The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1891-11-06

garden, which, at the back OF the house,
stretched 70 within n few hundred yards OF
the river.
As Zrph-for IL was she-drew near to
the gate or tie garden, her keeu eyes
detected = form standing just witssout'
aud her veng-fuI heart gave u glad bound.
The next moment lima had pru8g forward,
aud Zeph was painting for breath, pressing
her hand to her sid.
s'Wnat il ity What Is the matter!''
asked the Canadian hurriedly, her thoughts
hyIug instantly 10 Roland, who had left
hOr 70 In distraught i state OF mind.
''Oh, lady," faItered tie girl, ''T was
coming to tell you-I dareu't tell them at
the Larches; aud the young Squire was
fond OF you; wasn't he, ladylS'
AGO On,n said lima, grasping 2eph's
wrist and speaking quite sLernly ia her
agony aud terror. stWhat has happenedt"
"He's down there, lady-in uncle's cot
tage-drOwued. Father found hint-"
But lima waited for no more; she ran
down the slope ieeIly as n deer. She had
reached tue bottom, and had turned 20
ask Zeph, who was little way behind,
where the cottage was, when a stalwart
furnI-whicn even I'm that second she recoa,-
nisrd that OF job Heston-sprang out
beiore-her, aud, before she could utter u
cry or word, thick shawl was thrown
over her head, aud she WAS lifted i'm
grasp against which her widest struggles
would have Dceu vain. She did not struggle,
sue did not try tn cry Quit would nave
been useless IL size had. sac perceived,
even la that bowilderins moment Of hor-
rer never 10 be FORGOTTEN, tuat She WAS the
victim Of terrible dcccBtiOu-tlIAt JOB
ueston aud his daughter were bat the
tools OF Roland Sabine.
"DOu't hurt her, father" she heard
Zeph say, ils she was being borne rapidly
towards the weir; hut its roar grew
louder and louder, so that jobs muttered
reply was lost ia the thunder OF the angry
waters. Were they going To throw her
over. She almost wished they were. But
no; she was carried ou-stIIl Oh, over tue
lock bridge. They were taking her to the
Mill-the Mill that would be washed away
that night Where was Zeph nov. Gomez
All, Heaven, there WAS some sense OF pro-
lection while in her presence! Sac WAS
y woman, evil though lima knew her 10 be.
lima did not faint, not once did her
keen wits desert her. Every faculty WAS
sharpened. Sue quicAly revolveu the
feasibility Of any appeal TO her eaptor,
Hnd dismissed IL Rs worse than fBItiic. In
the first place, HeSton was firmly con-
WINGED that Dark Darrell would perish in
that nights floods, aud therefore ne would
only laugh ut her ID sue promised Him u
reward from her lover if he would save
her; in the second place, she felt certain
that, though the roar of the weir pre- vented
her from hearing anything else, Roland
Sabine was close at hand, and posi- bly,
may, proGably-armed; 80 that treacnery
OH jobs part would be Instantly frus-
traIed.
Her cousins object was, she though to
impri>on her in the Mill, aud tu Try to
force her into a promise 10 fly Win him,
leaving her, IL she refused, to perisli in tue
floods; and, horribly ns this fate was, It
was Elysiutn compared to that which she
had first conceived, aud which even now
was not beyond possibility.
Her hurried reasoning WAS cut short 10y
Job pauSing; then lie commenced to nS
cend steJS. lie was going iuto The Mill!
Then for the first time. she heard. steps fol-
lowing. Oh they went, still on; they had
passed the tirst floor. Next somewhat
steep ladder was climbed, something WAS
set down by the man who followed job
the man was Roland, lima knew-amd the
next moment she was pun down gently,
the shawl removed, and size found herself
i'm the disuSed cOrn-lOft from the harrow
window OF which SHE had sazed = few days
before, aud Roland Sabine stood before
her, the dim rays of u lantern shining upon
his CHASTITY face.
Not les CHASTITY was the face on which
he dared not look, while the large brown
eyes sought his In very agony Of appeal.
Even JOJ Hesron, villain though lie was,
turned away, aud seemed unwilling 10
gaze on the beautiful fragile creature he
had brought to dreadful death.
Roland first broke the terrible silence.
He advanced \ step towards Ills victim.
"Ilma," lac said-and his voice sounded
hard aud changed, AS changed a. his aspect
-.'you hSye nOthing worse than death to
fear. There is but one way TO escape
open TO YOU" F.
The girl did not answer him; but he
saw the look OF terror pass from her eyes,
aud deep long breath of inetlI1le relief
made her breast heaye for a second. the
horror OF the stu ,tion was too ne,s TO lie
yet fully comprehend, d, and the thought
of death as something 10 shrink from uad
yet to come; it As an angel vi light
That IL came just now.
Before Roland could speak again, job
strobe towards the large traI-dOOr tuat
gave adtnittaure to the loft.
"Pm OF, sir" he sand. .'Tain't safe to
stay here long; aud, IL you'll take my adj
vice, you won't stay long. The fibods may
he up any hour, with the rain falling in
tue mountains as II is. Good-by, missy.
You breed your own weird when you let
Dark Darrell catch your fancy with has
handsome face and glOZing tongues'
lie uttered harsh laugh, perhaps to
hide. some CLEAN Of better feeling in his
hardened nature, as he left tue hapless
girl 10 her fate; and tue next moment he
uad disappeared through the trap dor and
descended the ladder, whi@tling lOfidlF.
Roland spranE TO the wiudow-fOT lima
did not stir step or move her ashen
iips-and booked out Was it the CLEAN
OF water that lac SAW Immediately below?
Was the river, In the few inmates that
had elapsed, up ~ the door OF tile MiIil
It had almost washed their feet as they
entered, but now lie turned, aud
suddenly graSprd Ilna's wrist, with
grip 50 strong that At ANY other time she
must have cried out; nov sue seemed
beyond feeling physical pain.
s'ilma," he cried hOarSely, 'sthere ARE
not many moments to lose; the nOods may
III II. l. ! -