Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-07-09
THE BELL RINGER
BY AGNES c. BRoeAN.


lhgiy from right to left as he drove
up the village street. He Lad prom
ised his father to seek out, during his
travels, certain ministerial friend,
whose promising career had ended in
this Insignificant and hidden corner
Of the world.
Inc man of business had almost for
gotten his promise, until the ssHin-
CREST sign on the weather-heaten sta
ton reminded him of his fathers re-
quest 1t was here that Reverend Da-
vid Roberts had come In III health and
encouragement TO make his home.
James Harding's father and David
Roberts had been classmates together
at the old university. Dayid's first
charge had quickly led to greater.
and still greater pastorate. until it be-
came fashionable To he numbered
among the throngs who went 10 hear
his brilliant addresses. Then. quickly
came nervous breakdown and-failure.
Weakly recovered, David had lost his
hold upon men. Some blamed his to
his own loss of confidence in human
nature.
The theologian had loved and mar
ried young society woman. whose
only admiration for his great work was
its exhibition of power And with his
necessary acceptance Of humber fields
the s6ciety wife left him, to return. TO
her people. So. thereafter, David went
from charge to charge aloae. and IL
was not until the death Of Elizabeth
Roberts many years later, that he
wrote his wife's people asking that
his daughter who had been raised in.
their care, be sent TO him in his wiz
lage home TO visit, and to make her
future choice between them.
James Harding smiled cynically, as
he rode through the streets Of Hill
crest, at this proposition
So James Harding entered the I'M
familiar vicinity of a church entry,
and then stood there in silent surprise.
For it was girl who tolled the sway
ing he'll, her white arms drawing
rhythmically AT the rough ropes.
And it was the appraised face of the
girl. in an its appealing loveliness.
which held him silent and wondering.
She turned presently TO give him
frank smile Of greeting. then closing
the door upon her bell rope came to
wait his message.
One glance at himself, tnd at the
unaccustomed elegance Of bis car,
seemed to tell her that hesswould have
message. Harding gave it.
"Mr. Roberts will be here in hall
an hour" she answered him. Perhaps
YOU would like to wait in the vestry"
And as Harding waited, he decided
that il might he interesting to climb
the narrow stair that he had noticed
beyond the hanging bell ropes. He
might be able from the platform of the
tiny tower to obtain view Of the
surrounding country. So it was with
long-fofgotten sense Of adventure
that he assembled the ladder-stair And
there at the top, In little dusty at
tic sort of resting place, sat the girl.
Her dark eyes widened as she saw
him then again came her understand
ing smile
you'll have to climb up the small
er ladder 70 get into the tower she
directed; but he paused. wondering ct
the studylike appearance Of the tiny
loft. A wooden box used as n desk
was Uttered with scrubbed pages. s
shabby pile of books lay heaped upNo
the floor.
The last rays Of daylight filterine
lown from above made halo Of the
girls hair as she knelt before the
. wooden box. with that rapt look in
her eyes-she was TO James Harding
some fair saint at her devotion. And
though he might not understand what
II was that he'd aer absorbed. as he
had first seen her, he lifted his hat in
apology. and went back down the stair
lie sat smiling during the service, to
which his fathers old friend begged
him to remain, at the unaccustemed
Incidents Of this evening.
A strange new interest possessed
him 10 see again, and hear about the
lovely. perplexing young creature who
swayed church bells and wrote in q
tower. But as the man of great affairs
listened TO the old minister's trembling
words, he was Impressed by the breath
less attention Of his hearers. and then
promptly forgot them, In the sincerity
of the simple message. And as the
two men sat later, in the comfortable
room Of a small cottage, Harding ques-
toned abruptly concerning the girl.
"a woman sexton," he added, smil.
ing, sis unusual"
The worn face of the minister
seemed lllumined by some inner glow.
"My daughter-rings the church bells"
he replied. "but guess-you'd better
call her pastor. instead Of sexton. IN.
less you'd call her an angel Of light
as she Is. You see, Bessie writes my
sermons in her own telling way. Nv
memory is gone for study, so Bessie