The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-12-24

/ ululI uSdl W come. Dul mamma hurried
me off so hadn't chance"
"Why there's Don HIMSELF l thought you
were miles under groundr'
mot |. With a warm fire and lovely ladies
beside II, to spend my Christmas eve in sub
terraneous seclusion! They won't 60 far
Oh, knew they'd go. But had the lamps
hung along the first passages, aud | told Bu.
lion to keep TO the left, and bring them back
on a circle
'Oh : said Polly, Springing to her feet
''lf had known that thought it would be
so far" Aud she flashed across the hall 10
the door through which Don had come, where
flight of stairs with lanterns hung along the
walls was disclosed, and gathered up her skirts
and disappeared
What possesses the girl p cried Elise, and
flashed in pursuit
What possesses both of you?" cried Don.
following. Where are you? Remember
Keep ro The left
Polly heard him. But she had now wrought
herself up to such hystercal pitch with the
idea that Don Hollister would think she had
3
ed, 20 give him another chance, that she would
not have been sorry if an earthquake had come
and extingnished every lamp in these dim
dreadful galleries. Why hadn't she known
why hadn't she thought? and then she never
dreamed the old charm of personality coulG
be so strong! As she heard him come spring
ing after them she saw the dark arch of an
other passage and stepped into it, and with
her band on the wall ran half dozen yards,
that he might go by and miss the glimmer of
her white gown. And he had gone by, and
she had turned a corner without knowing it;
and, looking back over her shoulder, there
was no light TO be seen-nothing but pitchy
hlackueSs.
She stood still a moment. trying to take her
bearings, to think just how much she had
turned, just how many steps she had taken; it
could he but few She heard voices; but they
were echoiug and reduplicating so in all the
hollow WAYS and arches that il was impossible
10 tell irnm what direction they came. She
turned again. aud CROPPED her way-no, it must
be 10 the leit--he saii the left; she would re.
gain the main passage and be in the hall when
they came back. She hoped her dress would
not be smooched. aud held it up carefully.
And she took dozen steps more, and paused,
aud veered unawares, and went on a little
farther, aud Suddenly wall seemed to be
closed behind her-she heard no sound. An
awful terror stopped her heart; and then she
brgau 10 call At the top of her voice. and she
hurried qu, her hand beside her on the wall
calling aud crying, shiyering with cold and
shaking with fright. And all at once the wall
WAS wet beneath her hand. She stopped
short, with a new terror. There was a sound
all about her-a singing in her ears, a low
regular rhythm, a muffled beating OF surf il
was the ooze of The sea under her hand-the
house WIS close upon the brink and this was
one OF the loug sea galleries. And then there
came another sound-the boom OF n bell,
droniug. heavy, close at hand and far away
mystical, terrible, Oh, what Christmas bell,
what a Christmas evel Ifatany moment this
ruof Of wet rock should crash in she would
drown like r1t in a hole. A nun walled up
alive Thousand years ago was not more dead
than she would be presently.
She stood stone still, not daring To stir, a
thousand fears in one cutehing at her heart
the Shiny thing her foot might fall on, the evil
apparliou Of the long dead smugglers, the
overwhelming sense that she was lost aud
wuuld perish there Hadn't he said they had
never thoroughly examined the place? She
would have faiuiri aud died before they found
her! That booming bell-oh, she knew now
the he'll uuoy 0n the reef Here she was, lost
among these black shafts and tunnels under
the sea, She was faint and dizzy-she was
going 90 drop--no, No, no. she must not let
herself She must call up all her strength.
She dared moi move. for she knew not what
might he at her feet-what sea-pool, what
ledge She could not move. She could not
breathe There was no air, although cold
soughing to aud fro famed her gown; every
thing was swimming; she could not.hold out
much longer. She wondered how long she
had been there-she was SO lred-she seemed
TO have lhoagh of everything in her ie-she
was so young; she might have been SO happy
oh, what misery! And then she took heart
and opened her mouth, giving one halo and
another, that went sailing like black bats from
roof to roof Of countless caverus, Tapping away
inio stillneSs at last Aud suddenly another
cry came-a clear tenor call. answering hers.
al confused with echoes: Where are you?
am coming and then light, and that was
Don himself hurrying towards her. Aud all
she could do was To put up her two arms for
him To take her. like a child. My little darl
ing. my beautiful darling!, he said. II will
never let You go again' And when he loos
eued his grasp about her it was just before he
reached the yaulted spot where Elise and DIR.
Bonney and old Bullion had stumbled on one
another in their various searching.
Aud waiting few moments, Polly vainly
trying to gather her wits, still chugng to Don,
half laughing, half sohbing, they went back
TO the hall, where the others had been gather
ed by Bullion and his men from all points, and
Bullion superntended the filling of a huge
loviug.cup with some sweet and spicy Christ
mas draught, to he slipped as the tower clock
toled twelve.
Il wish you happy Christmas, said Don,
where he stood leaning on the back Of The
great CHAR in whose depths Polly sat, white
and radiant. aud taking the loving cup in his
hands-''as happy Christmas as mine, if
that were possible Perhaps you did not think
[ had any purpose at dinner in placing the
lady opposite myself 1t is the place belonging
TO the mistress of the house. And few
moments ago DR.. Bouney, in the presence of
witnesses, made that lady my wife. Polly, |
wish you JOY And touching the cup to his
lips, he passed it to his wife,
The tower clock tolled the half hour in the
middle Of the gay congratulations. "Oh,
exclaimed Polly, was down there in the
dark only half-hour. after all | don't
know when | can hear bell again without
trembling. That bell. boy"
Rang through the sweetest moments of
NV life. " said her husband. at is the most
tnnefill of all the Christmas bells that ever
rung. We will give the light house board "a
louder aud better bell, and have that one
hung in the tower to ring in all our Christ
masses and every happy day and doing at the
Old Fort You had better grow used to it,