San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-10-24

over which Dark Darrell mad ridden on
that sunny morning when lima had stood
and dreamed above the glittering tide,
were broken into splinters, aud the whole
structure whirled away into fragments.
One of the villagers fancied he could see
at the window of the Mill, some one waiv-
ing an arm with despairing gestures; but
others said lie must he mistaken, rs Job
and Zeph Heston had left the Mill long
since. But presently some one saw the
face and recognized lima Costello.
Alone in that awful prison, death rising
| to her foot by loot-llma knelt and tried
to pray; but her heart would cling TO him
whose face she would see no more. Death
had lost all terror; she saw herself whirled
away in the boiling flood, and she did not
| shudder at the picture. Roland was for
gotten. But Philip, who would die for
| her-oh, il he should yet hear Of her fate
| and strive to reach her? She cried aloud
| in the anguish of that fear, and before
| the echo of that cry had died away she had
| sprung to her feet, and her heart seemed
| to stand still within hcr-for the moon
| shOne forth upon single horseman strug-
| Cling win the angry waters.
CHAPTER XII.
Zeph Heston was passionate and vindic-
tive; but, like many undisciplined char
acters, she was better than her impulses.
| Scarcely had she reached the cottage in
which she and her father had sought tenn.
| porary shelter, than the full horror Of the
| deed to which she had been a party rushed
upon her. She did not know that Roland
intended to inform Sir Philip Darrell of
| the fate of his betrothed, in order to in
| yolve him in the same destruction; but,
| what wrong had lima done her, Zeph was
now compelled to ask herself, that she
| should be the girls murderess! What
| wrong had Sir Philip done that, in order
| to remove some one she hated, she should
| rob him of the woman he loved? Heston's
| daughter had not actually blamed lima be-
cause Roland Sabine loved her; but she
| had hated her with the unreasoning vim
| dictiveness of a half-savage nature because
| lima was an obstacle, as the poor creature
imagined, to her own possible happiness.
Remorse, when it came, was bitter and
| overwhelming.
| Perhaps too, though this came later, there
was another feeling in ZepRs heart-a
vague feeling that Roland might have in
tended to play her false, and spare lima
if she would consent to marry him. Zeph
did not believe that lima would consent
to this alternatives; but it lent zest to the
determination which took possession of the
girl to 60 to Sir Philip Darrell and tell
him of llma's danger. He might yet be in
time to save her; and for herself, Zeph
cared little. Nor would she now shrink
from sacrificing Roland-for the idea,
having once entered her mind, gained
strength with every passing moment-if
he intended to break Ais word to her.
Even her fathers part in the deed did not
| deter the girl now; nor did she seem to
remember at that moment that the hope Of
| saving lima must needs be frustrated If
| the curse was to be fulfilled.
Standing at the door of the cottage, she
saw her father at the lock-bridge. Not II
second was to be lost. The girl fastened
out of the house and up the slope, and was
| running swiftly towards the open country
by the time Job Heston had crossed the
threshold of his relatives dwelling and
roughly demanded where Zeph was.
| Zeph knew every rood Of ground within
ten miles; and, dark though it now was
for the moon had not yet appeared-she
made her way unerringly towards the
| Court. The girl had not yet run a mile,
and was OH piece of open mOorland, when
/
clouds, and by its light she saw horseman
coming straight towards her at swift
gallop. She recognized Sir Philip and his
horse Hassan, and, pausing, pulled the red
eerchef from her head and waved it wild
| ly. The signal had the desired effect
Darrell refined up within a yard of the
| girl and descended from his horse.
| "Zeph Heston, what do you want of
| meJv He smoke stprnlV. he muSt have
read the evil tidings in her face.
"Kill me if you like"-and the girl
| grasped the sleeve OF his coat in her in
tense eagerness-'.but believe every word
l say. Look here, Sir Philip; l came after
| you, and you can hang me for this nights
| work."
$50 on" he said almost tiercely, with
| horrible fear in his heart;" .'and if you
lie, woman though you are, you shall suf-
| fer"
| IL speak the truth, 50 help me Heavenw
went on Zeph rapidly. ''rhe Squire came
| to father and me this afternoon, and said
| we were to get Miss lima into the Mill
| The Squire said he'd put her there, and
| she should be drowned tonight, for the
| Mill would be washed away; and | ran up
| to the Grange garden and told Miss lima
that the Squire was drowned; and she ran
| down to the river, and father seized her
| and took her TO the Mill. But, Oh" cried
| the wretched girl, covering down, 'Pd
| give everything to save Miss lima now -
| That's why came after YOU"
Not word did Philip Darrell speak
With liyid brow and blOodless lips, he
| sprang upon his horse and was out of sight
| OF Zeph in 4 few seconds; and, as lie flew
| UPWARDS, there burst upon his ears the