Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-01-19
The Belfry of ST. Hyacinth,

The Belfry of St. Hyacinth.
The sound travelled out of the gray
rolling mists, and on a tall mountain
peak man heard 1t and turned his
head, now this way and now that, to
discover whence it came.
Dingdong. a deep-toned call, now
silent for little, then booming out
again
Dubarre was circled by mountains
and by valleys, for the peak where he
stood was like signal tower set in
the midst of them ALL Never before
had he passed this way, and of all the
men that he knew in the north, none
had ever spoken to him of the place.
But on the edge of the Arctic circle a
trapper had given him a rough chart
for his travel, and he knew that these
were the st. Hyacinth mountains.
What should a bell be doing in this
vast untenanted cathedral?
1t was no dream, for again and
again the sonorous notes came to him,
muffled yet strong, seeming now here,
now there, but palpable, warning,
solicitous, as though to summon i'm
periled wanderers home.
He imgang! So Dubarre had heard
a waif of Saxony say as the bell of a
fort once rang out at the death of
the factor.
Dingdong! Heimgang! Dingdong,
For five long days and nights Du-
barre travelled and searched lured by
the long. monotonous ringing Near
and yet far, it was like voice call
inging from the little doorway behind
which is the peg where the tired
hunter hangs his cap, and the fire
were love waits.
Dingdong! Heimgang! Dingdongl
He would not give it up till he had
found it, for food was to be had when
his knapsack should be empty-his
sight was sure along the rifle barrel
and there were herds of wapiti
swinging along the slopes.
He had had none of the hunters
spirit III him since he had entered
these valleys, but now as he ate his
last scrap of dried food necessity
flashed a new device in his mind, the
| sound of the rifle might be answered
by the bell ringer himself.
He sent a shot down the valley. 1t
echoed along the hills, and almost on
the instant the bell began ringing,
but faster now and joyfully, as it
seemed to him. Dubarre turned SLOW
ly round the circle of his vision, and
at last fastened his look upon a great
peak across the valley.
Presently the figure of man
appeared. 1t looked no bigger than
a finger, but yet it was sharply out
lined. He fancied also that he could
see tiny arm beckon.
AS the sun was setting behind the
great peak, covering it as with a man.
tie of amethyst, Dubarre came to the
end of the long path up the tall cliff
Before him was a well-built hut and
in its doorway stood a man who held
out his hand in greeting.
He was dressed in long robe of
we'll tanned deerskin; his beard fell
low on his breast, silvered and strong;
his hair was grizzled: his face had a
look of secretive bitterness, made
impressive by singular dignity.
You are welcome" he said. as his
hand touched Dubarre's.
AT the sound OF his voice strange
look passed over Dubarre's face. He
took off his hat and drew back in as
constituent
Monsieur lie comte--" began Du-
barre. and paused.
Wherefore lie comte'?" asked the
other keenly and instantly.
81 saw you in Quebec, at the citadel,
years ago"
1T was not me you saw" was the
deliberate reply.
Dubarre bowed in assent. but his
eyes showed incredulity.
Their words we're few until they
stood in a chapel built of the wood OF
cedar. Inside the little tower OF the
chapel was bell. and the old man
set IL ringing-a church bell in the
wild. lonely mountains of the north.
Presently the old bell ringer passed
the rope OF hemlet fiber into the
nands Of Dubarre, who went on ring
ing till he saw his host issue into the
tiny chancel from the timer yestry.
ROBBED for the saying of the mass. He
stopped ringing and the solemn mass
proceeded-the mass for the dead
When Il was ended the priest Off
such he wasl came to the chancel
steps and preached as to a eongrega-
ton of 1000, his voice sonorous. clear,
penetrating: now persuasive. now
eager and commanding