The Alaska citizen., 1911-10-02

but without avail.
 Slowly now the great sun went down. The last red rim was hid be- hind the greenwood. Thirty seconds more and his soul woulc be with God. The color did not forsake his cheeks. The dark rings of hair lay upon a warm brow It was his pur, pose to die as martyrs and brave men die What was life that he should cling to il? He almost felt ,he air pulsate with the first heavy roll of the death-knell. But no sound came. Still facing the soldiers with his clear gray eyes upCh them. he waited
 The Crimson Banners
 in the west were paung 10 pink. The kline had ceased their lowing, and had been gathered into the baCk-yards. All nature lad sounded her curfew. but old Jasper was sii- ent. The bell-ringer. with his gray head yet barred, had traversed half the distance between hls cottage and the ivy-covered tower, when form went fitting pasl him, with pale, shadowy robes floating around it, and hair that the low western lights touched and tinted as with a halo.
 An. Huldah. Huldan." the old man murtered; how swift she flies. will come soon. dear My work is almost done HGldal was the good wife who had gone from him in her early womanhood and for whom he had mourned all his long life. But the fleeting form was not Huldah's. It was Lily De We're, hurried by sudden and desperate purpose to- ward the cathedral
 So help me God, Curfew shall not ring tonight. Cromwell and his dra soons come this Way. Once more l will kneel at his feet and plead"
 She entered the refined arcn Sne wrenched from it's fasjenings the carved and worm-eaten door that barred the way to the tower. She ascended the steps with flying and frenzied feet; her heart lifted up 10 God for Richards deliyerance from peril The bats flew out and shook the dust of centuries from the black carving. As she went up she caught glimpses of the interior f the great building. with it's groin ed roof its chevrons and clustered columns; it's pictured saint and carved image of the virgin, which the pillages of ages had spared to be dealt with by time, the most re- lentless vandal of all.
 Up-still up-beyond the rainbow tints thrown by the stained glass across her death-white brow; up still up-past open arcade and arch, with griffin and gargoyles staring at her from under cOrnice and bracket, with all the hideous- ness and mediaeval carving, the stairs flight by flight growing Trailer beneath her young feet; now but a slender network between her and the outer world; but still up
 Her breath was coming short and gasping She saw through an open space old Jasper cross the road at the foot of the tower. Oh, how far! the seconds were treasures which Cromwell. with all his blood bought commonwealth could not purchase from her. Up-ah-there, just above her with its brazen mouth and wicked tongue the bell hung
 A Worm-Eaten Block
 For a step, and one small white hand had clasped itself above the clapper the other prepared at the tremble, to rise and clasp it's mate, the feet to swing off-and thus she waited Jasper was old and slow, but he was sure and it came at last. A faint quiver, and the young feet swung from their rest, and the tender hands life the writhing thing. There was groaning and creaking of the rude pulleys above, and then the strokes came heavy and strong. Jasper's hand had not forgot it's cunning, nor his arm it's strength. The tender soft form was dashed to and fro. But she clung to and caresSed the cold, cruel thing Let one stroke come and thousand might follow-for its fatal work would be done She wreathed her white arms about it, so that ct every pull of the great ropes it crushed into the flesh. It tore her and wounded and bruised; but there in the solemn twilight the brave young woman swung and fought with the curfew, and God gave her victory.
 The cid bellringer said to him. self: Aye, Huldah, my work is done. The pulleys are getting too heavy for my old arms. My ears, too, have failed me. I dinna hear one stroke of the curfeW. Dear old bell, it is my ears that have gone false and not thou Farewell old friend"