Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-06-06

| evening that witnessed the opening Of
our story prepared to secure the match
less specimen of botany. He carried n
strong rope beneath his coat, and after
satisfying himself that the rock still
guarded the prize he began to prepare
for the undertaking.
Ethel watched him make loop at
one end of the rope, with something
like a CLEAN of revenge in her dark
eve, and when he fastened the cord to
Young tree that stood near the edge
of the cliff. she said, Frank the rope
might breakm
"Break? No Ethel, it would hang
a giant" he said, smiling. you will
put on my gloves aud let me down
slowly. can ascend, you know with
out assistance"
She put on the almost womanish
gauntlets he extended, and he dropped
the loop over the cliff. Then. putting
his neither limb over he found the rope
and put his feet into the moose.
Now, down we go, Ethelr' he said,
looking up smiling. Keep the rope
tight and let it slip through your fin
gers slowlyr'
She was very strong for girl of her
years and she held the rope as he had
directed.
His shoulders disappeared below the
edge of the precipice-then his face,
on which anticipated triumph sat en-
.hroned.
The cord slipped slowly through her
gloved hand, and at last she stepped
aside. for the lashing about the tree
now held him up.
She crept near the brink of the dizzy
height and listened for sound from
the man below. A slight swaying of
the rope that rested on the rock told
her that he was swinging himself in
ward toward the flower, and she
watched his movements with the eye of
the basilisk.
Gradually the movement ceased.
"Ethelr' came up from below.
What FrankP"
II have got the hower!"
"Bravom she said, and then rose,
pale as ashes.
al will do it now" she said, under her
breath, glancing up at cloud rapidly
nearing the moon. "Georgina Gren-
vile, you have won him, but shall
never wear him! You have stolen him
from me; this evening steal him from
your
Her eyes now flashed with anger, and
her bosom rose and fell unanimously
with passion.
The renewed oscillation of the rope
told her that he was ascending, and,
springing toward the tree, she drew Il
knife. 1t was beautiful, ivory-han-
died knife, and the shining blade there
of was strong.
She dropped, suddenly grown calm.
beside the rope. and looked up at the
cloud again. The fragmented edges
were crossing the rim of the moon, and
while she looked she held her breath.
The shadow advanced such cloud
never retrogrades; fate was behind it.
Gradually the moon was eclipsed,
and when that eclipse was at its full
the headstrong girl turned to the rope.
This is my revenge, Georgina Gren-
viller' she hissed and the knife struck
the cord.
The next second there was voice at
the cliff
Ethel, Eth-great heaven-my-"
The rope was severed, and the cry of
the student, hurled headlong down in
to the torrent of mad waters that
plunged through the bed of the chasm,
was stifled
A moment later the moonbeams fell
upon Ethel Dane, standing alone be-
meath the tree, pale as death, but
triumphant. By and by she crept to
the edge of the cliff, and found-one
leaf of that beautiful flower, glued to
the rock by the pressure of his hand
She could not touch it, and while she
looked it fell of its own accord down,
down, after him.
How she listened for wall; but none
came up. How she strained her eyes
to catch n glimpse at him lying on the
drenched bank below-dead, but no
such sight rewarded her. The silence
of death hung about the cliffs of Files
mere-as well it might, for the noblest
youth in the land had sold his life for 3
! flower!
And young girl stood over his un-
known grave with stain of murder on
her soul!
Ethel suddenly started from the cliff
and toiled at the end of the coiled rope
long time. Then she walked away
and entered her home alone. The
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alone for several days. Her parents
were absent on visit, and as she had
answered the ring at the bell herself
the servants did not know who had
called. Therefore Frank Hazers visit
had not been known.
She would keep the dread secret of
his doom in her own breast, and for
four years she kept it well.
In the little churchyard of Boyleston
may be seen an unpretentious marble
slab bearing this inscriptions: Frank
Hazel, act. 10. They whom the gods
love die young" Above the name
is carved a beautiful lily falling from
its stem.
Three days after the tragedy his
body was found. and in his hand was
crushed the flowor for whose posses
sion he had imperiled and lost his life.
Ethel could tell but little concerning
his death He had discovered rare
flower somewhere among the rocks,
and he had told her that nothing was
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