Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-01-03

style. So ut least thought Morton
Lynn your great-great grandfather.
He paid her great deal of attention
won Der love. in fact-and IN ght have
married her eventually had not sweet
Amy Leigh appeared upon the scene
and ensuared him with her sea-blue
eyes and yellow hair.
"The consequences were he forsook
black-eyed. queenly Zorah. and mar
ried Amy in three months time.
'Zorah Delmaine met the bridal
party ut the church door after the
ceremony, and pronounced a curse
upon the house of Lynn, to the effect
that each of that name should perish
by drowning-AlOrton first. then his
descendants in their turn. She threw
the opal ring given her by her false
lover at the feet of the pale young
bride saying;
my hearts blood stains that stone.
Take it. and with it my curse!'
''The bride was carried to her home
in deathly faint; but Morton laughed
at the whole affair. Nevertheless he
was u little startled on picking up the
ring to find that dash of scarlet in
the stone. A year later he was
drowned in attempting to ford the
Platte River when the current ran
swift He left ono son, who grew up,
married and met the same fate. HIS
son YOUR grandfather. was swept over
board in storm on the Pacific Ocean.
Ethel, how did your father dieP'
she was drowned" answered the
girl. in low. hushed tones. He fell
from the bridge. and the current car
ried him under"
True" said Mrs. Lynn. You and
l are the sole survivors of our race,
and you are maiden young and
fair What Inference do YOU drawP"
Don't ask me-. said Ethel shudder-
ing. lit is too horrible. But | do
not. l will not, believe in the curse.
What became of Zorah Aunt EllenP"
"She disappeared. Hark. Ethel!
What was ths'p"
A dull. rumbling sound shook the
earth Gn3 air.
Ethel sprang TO the window.
Half mile distant the PlaLtes River
flowed darkly, sullonly. between its
shady banks. Like wild beast. it
roared and washed against the bridge
until the giant structure trembled aud
tottered.
Ethel w-'ched it with fascinated
eyes. Suddenly there came crash.
and the central props gave way and
were carried down stream by the an
CRY current. The trestlework fell with
them, and from the middle of tho
bridge 10 the great water tank on the
village side the bridge was open. with
only narrow plank on either side
connecting the broken Fragments
Ethel glanced up at the clock. Half
past already. and the flyer" due at
the little station at sharp.
She turned Mortified look upon her
aunt
lit stops for nothing" she said, in
a husky voice, ''and it goes like the
wind. Auntv. must give the signal;
there is no one else near enough!"
ethel, you shall not!' grasped Miss
Lynn, starting forward as her niece
caught up n shawl and flew toward the
door. Remember the curse of Lynn!
Ethel Ethel ~
But Ethel was already on the rail.
road track hurrying toward the RIVER
and gave no heed to her aunt's voice of
distress.
Onward she few with breathless
haste. unheedng the sharp stones
which cut and bruised her feet at
every step, paused not until she reach
ell the bridge. and the great brown
water tank doomed up before her.
Clinging d zzily to the iron railing
she felt her wav across the narrow
plank, not daring to glance down at
the whirling flood beneath, lest she
should loose her balance and fall.
As she reached tho other side, faint
and giddy, the whistle of the incoming
train broke upon the roar of the angry
river.
With the sound new lite entered
Ethel's veins. Snatchng the scarlet
shawl from her head. she ran along the
bridge. waving it frantically, as the
fast express swept round the curve.
She saw her signal was observed.
The speed of the train was slackened.
and with sound as of roaring waters
in her ears she fell senseless across the
track.
And to think" said pretty Mrs
Dacre. some months later, 'that you
should prove TO be the last of Del
maine blood Royce dear; aud in saw
ing you that awful day l lifted the
curse from Lynn. How little | knew 1
should meet my fate in one Of the pas
sengers on that train L signalled!
Wasn't it stranger
Very strange, assented Royce
Darce. regarding his beautiful wife
quizzically. "When picked you up
as you lay in dead faint across the
ties, l knew had met my fate. But
Ethel darling have no faith in the
curse of Lynn 1t is moonshine. my
dear. 1t is not in the power of auy
mortal to pronounce curse God
only can do that, and his mercy is
infinite. Danish the thought, my little
wife"
Ethers fair face grew thoughtful.
Yet how we'll it all fits in," she
said, reflectively. 1.-The opal ring was
gone from my, finger when came back
10 consciousness. and no trace of it has
been found. 1t must have dropped in
to the river. Then Aunt Ellen marry
ing that dear old Maj. Darlington.
your best friend. and my marriage with
you. brought the fulfillment OF the
prophecy. For the race Of Lynn has
virtually ceased, or is Mt least merged
in that of Darlington and Darce."