Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-06-29

much lifting and nl1uggling it was
| done, however. Then they all pulled
with a will, and a clang that almost
deafened them came from the bell.
Sleeping Cherryfeld was aroused in a
| very few minutes, and asked, in amaze
nent what was the matter. The new
| fire engine was taken out with rush
| and clamor. But where was the fire?
! People ran wildly about and nobody
| semed to know. The most mystified
man was old Sandy Movie, who ran out
| of the house in maze of bewilderment,
| and declared that the bell was be-
| witched. How else could it ring with
| out a tOnguCa And how could any hui
man being get into the church when the
| door was securely locked, and no win
dow broken, as anybody could see?
| And still the bell rang wildly and
clamorously. as such a soberminded
| old church bell was never known to ring
before. The spirit of half a dozen
| FOurths Of July seem to possess it.
! People on the outskirts of the town
began to think that the seIectmen had
repentcd of not celebrating the Fourth,
and were making amends by cclcbrat-
| ing the 9Th, and they came hurriedly
driving into the village to see what
was the matter.
vi length somebody more courageous
than Sandy McNir insisted upon going
into the church to investigate. and
Sandy went to get the key. The dis
eovery that it was gone put new
face upon the matter. and Sandy's sus
piaions reverted to the boys whose
plans he had overheard. and he vOlun-
tccred to break OF ,n a window and
lead the search
Rosy McNir at that time was pulling
the bedclothcs over her head, and Won
| derino what would become OF her. and
| resolving r-Yer gain TO touch a key
or anything else that she had no right
to, for all the candy in the world.
Candy was good, but, oh, how bad was
the terror she was suffering now! And
Rosy is not likely to forget her resolve.
although She was never found out. The
bows agreed that they would never be
SO mean Us to tell on 4 girl, anyway"
and they were always supposed to have
stolen the key from Sandy McNie's
| closet themselves.
When they heard the footsteps of
their rescucrs the boys ceased to ring
the bell. 1t was easy enough to open
the trardoor from beneath. While the
BOYS were wondering anxiouSly wheth-
er it ever could be opened Sandy Me
Nje's head popped up out of It like a
Jack-in-thc-b Rob's father came
next, and Rob-who meant to fight In
dians--threW his arms around his neck
and-cried Rob's father had suffered
| some anxiety about him, but thought
he had stayed at Borrowsv!ie with
True.
Everybody agreed that the boys had
been sufficiently punished by their inn
| prisOnment and the loss of their Fourth
of July fun. Even Sandy McNie said
"he guessed they wouldn't be apt to
do it again" But he may have been
somewhat softcncd by the compliments
! which True paid him on his skill in
hiding The bell tongue.
The boys didn't care TO say much
about their adventure. They felt as if
the trick they had tried to play had
been turned upon themselves. When
True's BorrowsyilIc cousins asked him
what kind Of Fourth he had had, he
replied. carelcssIy:
''Oh. sky-high one!"
Which was certainly trucr than the
cousins, who had their own opinion
of Chcrryfcld celebrations, believed.
But those three boys will never ring
another church bell without leave
Sophie SWEET, in Golden Days.
|