Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-08-14


back from the South, where he had been
commanding troops gathered to meet the
Spanish invasion. Sir Ingelhard was re-
turning in triumph at the head of his band
of retainers, when as they neared the
weir-it was a moonlight night-Zarah
appeared suddenly before him and pro-
nounced terrible curse on him and mis-
descendants for his double sin. No Dar-
rell should thenceforth be fortunate in his
love; 4 barrels love should always bring
dire anguish and death. both TO its object
and the Darrell. Zarah's curse was en-
bodied in these lines which are In modern
lied language but will show them to you
cut into the Mill wall:
"'Foulest stain on knighthood's face.
Deadly blight on noblestrace,
Shame on him who brou sht to shame
Her who bore charmed name,
Shame on base ingratitude,
Shame oil churl with Chilly bloodi
This the curse call from Heay'n,
BY tho power to Zarah giv'n:
Ever Darrell's love shall prove,
Woe and death TO both
Then, turning to the river-which, you
must know, lima, rises every year, either
In the autumn or winter-Zarah added
"Iist, ye river, rapid flowing.
To this curse my hate bestowingi
Let the voice of Gipsy's Weir
Scream that curse in Darrel's ear,
Till the waters, rising, rising,
Bring the bounden sacrificing
Life for life for traitors deed;
when the foods are out, take heed"
IN, - -. 49,. ~, -. ,,.o-o al a,oe.oJ - CTR
Ingelhard-that is, of course, To the House
OF Darrell; and, having uttered them,
Zarah, before any one could prevent her,
plunged headlong into the weir, and dis
appeared"
"But," exclaimed lima, interrupting n
narrative which she had followed with
keen interest, if with some inward amusc-
ment, "what can the four lines about Clip
sy's Weir meanW
"That no one has ever been able to make
out. They are generally thought 10 indi-
cate that the barrels will become extinct.
1t is said that the waters of the Coalmere
have risen higher every year since that
date. | know rs fact that they have
risen higher each year within the last for
ty. Mamma, you know, would not follow
q mere tradition
"But how could that be unless the rain
fall or tho snowfall was heavier than in the
year preceding!"
"That is one Of the strangest parts Of
the whole affair."" returned Rose; "but
three years ago, for example, we had a
very light autumn rainfall, and yet the
river rose nearly two feet above the rise of
the year before, when it rained heavily
nearly every day throughout September.
A meteorological who was staying here at
the time wrote to the Times about it. The
year before last the river was SO high that
the Hestons were afraid that the Mill
might be flooded; and last year, when, GER
tainly, the snow came down from the hills
terriby-for we had y rapid thaw in No
vember-the basement of the Mill was
flooded, and the Hestons had to take refuge
in the upper rooms for two or three days"
"There's a lot in the Cumberland Star"
put in jamie, "about the extraordinary
phenomenon of the rising of the Coal
mere. 1t is In number of few years ago.
will show it TO you, lima"
"But granted the phenomenon" said
lima, "why should the yearly increase in
the rising of the water concern the work.
ing out Of the curse"
oh, you skeptic! How should / know!
But of the curse working in one way there
can be 10 doubt" said Rose emphatically.
"Stay II moment, lima; you can hear the
weir now."
They were passing through little wood,
and, as all stood still, they heard dis
tinctly the roar of falling water. lima
listened for moment or two, with parted
lips, and eyes into which far away look
had come.
al was thinking Of Niagara" she said
softly at last, then added quickly, "Please
finish your story here, Rose. II we go on,
we shall meet Roland, and l shall not have
the finish for an age"
The three girls sat down on a fallen tree
trunk, and Rose continued
"There is no doubt about this, lima,
that from Sir highlands time all the OAR
rells have been unfortunate in love. Sir
highlands wife died quietly; but then he
did not love her, he hated her. 1t would
take too long to tell you, but, when you 60
through the picture-gallery at the Court,
the old house-keeper will give you n his
tory of all the fove-affairs Of the Darrells
since Sir Ingelhard; and there was always
'woe and death to both those who love- 1
wouldn't marry Darrell, grand as they
are-net even the present one, who Is the
uanukOnleSJ Oh " naHusOlue race.
"And dare-all, like the rest Of them"
added jamie.
.I'm coming to him." said Rose nodding
TO lima. "The present DarrelPs father,
Sir Bertram, married Howard, and they
were both drowned in yachting, when
their son Sir Philip was baby. Sir Ber-
trans father was shot in DUE over a
loye-affair"
"They were bold TO fall in love, II they
believed in the curse" said lima.
"I suppose they couldn't help it.
am not great physiognomist; dare say
you are. Look at their portraits and you
will see that they all had strong passions.
This one has, and 10 mistake, as you say
across the water. / wouldn't have him
hate me for something; 1 would almost
rather he loved mew
"Hate you'll That is supposIng you were
man." observed lima; a gentleman
would not visit vengeance on a woman"
al suppose not--a Darrell would not;
and certainly Sir Philip would not"