Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-06-19
THE GIPSY'S CURSE
CHAPTER XIII.


With spring like q panther, Darrell
was upon the wOuld-be murderer; and so
swift and so sure was the fierce blow of
the dubbed pistol that without cry or
groan the wretched man fell with crash
TO the floor and lay mOtionless.
Darrell turned, the pistol fell from his
hand, and his foot was on the ladder-like
stairs that led up TO the next floor, when
white garment futtered through the gloom
above.
"Philip "-and in another moment IL
ma had thrown herself into her lovers
open arms.
Voiceless, fearless, was that wild, close
embrace ut the awful gate of eternity,
that agony OF JOY, that agony OF woe, lip
lip, heart to heart, ouce more for the
as time. What years of anguish she had
seemed TO pass through while she waited
and waited in the darkness of dread, and
knew not whether he had been swept down
the rushing stream TO II fearful death! And
now they had met, aud her prayer at least
was answered-he might die with her,
if he could not save her.
For two minutes all was forgotten in
their wild rapture, and then Darrell spoke
hurriedly-
"Ilma, there is still hope; will not
despair I'LL Deaths hand is upon us.
Come with me-"
There was no hope in Ilma's dark eyes,
which were raised to her lovers face; but
death had no terror now, for he was wish
her. lie half led, half carried her to the
floor below, and passed straight TO the
only aperture, the window by which he
had entered. The waters flowed Il few
feet beneath them, bathed in the silvery
ls..l,N Ig,t- 81. a1
his arms more closely round the girls
fragile form and set his teeth, hope almost
pying in his heart. He bent over the sweet
face that rested upon his breast, and his
burning tears fell upon the girls brow.
"Oh, lima, lima, | have brought woe
and death to youw
"Phiip"-oh, the pain ia her trembling
voice !-"was it not truth that spoke to
you in the sunshine yesterday? Shall
say to you again now-sO near the grave
that one hour Of happiness is better
than years of dull content? To have won
your love-love that more than risked life
only to die with me''-and her face lighted
up with glorious brightness-''oh, my
heart, is not this more than thousand
years could give me, never knowing such
love?"
lie could not answer her. The CULVER
ing lips that pressed hers were silent;
and the waters rushed. oil, leaping and
bounding. After few moments, two
more victims would he carried away to-
wards the sea. The curse was fulfilled to
the uttermost-'difc for life"
"Philip"-and llm1s voice was very
low and almost pleading-"you have not
killed him?"
The fierce passion that prompted the
deadly blow leaped like lightning into
Darrel's dark eyes.
81 struck him with death blow.
Would you have had me spare such viii
lain?"
The girl trembled and hid her face.
"Lct me pray tor strength TO forgive
him, Philip. lie offered me life if would
be his wife. / chose death. Then lie
said" Here she paused.
"Go on" said Darrell hoarsely; "let
me know ALL"
"He said that he would send to you and
tell you my fate; for he knew you would
come to die with me. My prayer to spare
you only angered him the more, for he saw
how loved YOU"
"You humbled yourself TO him who
dared give you choice between his base
passion and death? You, my betrothed
Heaven" said Philip Darrell, raising his
clenched right hand and bis livid face 10
the moonlit sky, "thou dost not claim from
mortal man pardon for crime so black, for
wrong so foul as this avenged to-nightw
The girl trembled at that awful appeal
oil the brink of death; yet her own pas
sionate soul had almost echoed it.
"Philip," she whispered, after q few
moments silence, ''let there be no stern
memory even of him In your heart or mine
now. See, the waters are rising, and the
foundations OF the Mill shake beneath us!
The time is so short, Philip, before-beforc
the last struggled
Her voice taltered, and the golden head
sank upon his breast. The strong man
ground his teeth in the potency OF des-
pair rs his dark eyes sought In vain over
the surface of the flood Tor any chance Of
escape. Ii he could see some Object near
enough to give the faintest hope of reach
ing it by swimming, he would risk all OH
that hope; bat, after all, IL was not GER
tain that the Mill's foundation would
yield; and lie knew that to trust himself
and lima TO the swollen tide in the expec-
tation of reaching either shore would he
madness. Alone he could not, though u
strong and expert swimmer, hope to resist
the force of the current; how then could
he with lima?
The drops of agony stood on his brow
as lie bent over his darling, doomed by his
fatal love to an awful death; and the
words of the curse seemed to ring back In
his ears
"'Ti,l the waters, rising, rising,
Bring the bounden sacrificing
Lie for life for traitors deedi"
The moon was yelled, and darkness fell
over the water. In vain did Darrell
strive to pierce the gloom. Oh, for II ray
of light The cloud was passing, its edges
cleaned with silver; the moon peeped
out; and suddenly Darrell uttered cry.
lima started, and followed his gaze.
A dark heavy mass lay athwart the
stream, rolling and rocking In the angry
waters. Darrell ut once perceived that It
was the greater portion OF the piers OF the
famous bridge that Anneris Darrell had
refused TO cross. Quick as lightning his
practised eye measured the Instance be-
tween tho Mill aud the mass Of timber,
and he calculated the chances OF reaching
1t. Az that moment something crashed
below, and the old Mill shlvered and shook.
.Hlma," said Sir Philip rapidly, "there
Is one hope--it lies there. IL we can reach
that pier before IT, swings round -"
lie said no more, but sprang TO the sill,
clasping the slight form firmly with hts
IoIf