Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-05-01

"Still, why should she lack ear-rings!-
Sec-if you will accept ir'-detaching the
dainty little cluster OF howers-stephan-
otis, moss rosebud, and heliotrope--be
wore in his button-hole; but lima put out
u deprecating hand
ooh, no-please don'ti IL is sure to
fall out; and cannot bear to rob you."
"What is freely given is no robbery, IL
ma. Steady, Zuleika-keep steady, pref
ty one, while fasten itv'
"Oh, wish you had not heard" said
lima, as Sir Philip bent down to fasten the
flowers in their place. "What will you do
without buttton-hole?"
81 think L could live somehow" he
answered gravely, "even If my loss were
not-as In this case--an Unreasonable
gain"
"What very pretty speeches you do
make," said lima, sedately, her eyes dane
ingwith fun--''as sweet AS the flowers
themselves! Thanks; you have fastened
them beautifully, and taken lot Of trouble
to do 1t, am sure"
| "Nothing can be trouble that is done
for you, Ilma," replied Sir Philip, in low
tone that only she heard.
The words escaped him almost una
wares, and he was conscious Of something
in his voice which had not yet been pres
ent in it when he spoke TO her. lie glanc-
| ed quickly and earnestly ut her face, and
saw that her color was little heightened,
and that there was Il half-startled look in
the large soft eyes; but that was all. He
had struck no deep chord; or, if he had,
she did not know 1t herself.
Roland saw the transfer of the flowers; ;
and the incident, trifiing in itself, did not
certainly tend TO diminish his resentment
against its too fascinating hero. Even
though Sir Philip did not dispute llma's
society with him, but for nearly two miles
rode between Rose and jamie, while Ro-
land and lima rode practically alone, yet
the young man was not softencd towards
| his rival.
His rival! Yes; Roland Sabine, though
he had repudiated the accusation of being
in love with lima Costello, admitted to
himself without reserve that he felt for
lima what he had never felt for any wo-
man before. 1t was true that in = fashion
he had been in love three or four times
At Cambridge he had even considered
himself engaged to the sister of a college
friend; but, when she returned his pre-
sents and letters, with one from herself
announcing her marriage to the oldest and
richest of the dons, he was rather morti-
fed TO find how little his happiness was
affected by the event, and how impossible
it was for him to lose his interest in hunt
ing and his appetite for breakfast.
At the present time Roland flirtcd after
fashion with Zeph HestOn; but he meant
no evil by it; and he would have been gen.
timely surprised to discover that lie had
made any deep impression on the girls
heart. lie had met her sometimes by nc
cident, sometimes half by design OH both
sides, and had walked with her, and kissed
her when they parted; lie had also given
her ribbons and trinkets. But all this had
been done without job Heston's knowl-
edge; for, like his ancestor, Job was not,
humble miller though he was, one to bear
dishonor meekly; and Roland did not care
TO incur the sturdy miller's wrath; be-
sides he did not care much about Zeph at
the best of times, and just now he cared
less than nothing; for lima had complete
ly captiyated him.
or course Roland did not reflect that
his nature and his Cousins were quite an-
tagonistic, and that her training aud edu.
cation had utterly untitled her for coun-
try life rs he understood it. They had not
taste in common. She liked the country
in general poetic kind OF way, she was
fond of riding and boating and flowers and
that she could not bear 10 live in the coun-
try as her Cousins did. So Roland blum
dered on, and madly imagined that this
beautiful sprite might be induced to think
of him rs a lover, if she could only learn
to fear, If not distrust, Sir Philip Darrell.
Meanwhile lima, mot having the remotest
ideas of her cousins feelings, gave him
hundreds of wounds from sheer careless
ha ahnnt NJ wild ag ZnlaiEl
herself, and horse and rider played rare
pranks.
"Bother your wheat-felds ~ said lima
to Roland, when he was trying to point
out some peculiarly fine specimens of that
cereal. sIYou'll never make a farmer OF
me, Rol. / don't care for it one bit; am
not going to live in the country, you
know"
"How do you know, coz? You are very
confident"
"Of course"-raising her straight black
brows. al won't; that's all. Who's to
make me? Not uncle"
"You might change your mind"
eyes, when grass grows blue, and fow-
ers head down." said lima peryersely.-
Snow look, Rol. There is Connaby Fell,
isn't it? Will you have racer Tom
won't beat Zulekia."
They were riding ahead of the other
three as Zuleika tossed up her head, sniff
fling the breeze from the open moorland.
Sir Philip rode up to Ilma's side, and laid
his hand lightly upon her bride hand.
"Keep tight rein," lie said gently, as
the girl looked up at him with the sweet
bright smile she never gave to Roland. 1
noticed that you were letting it slacKen
little just now; aud ZuleiKa will be of
like lightning ii she gets her head"
"Thanks," replied lima, Obeying him ut
once.
Roland bit his lip hard. lie resented
Sir Philips interference where, as he chose
to think, it was needless, seeing that he
himself was by Ilma's side.
"Why Darrell" he could not resist say
ing, ga good gallop will take some OF the
mischief out OF Zuleika.
"You forget" returned Sir Philip quiet
| ly, "that there is deep ditch only short
distance ahead, of which lima has never
| heard; and, if Zuleika came on it una
wares she might 20 into it instead Of over
| it,"
"But she can leap it, can she not!" said
| lima eagerly to Sir Philip; while Roland
| flushed holly and exclaimed
| "You ought not to leap that ditch, lima
| You are too confident"
| "You dear old woman" replied lima,
laughing, "you can shut your eyes at the
supreme moment. Is tue ditch too wide,
Sir Philip"
She did not intend to annoy her cousin
by appealing directly from him to Sir
Philip Darrell; still further frontier mind
was any idea OF coquetry; but Sir Philip
was too generous to feel any triumph in
the position assigned to him. lie answer