San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-10-25
The Gypsie's Curse;
BY THE AUTHOR OF GUILTY WITHOUT
CRIME" THE "WREcKERS OF
ERNER DOOM" ETC.
First Chapter began October 18th.
CHAPTER XIII.

w lIu > plluS llhc d paNtheI, DdIIcll
was upon the wOuld-be murderer; and SO
swift and so sure was the fierce blow of
the dubbed pistol that without cry or
groan the wretched man fell with 4 crash
to the floor and lay mOtionless.
Darrell turned, the pistol fell from his
hand, and his foot was Oh the ladder-like
stairs that led up to the next floor, when
white garment fluttered through the gloom
above.
"Philipv'-and in another moment H.
ma had thrown herself into her lovers
open arms.
yoiceess, fearless, was that wild, close
embrace at the awful gate of eternity,
that agony of JOY, that agony Of woe, lip
O lip, heart to heart, once more for the
as time. What years of anguish she had
seemed to pass through while she waited
and waited in the darkness of dread, and
kne W not whether he had been swept down
the rushing stream to q fearful death! And
now they had met, and her prayer ut least
was answered-he might die with her,
if he could not save her.
For two minutes all was forgotten in
their wild rapture, and then Darrell spoke
hurriedly-
"Ilma, there is still hope; l will not
despair I'LL beaIHS manu- ID uPoh us
Come with me-"
There was no hope in Ilma's dark eyes,
which were raised to her lovers face; but
death had no terror now, for he was with
her. He half led, half carried her to the
floor below, and passed straight to the
only aperture, the window by which he
had entered. The waters flowed a few
feet beneath them, bathed in the silvery
moonlight. After one look, Darrell folded
his arms more closely round the girls
fragile form and set his teeth, hope almost
bying in his heart. He bent over the sweet
face that rested upon his breast, and his
burning tears fell upon the girls brow.
"Oh, Lima, lima, have brought woe
and death to youW
"Philip'-oh, the pain ill her trembling
voice l--"was 10 not truth that spoke to
you in the sunshine yesterday Shall
say to you again now-so near the grave
that one hour Of happiness is better
than years Of dull content? To have won
your love-love that more than risked life
only to die with me''-and her face lighted
up with glorious brightness-"oh, my
heart, is not this more than thousand
years could give me, never knowing such
lover"
He could not answer her. The CULVER
ing lips that pressed hers were silent;
and the waters rushed on, leaping and
bounding. After a few moments, two
more victims would be carried away to-
wards the sea. The curse was fulfilled to
the uttermOst-''lifef for life"
.Philip"-and Ilma's voice was very
low and almost pleading-'.yOu have not
killed him"
The fierce passion that prompted the
deadly blow leaped like lightning into
Darrelps dark eyes.
81 struck him with death blow.
Would you have had me spare such viii
lain?" r-
| The girl trembled and hid her face.
'Let me pray tor strength to forgive
him, Philip. He offered me life if l would
be his wife. l chose death. Then he
said" Here she paused.
$50 on" said Darrell hoarsely; 'let
mo know all"
.He said that he would send to you and
tell you my fate; for he knew you would
come to die with me. My prayer to spare
you only angered him the more, for he saw
how loved YOU"
"You BUNDLED yourself to him who
dared give you choice between his base
passion and death? You, my betrothed
wife, knelt to him, and for me? Oh,
Heaven" said Philip Darrell, raising his
clenched right hand and his livid face to
the moonlit sky, "thou dost not claim from
mortal man pardon for crime so black, for
wrong so foul as this avenged to-nightw
The girl trembled ut that awful appeal
on the brink of death; yet her own pas
sionate soul had almost echoed it.
"Philip," she whispered, after L few
moments silence, ..let there be no stern
memory even of him in your heart or mine
now. See, the waters are rising, and the
foundations of the Mill shake beneath us &!
The time is so short, Philip, before-before
the last STRUGGLED
Her voice taItered, and the golden head
sank upon his breast. The strong man
ground his teeth in the potency of des-
pair as his dark eyes sought in vain over
the surface of the flood for any chance of
escape. II he could see some object near
enough to give the faintest hope of reach
ing it by swimming, he would risk all on
that hope; but, after all, it was not GER
tain that the Mill's foundation would
yield; and he knew that to trust himself
and lima to the swollen tide in the expec-
tation of reaching either shore would be
madness. Alone he could not, though
strong and expert swimmer, hope to resist
the force of the current; how then could
he with lima?
The drops of agony stood on his brow
as he bent over his darling, doomed by his
fatal love to an awful death; and the
words Of the curse seemed to ring back in
his ears
H'Tiil the waters rising. rising
Bring the bounden sacrificing