as ever" Then. an, how fair ana how
winsOme, How often had that fusc ma
ting vision come 10 me. unhidd II. IN
defiance of the Obduracy with which tn
years since i had driven 1t away. She
was sixteen then, and so she must be
twenty-siX now, unless she had remained
sixteen after the wont of co j ge " do"s
But no. ! should not class her with that
free and j0Vial crew. R0salind Edson
had always served shrine ana kept III
pure and meet for holy worship, and in
that shrine dwet the soul of ROsalInd
Edison. We had quarreled. indeed, what
other course have lovers when too young
and too poor 20 WCdI Kut Tor all that
my heart would leap into any lists for
maintaining her sweet maidenly pre-
eminence.
Yet in spite of all Springers reasons,
and, perhaps. prudenty on account OF
this last one, / did not waVer IN my
preference for Germany until / came 10
this passage: II know how averse you
are TO Pierson boarding nous s, ana
luckily / can remove this obstacle rom
consideration. | met the secretary the
other day, and while speaking of you ne
said an exception would he made In your
favor, and that you could nave me
rooms In the old chapel. lou remember
the suite. ample. comfortable, ana Sc
cluded. Why you can be Verltabie her
init. that s., II veritable herm Is ever IN
dulge in selfish bachelor Injuries No
danger from undergraduate prahhs' no
one even within call except the bell
ringer, directly over you. 50 you must
come. Duane. and az once, etc
The secretary hey; His interest seem
a favOrite of his, II, indeed, ne had
ever been sufficiently human to have
favOrite. However. the flavor Of the fruit
was proof, though the tree was gnarled
and unsightly. Here was an opportunity
which, prudent or imprudent, L Simply
could not refuse. The great, gloomy,
homely rooms. shaded and shadOwy In
the summer from the elm Doughs sweep
ing the windows, nghtened yet sun sha-
dOwy In the winter when the We ldrei
logs were a-crackle on the cavernous
hearth. loved the college confines with
all the intensity OF homeslckness.
Now i could have the substance OF
scholastic ease free from the froth Of
boyish nonsense now could enjoy IN
full those privileges which l mad SO often
regretted having failed 20 appreciate: Inc
rooms i'm the old chapel. Had the choice
OF all the luxurious new dormitorles been
offered me, / would still prefer these.
The building itself was as alurng as a
medieval romance. 1t seemed 10 hide
among the surrounding trees. Its grimy,
mOldy bricks had taken on raiment OF
vines out Of very shame or gaunlhess,
a. ha1 nj 4
crave oblivion. Within footballs awakened
indignant echoes. The cracked organ vas
dumb the high-backed pews vacant, anu
the towering pulpit a rOStrum only LOT
ghosts The bell alone now took part IN
the daily routine, despite the creaking OF
the rickety shingled steeple protesting
against such INDIGENOUS clangor.
Yes. | would return to Iierson, theh
and there resolved. Why not. since there
was such a concourse OF pleasing lnduSt-
ments2 Why not? i must need ask tor
j was conscious Of a shrinking, involun-
fary instructive, reasonless, That turned
the thumb against my anticipations. sure
~ II did not come from the Likelihood OF
meeting Rosalind: that might seem I'M
prudent to me. but 20 my innermost heart
Ii was undeniabiy attractive. What could
II be? That night | awoke from heavy
siumber adrip with terror. | had dream
ed, / know not what; something fearsome,
weird unnatural; something vague and
elusive. which left but single trace. the
conviction that L had concerned the bell
ringer, WHO Wpul0 ipOih NiitNhy WV AAAN
. But this foreboding though for days 1t
kent obtruding within every gap OF rev
cry did not weaken my purpose. wrote
assent TO Springer. packed up my books
and those papers OF my uncle which /
thought might contain his mysterious Sc
ciet. A fortnight later Arthur and were
seated together in the shadoWy glow be
fore that cavernOus hearth. whh our
pipes. plans and "reminiscences as chum-
Ike as If there had not peen Decades
break In our college life.
And Rosalind?" he suggested, at
length. "YOu don't ask about her"
"Oh," replied. with well-feigned indif-
ference, II suppose she keeps busy hiding
the rayages Of age with the artificial gar
what IA hideOus word to apply 70 her
retorted Springer. las unbecoming and
inappropriate as bombaZine. she doesn't
have to strive, young man. she SIMPLY
exists, and all men are fam 70 worship.
Such a noble creature. intent on every
good work. interested in every intellectual
pursuit she's very Hypatia In GOODNESS,
beauty and genius ] seldom see any one
with her excepting Chauneey Chism;
Lord what name CALCULATED
like "a bit Of Latin verse. It's both allit
erative and onomatapoetic, representing
20 my ears all that Is priggish and often
siye. Pray. who IS this Mr.. Chauncey
Chism?"
"He is the bell ringer"
her worshippers, en-? How about the or
gan blower and the janitor and the
watchman-devotees also. l suppose?"
Don't George" said Arthur, re
you,, Chism is q cultured man Of good
family, and very interesting and learned
10 boot He Is taking special course in
Psychology, and his researches are said