Show j BEES AND THE BELFRY It is not safe for you to be out hero here here I alone Bess said Mr Burton to his I daughter one day at dinner You must go into the village and stay with Aunt Mary Oh father Im I'm not afraid a bit replied Bess The British wont won't hurt hurta a little girl like me Bess was a Dutch maid who lived in New York state In revolutionary days Dressed in her wooden shoes with the yellow braids hanging down I over her blue blouse she made a pretty picture I No I am not afraid continued Bess and I mean t to stay right here Just as if It I were a b y S So the father went out to work at atthe atthe t the chimney of the church and Bess busied herself in the kitchen S Bess you you really ought to go into the village said her father again at atte te tea tei We Ve have hav heard rumors rumors that the British are approaching g the place buno but bu no one seems to know anything tain tam Our American general is here sick and there are a few of his men in quarters at his house but hut not enough to defend the place unless the planks are taken up from the bridge In time S The The father father went to bed early but Bess sat up late Then Tabs the white kitten got away and ran down toward the church Alter After her raced Bess But the kitten kUtEn did not stop Leaping over the fence it Jumped into I Ithe the church through the window then I tore around the gallery and finally I darted up the steep steps Into the belfry But Bess was not far behind Right on the cats cat's heels came Bess her long hair streaming In the moonlight Up the steps leaped the kitty and up the steps went Bess at a bound Then the kitten did a very wicked thing It sprang up amid the timbers which formed a high steep ladder reaching up to the very bell itself It clawed and climbed and meowed but kept on getting higher and higher and Bess came on as fast as her fat legs could follow Once she looked below but she heard the kitty purr and set out again to catch her When she looked down the house in which her father lay sleeping seemed far away About a mile away lay the town its f few w lights twinkling In the trees Suddenly the tramp of horses' horses feet came on the damp air and oft off in the opposite direction she saw a long column column column col col- of men trotting toward the town Now the bridge was between Bess BessI and ald the village and she realized that if she sho could waken the people they I wp would ld pull pun up the planks and amI the English could not pa pass pas I the river which flowed between Above her dangled the rope The bell swayed like a huge barrel on its oaken beam On this same b beam am the kitten was cozily perched but the girl had forgotten all about the cat The town must be awakened and the sick g general saved In another moment she had grasped the rope and putting on it all her strength she pulled Clang clang clang the deep throated notes clashed on the night air Clang I clang clang over the woods the fields and the river She saw the English English Eng Eng- lish hish horsemen look up toward the belfry belfry belfry bel bel- fry in surprise for tor the moonlight was wasas wasas wasas as bright as day Then as the sound rolled over the land she also alto saw that it was heard For in the town the lights began to gleam in every window window window win win- dow and the people knew the enemy was at hand She saw men racing to the bridge carrying poles with which they tore up the planks and then she saw the angry British horsemen as they arrived at the bridge too late Come down here Bess she heard her fathers father's sleepy voice call What are you doing up In that belfry at this time of night Oh nothing much laughed Bess as ns she climbed down with the kitten in her arms Only I 1 saw a troop of redcoats coming and rang the alarm to waken the village So the town and the general were saved The next morning an aI officer rode out to see who it was that had pealed the bell in time the night be before before before be- be fore to tell them of the enemy It It was my daughter here said the theold theold old father proudly She Is always wishing she were a boy so she could go in the army but I 1 think she did I pretty good work as It was The officer went back and the next day there there came to Bess a commission 11 which made her a a. a very imp person indeed and in addition was was was' wasa a beautiful gold medal fro gen general ral himself it ita 11 a Copyright 1915 by the Me Mc Newspaper Syndicate Key Nev York City A |