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

Zeph Heston was passionate and yindic
tive; but, like many undisciplined char
acters, she was better than her impulses
Scarcely had she reached the cottage in
which she and her father had sought tenn
porary shelter, than the full horror of the
deed to which she had been party rushed
upon her. She did not Know that Roland
intended to inform Sir Philip Darrell OF
1.-The fate Of his betrothed, in order to in.
yolve him in the same destruction; but,
what wrong had lima done her, Zeph was
now compelled to ask herself, thar she
should be the girls murderess! What
wrong had Sir Philip done that, in order
to remove some one she hated, she should
rob him Of the woman lie loved? Heston's
daughter had not actually blamed lima be.
cause Roland Sabine loved her; but she
had hated her with the unreasoning vim.
dictiyeness of half-savage nature because
lima was an obstacle, as the poor creature
imagined, to her own possible happiness.
Remorse, when il came, was bitter and
overwhelming.
Perhaps too, though this came later, there
was another feeling in ZepRs heart-a
vague feeling that Roland might have in-
tended to play her false, and spare lima
If she would consent to marry him. Zeph
did not believe that lima would consent
TO this alternative; but it lent zest to the
determination which took possession of the
girl to 60 to Sir Philip Darrell and tell
him Of llma's danger. He might yet he in
time TO save her; and for herself, Zeph
cared little. Nor would she now shrink
from sacrificing Roland-for the idea,
having once entered her mind, gained
strength with every passing moment-if
ha intanHa1 IN hrauL word a hpr
Even her fathers part in the deed did not
deter the girl now; nor did she seem TO
remember Mt that moment that the hope of
saving lima must needs be frustrated il
the curse was to be fulfilled.
Standing ut the door Of the cottage, she
saw her father ut the lock-brdge. Not u
second was to be lost. The girl bastened
out of the house and up the slope, and was
running swiftly towards the open country
by the time Job Heston had crossed the
threshold of his relatives dwelling and
roughly demanded where Zepl was.
Zeplf knew every rood Of ground within
| ten miles; and, dark though il now was
| for the moon had not yet appeared-she
made her way unerringly towards the
| Court. The girl had not yet run mile,
and was on piece of open moorand, when
| suddenly the moon broke through the
| clouds, and by its light she saw u horseman
| coming straight towards her at swift
| gallop. She recognized Sir Philip and his
horse Hassan, and, pausing, pulled the red
| kerchef from her head and waved It Wild
| ly. The signal had the desired effect
Darrell reined up within yard of the
| girl and descended from his horse.
"Zeph Heston, what do you want of
me" lie spoke sternly; he must have
| read the evil tidings in her face.
"Kill me IL you like"-and the girl
| grasped the sleeve OF his coat In her in-
tense eagerness-"but believe every word
say. Look here, Sir Philip; came after
| you, aud you can hang me for this nights
| work.
| "Go on" he said almost iiercely, with a
horrible fear i'm his heart;" "and IL you
lie, woman though YOU are, you shall SUI
| fer"
81 speak the truth, so help me Heaven T.
went on Zeph rapidly. "The Squire came
| 10 father and me this afternoon, aud SAID
we were TO get Miss lima into the Mill
The Squire said he'd put her there, ana
she should be drowned tonight, ior the
| Mill would be washed away; and i ran up
to the Grange garden and told Miss lima
that the Squire was drowned; and she ran
down to the river, and father seized her
and took her to the Mill. But, OH" cried