Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-10-23

| garden, which, at the back OF the house,
stretched To within few hundred yards Of
the river.
As Zeph--for IL was she--drew near to
the gate OF the garden, her keen eyes
detected a form standing just without
aud her yengeful heart gave u glad bound.
The neXt moment lima had sprung forward,
aud Zeph was painting for breath, pressing
her hand TO her side.
"What is it? What is the matter?'
asked the Canadian hurriedly, her thoughts
dying instantly To Roland, who had left
her 30 In distraught u state OF mind.
"Oh, lady," laltcred the girl, 81 was
coming 10 tell you'll darcn't tell them at
the Larches; and the young Squire WAS
fond OF you; wasn't he, LADY,"
$50 on" said lima, grasping Zcph's
wrist and speaking quite sternly in her
agony aud terror. "What has happened:"
"iie's down there, lady-in uncle's cot
tage-drowncd. Father found him"
But lima waited for 10 more; she ran
down the slope hectly rs deer. she had
reached the bottom, and had turned to
ask Zepb, who was little way behind,
where the cottage was, when stalwart
form-whicn even in that second she recog-
Missed as that OF JOB Ileston-sprang out
before her, aud, before she could utter
cry or word, a thick shawl was thrown
over her head, and she was lifted in "A
grasp against which her widest struggles
would have been vain. She did not struggle,
she did not try TO cry QUIT would have
been useless il she had. She perceived,
even in that bewildering moment of hor-
rer never TO be forgotten, that she was the
victim of Il terrible deception--that job
Heston and his daughter were but the
tools OF Roland Sabine.
"Don't hurt her, father" she heard
Zeph say, as she was being borne rapidly
towards the weir; but its roar grew
louder and louder, so that Jobs muttered
reply was lost in the thunder of the angry
waters. Were they going to throw her
over? She almost wished they were. But
no; she was carried on-still on, over the
lock bridge. They were taking her TO the
Mill-the Mill that would be washed away
that night! Where was Zcph now? Gone?
All, Heaven, there was some sense of pro-
lection while in her presence! She was
q woman, evil though lima knew her to be.
lima did not faint, not once did her
keen wits desert her. Every faculty was
sharpcned. Sue quickly reyolyed the
feasibility Of any appeal to her captor,
and dismissed it As worse than futile. In
the first place, Heston was firmly con-
WINGED that Dark Darrell would perish in
that nights floods, and therefore he would
only laugh at her If she promised him
reward from her lover if he would save
her; in the second place, She felt certain
that, though the roar ofthe weir prevented
her from hearing anything else, Roland
Sabine was close at hand, and possibly
nay, probably-armed; so that treachery
Inl.'. IyntIi1 In ustu
trated.
Her cousins object was, she thought, to
imprison her in the Mill, and TO try TO
force her into a promise to fly with him,
leaving her, if she refused, to perish III the
floods; and, horribly as this fate was, IL
was Elysium compared TO that which she
had first conceived and which even now
was not beyond possibility.
Her hurried reasoning was cut short by
job pausing; then he commenced To as
cend STEPS. He was going into the Mill!
Then for the first time she heard steps fol-
lowing. On they went, still al; they had
passed the first floor. Next somewhat
steep ladder was climbed, something was
set down by the man who followed job
the man was Roland, lima knew-and the
next moment she WAS put down gently,
the shawl removed, aud she found herself
in the disused corn-loft from the narrow
window Of which she had gaZed II few days
before, and Roland Sabine stood before
her, the dim rays OF d lantern shining upon
his CHASTITY face.
Not less CHASTITY was the face on which
he dared not look, while the large brown
eyes sought his in very agony OF appeal.
Even JoD lleston, villain though he was,
turned away, and seemed unwilling TO
gaze on the beautiful fragile creature he
had brought to dreadful death.
Roland first broke the terrible silence.
He advanced step towards his victim.
china" lie said-and his voice sounded
hard and changed, as changed as his aspect
-.'you have nothing worse than death 10
fear. There is but one way TO escape
open TO you"
The girl did not answer him but he
saw the look OF terror pass from her eyes,
and deep long breath Of inefiable relief
made her breast heaye for "A second. The
horror OF the situation was too new to he
yet fully comprehended, and the thought
of death a. something To shrink from mad
yet to come; it WAS as an angel of light
that it came just now.
Before Roland could speak again, Job
strobe towards the large trar-door that
gave admttauce to the loft.
"l'm off, SIR" he said. .Tain't safe to
stay here long; and, il you'll take my adj
vice, you won't stay long. The floods may
be up any hour, with the rain falling In
the mountains as 10 is. Good-by, missy.
You breed your own weird when you let
Dark Darrell catch your fancy with has
handsome face and glozng tongue"
lie uttered a harsh laugh, perhaps To
hide some CLEAN OF better feeling in his
hardened nature, as he left the hapless
girl TO her fate; and the next moment he
had disappeared through the trap door and
descended the ladder, whistling loudly.
Roland sprang TO the window-for lima
did not stir u step or move her ashen
lips--and looked out. Was il the CLEAN
OF water that he saw Immediately below?
Was the river, IN the few minutes that
had elapsed, up To the door OF the Millg
1t had almost washed their feet as they
entered, but how He turned, and
suddenly grasped Ilma's wrist, with
grip 50 strong that at any other time she
must have cried out; now she seemed
havnn1 FAILING "A 4 .irli min