Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-05-22

/ tuuCu W uIdN UNOh w NSe ~ out
loved him, of what use to draw back? 1t
would be too late TO save her. "lf" IL
ma was still child in many things. How
should she give to him, he asked himself
again, in SO short time, such love as he
gave to her? At least he could test it, at
least he could find out by absence if he had
won woman's heart, or only the girlish
love that was more OF the imagination tnan
| the heart.
Quickly all this flashed through Sir Phil
| lip Darrell's mind-so quickly that there
was scarcely II moments pause before he
laid his hands lightly on the keys, as
though he was speaking of some piece of
music TO her, and, forcing back from eye
| and lip all that made his heart beat SO
| wildly, said earnestly
81 should not pain you, lima; let my
| words pass-not as Jest-no-I wounded
to-day by jest, born Of my own pain--but
as thought too hastily spoken, thought
| that my life is not barren Of at least kind
ly memory"
What bitter mocHery TO him were such
words! They panied her, but they gave
her self command, and she was for the
time even grateful TO him; later, in the 81.
lence of 4 sleepless night she saw their hol-
en- in that first lool, and tone.
"Kindly memory" she repeated very
low. "Why should you not think so, Sir
Philip? owe you too great debt Of graf
itude TO fall short of 50 much rs kindly
memory"
Mou give me a problem TO solve, lima;
Tor, by my faith, cannot discover how 1
am your creditor. thought was debt
or. Hush! Give me the wowan's privi-
lege, the last word, unless you will take 1t
IN music; and / would rather listen TO
Schumann than fathom enigmas."
SO lima played again; and, when she
rose to leave the piano, she forgot the poor
damask rose, and the piano-lid closed over
1T, and it died there neglected.
But when lima dressed TO go back to the
Grange, she took sir Philips flowers care
fully from the water and hid them in her
breast, knowing not where else to put
them, for she dared not carry them in her
hand lest they should be seen. Miss Durn-
ford and lima were TO return in the car.
riage, and Zuleika was 10 follow them
As the farewells were being said, Roland
continued TO whisper TO his cousin
"You remember what l asked tonight
about explaining TO your"
eyes," said the girl wonderingly.-
"What do you meant"
"May / come and see you, Ilma!"
81 suppose SO; but not yet, not-not be-
fore Thursday"
"But you will come here before then"
"Maybe. Good night. Auntie is watt
ing"
She ran away quickly, and Darrell hand
cd her into the carriage; then he mounted
Uassan, and rode with the ladies as far rs
the Grange. He would not 20 in, but babe
adieu TO them on the steps, lifting Ilma's
hand TO his lips, rs his custom was; but
this evening the soft moustache hardly
touched the little hand, and he turned
away without parting word.
But there was deeper meaning in that
.eticence than even in lingering kiss and
passionate words. Aud when he was gone
lima stood quite still for a moment in the
summer night, and pressed her hands over
her eyes with II low quick sob that was half
bitter pain and half the very agony Of JOY.
Did Philip Darrell love herr was the
question that lima asked herself over and
over again that night. Had she been a
few years older, there could have been no
doubt Us TO the answer--scarcely any need
for the question:; but, even when there
seemed none other than one solution to
what had passed that day and evening,
still the torturing thought came that she
was foolish and only child. lie might be
fond OF her in fashion, but love her! And
yet Did he fear TO bring sorrow on
her? SO only could she read what must
otherwise seem like trlfling with her; for
his looks. words, and tones that day, his
manner when he parted with her, would
not agree with mans affection for a
child that NyOl1lfl ha franz nd f.a
different. He did not then regard her as
"only a child" but sometimes tried TO
make her think Ire did for her sake, not
for his. lie would not seek her love but.
alas, had he not won it,
She knew now III this solitary self-com-
muning-shrink from it us she would,
self-analyss was forced upon her-tsas
he was Eight about the flowers; that it was
because he had given them TO her that She
valued them; she knew that he was more
to her than all the world besides. And.
oh, If lie loved her, why should the curse
on his house blight his life! She did not,
would not, believe in il. There was no
stain on his honor; the ban OF Heaven
could not be OH such rs he; and, il it were,
she would rather die with him tlsin live
without him. But he was going away, and
she was glad, for that might save him,
She could not resist the Influence of the
general belief that deadly peril lay for
the last Of the Darrells in the Coalmere
floods this year. Would he so without
seeing her! She tremb,ed at the thought
of meeting him again, and wept passionate
ly at the thought or not seeing him.
Morning found the girl with no feeling
Of WEAKNESS; every pulse was beating
high, and every sense on the alert. She
rose before the sun was aboy the horizon,
and, dressing quickly, went down to the
stable and saddled Zuleika, and went for
q ride. She rode miles before Miss
Durnford had opened her eyes and, when
lima came in to breakfast, she looked so
bright and fresh, and seem ed SO happy,
that no one could have que ssed how she
had suffered and suffered stin.
Rose came over early to the Grange, and
wanted lima TO 60 back with her for
game of lawn tennis; and lima went,
having no excuse for refusing; but she
took care never to he alone with Roland.
The shadow of the approaching Thursday
hung over her like u pail. She could not
now avoid more than stEpecting what
Roland wanted to speak to her about;
and she shrank from that with II dread
that grew more and more as the day APP
preached.
Meanwhile nothing was seen Of Sir
Philip Darrell. He was stKl at the Court;
all Scarth Abbott w0lld have speedily
known 1t if lie had left.
"Maybe, Missy" said Jdb Heston grim
ly TO lima, rs she was crossing the lock
bridge early on Wednesday morning, and
met the miller, she's settin his house IN
order at last; time he did, il he means to
stop till the rains come. They'll be on us
in a day or two, or my names lot Heston."