Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-05-15
THE GlPSY'S CURSE.
CHAPTER VIII,

Above the floor Oh which Sir Philip aud
his companions now stood was loft, which
was reached by 4 rough ladder. There
was good view, job Heston said, from
the window up there; and lima went up,
accompanied only by Sir Philip.
The loft seemed TO have been used at
one time for stacking corn; but it had not
served any purpose for years, and seemed
dreary place indeed One lattice, small
and deeply sunk in the wooden wall, look
ed out over the landscape; and lima gaZed
through the open loop-hole-for there was
no glass in it--at the river flowing bright
ly in the sunlight, the tumbling weir, the
fields and woods, the turrets of the
Larches, and the red walls of the Grange
peeping from the clustering trees; and
through the summer air the voices of Rose
and jamie Sabine hoated upwards. For
fully five minutes lima looked out upon
the beautiful scene, her vivid Imagination
conjuring UP another picture, when the
river would be like foaming sea, whirl-
ing away boughs of trees, and perchanee
living things too, in its fierce anger. She
drew back, shuddering again.
''Come," said Sir Philip gently-''come
into the sunshine once more. Why, child,
your lips are whitev'
us
turning as he stepped upon the floor gave
her his hand in courtesy-for active lima
needed no help. His slight hand closed
over hers like vice and the pressure
seemed to reach even to the girl's heart
If her eyes had met his, ii they had been
alone, the self-control that kept him si-
lent still would have surely given way
He felt it, and lie knew it-felt, with
kind of terror, how man may be at the
mercy OF moment. But lima did not
look at him; and Job Heston and Roland
Sabine were waiting.
sIlma thinks the loft dreary place."
said Darrell, smiling and addressing Ro-
land; and then he added to job, "Your
Mill is an eerie place, Heston."
Gay, that it is, Sir Philip. Missy
wouldn't like to be imprisoned here, eh!"
"No," said lima, sbortly--she had TAX
en- q strong dislike TO job Heston.
az hope you never may be-" put in Ro-
land laughing; ''for you couldn't escape
by the window--it is n clear descent OF
fifty feet-and you couldn't drop through
the trap to this floor without the certainty
of breaking limb"
lima made no reply to this; and the Wis
itors descended the stairs, took leave, and
rode away. But Roland fingered be-
hind under pretence of tightening his sad
dle-girths, and Zeph was standing near to
him.
"Zcph," he said, "what ais you? What
harm has lima Costello done youg"
osYou know best,' replied the girl with
a savage CLEAN in her black eyes.
"Pooh, you fancy that am in love with
herv'
"Fancy? Why do you change color even
now, and why do you look so black at Dark
Darrell? But IL he wants her, he'll have
her, be certain"
"Will he, by HeavenW began Roland
passionately.
Zeph's short hard laugh checked him,
showing him that he had betrayed him
self.
"You're not in love with her, eh?" she
said, clenching her hand before her. "No,
you needn't tell me any lies; and don't be
afraid I'll tell of you. Father would throw
me over the weir If he knew you had been
making love to me; but it is a sin and q
shame; and I'll have my revenge yet ON
you and the foreign missy"
'sZeph, dear Zeph-"
But Zeph had ran off, and Roland was
fain to mount his horse and ride afer the
others. Darrell, glancing back, saw that
Roland was talking TO Zeph, and he drew
his own conclusions; but he said nothing !;
and the party rode up to the Larches al
most in silence. Mrs. Sabine wanted IL
ma and her companion to remain for the
rest Of the day; but lima did not like to
absent herself from her aunt for so long.
Moreover how could she pass the evening
in her riding-dress? At first therefore
she refused, till IL was suggested that Miss
Durnford should be sent for, as we'll rs q
change Of apparel. Perhaps, too, Sir
Philips quick, low "You can surely stay?"
helped far more than she would have cared
to acknowledge TO make her consent
This was as they we're dismounting. Then
Sir Philip left lima to her cousin, and at
tended TO the Sabine girls.
"How good of you to stayy" said Ro-
land, looking up with beaming eyes,
though he wished Darrell had declined the
invitation. "Promse me a game at chess,
Ilma.v
eff you like, Roland,v she answered,
thinking great deal more about the How
ers still remaining in Zuleils9s ear--faded