Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-05-08
THE GIPSY'S CURSE,

throbbed so quickly rs he rode over the
moOrland by llma's side; and the strange
old German legend came back TO him OF
the terrible ride of LenOre and her lover
through the forest, away, TO unknown re.
gions. lima was too fair, too pure for SO
black a fate; his love should not destroy,
but save her. Death could not wrest her
from such great love rs his. Never was
love more true and faithful, never devo.
tion more perfect; his every thought was
hers-his first love; for, though he had
tasted deep of life's pleasures, lie had new
er loved till now; and now he laid down
his life at the feet of a go.den-hared girl
Would she spurn the treasure, or would
she fear him: On, on they sped through
the summer sunshine, away from the fate.
ful river
LET the dead past bury its dead"
ON to the distant land of light and love
Was the vow quite forgotten!
His hand was on his companions bride
but, even rs her questioning eyes were
raised to his face, his eyes were turned
from her, and II mighty and terrible change
had gone over her features. 1t was well
perhaps that she did not meet his eyes just
then, for surely she must have read there.
in his whole heart. But why did his looks
change, and his cheeks grow liyid, and
his hand drop from Zuleika's rein, and
why did he check with an iron-hand his
own horses onward course! Because OF
the sound that came sweeping on the wind
-''the sound oil many waters" the sullen
roar of Gipsy's Weir; and the awful
words flashed across his mind
Ever Darrells love shall prove,
Woe and death TO both who love"
The fierce revulsion was terrible; he al
most reeled in the saddle; he scarcely saw
for one bewildercd moment that lima, un-
able at once to check her horse, had turned
now and was riding back to him. But,
when the mist had rolled away from his
eyes. and he saw her, bis love, so young,
so wondrous fair, he felt the bitterest an
guish of self-reproach. Death to her, for
whom he would shed his blood drop by
drop smiling in the suffering borne for her
sake! Had he been mad, mad indeed?-
but was IL too late TO save her-to bear the
curse alone.
His strong will rose To meet the great
need of the moment, to hide the truth
from lima. Yet even the quick command
of feature which had become second na.
ture to him could not, in the few seconds
that elapsed, smooth away all signs Of deep
emotion; and Ilma's keen glance was
keener now, too, TO read his taco.
"What is itg" she said hurriedly, paus.
ing and leaning forward, with her large
clear eyes full of trouble. "ls it All,
forgive mev
She raised her head and followed his
glance, which seemed TO answer her, to-
wards the river. For few seconds she
sat quite silent. listening to the roar of the
weir, her eyes dim with binding tears
but her face quite turned from her com-
panion, So that he could not see it.
.sDon't trouble your bonnie head, lima
DEAR" he said half lightly, half caressing
ly, us one might speak to child. 81 AN
so grieved that | caused you even pass.
ing trouble! But the sound came on mt
suddenly and unnerved me; for was for
getting the shadows in the sunshine, anC
needed a reminder, l suppose. llark-
there is Hollands shout! Shall we make
detour round the bracken yonder and join
them!"
lima made no answer, but silently looset
her bride and rode of again, Sir Philil
by her side. She could not have spoken
one word. She still kept her face ava!
from him, though now there was an addet
main that yet helped her To gain self-con
troll She was Il child To him then--only
ehildY Well, and did not she behave lik
"A childY What else could lie think her
She was not seventeen yet, not for anothe
week; so it was only kindness when h
said that nothing was trouble that wa
done for her. lie only wanted to teas
her. when he Knocked her about the flow
ers: and-why, OF course he would no
have given her Zuleika, IL he had though
she was more than "A child Well, her
were the others; and how vexed Rolan
was looking, though lie laughed aud calle
out "Truantsp Then the girls came NJ
and there was a good deal OF laughter an
banter; and lima laughed rs much rs an
one; but she was conscious all the tim
that Roland was anything but pleased
She did not care in the least about thai
and was as far as ever from imagining VIII
he should be yexed, except that he ha
not wanted her to leap the ditch. She le
him keep her by his side however,. an
talked and laughed, and seemed In fin
spirits.
Roland proposed crossing the Coalmer'
and returning home by the Mill; and 4
no one objected to the idea, they made f
narrow bridge, that spanned the rive
three or four miles above Scarth Abbot
Only two horses abreast could cross th
bridge, and here il happened that Sir Phi
no Darrell aud lima were side by sic
again. -
.What a rapid current the river has
said the girl, afraid that he should thin