Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-17


Z. copyright, 1900. by Daily Story Pub. Coy
! 4 Old Ben. the bell-ringer of the ancient
X Church of Fountaindale. at half an hour
iAbefore midnight. carrying his square
!, lantern in one hand and a shovel over
his shoulder. left the logs glowing and
,sabazing upon the hearth of his cottage
to ring the old year out and the new
year in.
-. The heavily hinged oaken door of the
befry was reached and the old man, Sc
lecing key from the bunch at his belt,
put 1t in the lock and turned it with a
srat;ng sound. But the snow had to be
r HhoVelcd away before the door could be
Z swung outward, and with some anxiety
the toier put on his spectatles and con-
Il suited his watch to learn whether mid
i, night was not getting dangerously near.
No; there yet lacked Is mIiita Of the
shour.
81 "'TWould never do to be late" he So
. 1iloquzed. MANY an ear in the village
awaits the ringin. Yes; there's the
lights at the squire's; a blithe party
they're havin' there, I'll be bound. And
told Hiss Clare, God bless 'er! when
she sot her dainty little watch by mine,
that. she might listen for the first stroke
of the tolin' exactly five minutes afore
; the hour But my so years-S0 come
Sunday fortnght-and this snow storm
come nigh maxim old Ben break his
word. Am ungainsum night it is, on the
faith of a mani. and 'twixt me and The.
Fcandle Ill be glad to get back to the
chimney corner a. ave a dish O. tea AL
to myself"
\ The speaker began the ascent of the
belfry stairs, that for more than 400
years had been mounted by him ana
his secular and monkish predecessors
to ring the same bells that now hing in
the moldering tower. Two steep flights
brought him to the groned and pillared
belfry. 1Tountaindale church was ia
NOUS for it's bells. which We're six in
number--two short Of an octave; and
ben, until lately, when aged had robbed
him of strength, had been noted for his
skill as a bell-ringer, whether called
upon. to execute a tuneful call for Sun
day morning. a merry chime for a we'd
ding, or brave peal, ending in clash,
for a royal birthday.
He put down his lantern and looked
.asat his watch, which yet showed 10 min
utes to 12--or ave minutes to spare. He
sat down and began to hum an old
psalm tune and indulge in rennis-
cences, when, to his establishment and
dismay. a figure advanced upon him
from the darkness of the belfry. OLD
ben, sturdy though h@- was shuddered
as he saw a tall form, clad in rich but
ancient garb, from the head-gear OF
uswhich looked a face CHASTITY white, hav-
!, ing a beard of quaint cut, and deeply
sunken eyes Of preternatural brightness.
"A short Jacket of figured satin was all
most hidden by a loW-reaching coat of
blue and crimson velvet, from under
which crimson peaked shoes were WISH
BILE The coat> was encircled by an Or
namental girlle, and had a collar OF
cloth Of gold wrought in jewels, below
which. tightly clasped about the, shoul-
ders was a cape OF sable fur. Inc race
was rendered the more curious by the
presence of gold and stone rings in the
ears; and on the fourth finger OF the
left hand was a linked gimmal or be-
trothal ring. while on the right hand
was a massive sisnet thumb ring.
"OId man." said the figure, in a voice
that resounded through the belfry, and
in "a voice almost unintelligible to his
nearer. thou contest to ring III the new
year?"
IT do. may it please your honor.
stammered out old Ben, shaking in every
limb.
"And a merry peal thou wouldst give,
i warrant.
Eyes. your honor; after I toll the old
year OUT
"No: but thou must toll the passing
bell instead
THE passing bell, your honor! Goo
Ia mercy ON his soul Who's dying"
.'You must toll the bell for me-"
look ERE, your honor" answered the
bell-ringer, reused by his establishment
to some degree of boldness, and starting
to his feet, .Old Ben has so winters upor
his crown and his span o life as nearly
run, and it i'll becomes the like o youl
honor to take advantage of i'm in thl!
fashion. / am paid, your honor, to az
= this service, and hope you'll let me star
= the tolin. for it's only minute afor'
- the hour now, an I'm late"
Ant he unsteadly moved forward ;
mace, "Se your honor" he continued
holdi az out his watch, Its on the do
now.'
Ping the passing bell,'' said tn
figure, sternly; land between the stroke
4 will give thee my history"
Dong rang the deep voice of tn
tenor bell over the snow to the listenin,
ears at the hall and in the village O
Fountaindale.
''This day four hundred years ago. a
midnight" began the specter in SOY
and measured utterance that curdled tn
blood of his nearer, Il died. This churc