Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-06-12

tried TO clasp his hand In the passion OF
her pleading, as she saw that the very
proof of her deep love for his rival hard
ened still more the heart she stroye tc
soften. "Think what his grief will be
when l am lost to him, and by so awful q
fatel Is not that worse punishment than
deathg Is IL not enough to have my guilt
less blood on your heads"
"He must fulfill the curse" answered
Roland, eyading her clasp; and, with q
wild CLEAN in his eyes, he stamped VIC.
lently on the floor. "What does it say?
"'Tiil the waters, rising, rising,
Bring the bounden sacrificing
Life for life for traitors deed;
When the floods are out, take heedi'
Spare him, when every word and look OF
yours show how you love him! No prayer
for your own life-but for his you 20 on
your knees and pray in agony! You can
save him IL you choose. You have one
minute to make that choice"
lima rose from her knees. As she stood
erect before her would-be murderer facing
the narrow easement, the moon broke out
suddenly from behind bank of clouds
and shot broad shaft of light into the
dreary loft, shedding pale glory upon the
marble features and the cleaning golden
hair.
81 will die with him' said the girl
There was silence. The two-murderei
and victim-seemed scarcely to breathe.
Roland's face was shrouded now in gloom,
the girls uplifed to the light, which seem.
ed TO come as an omen from Heaven; and
she breathed prayer for the man she loved
"a prayer for time-only time-that de
fnh ~ ha. xuif tlxyo
to shatter even the hope of his dying with
her, and so save him.
Hush, above the roar of the weir, and
the rushing river, what was that Other
sound distant and faint, but recognized by
the girls quick ear? She had heard it on
the great st. Lawrence when the ice broke
up. Too late! Philip was saved! The
floods were upon them!
But Roland heard nothing. lie knew
not why that greater radiance flashed into
the lifted face, why the small hands were
clasped over the throbbing heart. He
turned-his cheeks were bloodless and his
eyes wild and CLASSY.
"Then die" he said, his voice scarcely
above whisper-"dic with your doubly-
accursed loverv'
lie snatched up the lantern and was
gone. She heard him reach the floor be
meath; she heard him drag the ladder
away and run it through the window, thu
cutting off all chance of her escape. She
heard him pass lower, and then "A mighty
sound rose above even the fierce roar
of the weir; but it did not drown the
piercing shrek of despair that rang up.
wards through the trembling wooden
walls. Booming like thunder, tearing up
trees like twigs, sweeping all before it, on
came the flood.
1t spread far over the meadows to left
aud right, carrying sheep and cattle OH.
ward in its mad career.
The stout wooden piers of the bridge
over which Dark Darrell mad ridden on
that sunny morning when lima had stood
and dreamed above the glittering tide,
were broken into splinters, aud the whole
structure whirled away into fragments.
\, One OF the villagers fancied he could see
at the window of the Mill, some one waiv.
ing an arm with despairing gestures; but
others said lie must be mistaken, us Job
and Zeph HestOn had left the Mill long
since. But presently some one saw the
face and recognized lima Costello.
Alone in that awful prison, death rising
to her foot by foot-Ilma knelt and tried
TO pray; but her heart would cling to him
whose face she would see no more. Death
had lost all terror; she saw herself whirled
away in the boiling flood, and she did not
shudder at the picture. Roland was for
gotten. But Philip, who would die for
her-oh, if he should yet hear of her fate
and strive 10 reach her? She cried aloud
in the anguish of that fear, and before
the echo OF that cry had died away she had
sprung TO her feet, and her heart seemed
10 stand still within her-for the moon
shone forth upon single horseman strug-
Cling with the angry waters.