Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-08-14
al nm nwfnllr curious about him. said

'I'm all attention." returned Rose.
"Then how was 1t Sir Ingelhard, who
was not too good for anything, did not turn
the Heston's out OF the Mill after Zarah's
cursed"
"Well, perhaps even lie thought he had
done enough wrong; or, more likely, his
superstitious fears prevented him. And
no Darrell has ever dreamed Of dispos-
sessing the Hestons, though to this day
they hate the Lords of the Manor rs if
they were all Sir highlands. They were
like the Corsican vendetta; gipses have
so much of that kind of thing; no other
people would think of carrying hatred
through generations. job is AS glad as no
can be that Sir Philip is the last Of his
race"
"Still they have always been good ten
ants" said !" they pay their rent
steadily, and hurt nobody. But they have
never been fayorites. The other tenants
will hardly speak to them because they arc
against the barrels, and partly for their
gypsy blood. Job is u doup-looking man,
i think"
"And Zeph looks eerie." added Rose
"Well, lima, what next"
"Why the curse said
"'when the floods are out, take heedP
That seems warning to the barrels that
they may meet with death or disaster at
rising OF the river. How has that been
worked out!"
cit never has been yet" answered Rose
mysteriously; 81 remember hearing grand
mamma say once that Anneris Darrell, u
grand-aunt Of Sir Philip, you know, would
not cross the river one year when the
floods were out, though she had TO take
an important journey South; but nothing
happened. The bridge she would have
had to cross remains still. Generally the
barrels have been reckless about that
warning; and not one of them has come
to grief ut the time of the floods. Sir
Philip when lie was a boy, crossed foot
bridge Just above the lock when he was
told it was dangerous; the river rose ia
September that year, and three minutes
after he had reached safety the bridge
was swept away. The last time he was
here, was one october more than five years
ago, he did u fearfully daring thing. One
OF his tenants, poor woman, lived in n
cottage near the river; the water rose so
high that she had to take to the roof Of
the cottage. Sir Philip launched boat
he's splendid oarsman; put the current
of the Coalmere is always strong, and OF
course at the tlood-time it is like mill
race; nevertheless lie put out. lie was
carried down nearly II mile, aud how he
managed to escape or to reach the cottage
1 know not: but he did manage, and saved
the woman"
GLOW glorious" cried lima, flushing
with excitement and clasping her hands.
"Oh, Rose, q man who could do such a
'deed of deering-do' must bear charmed
life! No curse for crime not his could
touch him."
Rose looked admirlngly at her enthusi-
astic cousin.
"He believes in the curse" she said
vely-"they all do; and l am afraid it
will be fully worked out with his life. l
should feel far easier if he left before the
river rose. Why, lie is thirty-one, and
still unmarried; and such a man rs he is
need never go begging for wife. lie
ought to marry for the sake of the old
house, whether he would fall in love or
not. No one Of course ventures to ask
him any questions; but he is hardly ever
ut the Court, and when he is 1T is only for
week or two. He came back few days
ago from the Continent, and you will not
hear anything talked of now but Sir Philip
but don't fall in love with him. i am in
earnest lima"
$50 you seem," said lima, laughing;
"but you tempt me TO try him. What
funi Do you think he has made up his
mind never to drag any hapless maiden in
to woe through giving him her heart.
declare Pll find out~
"Ilma, you must notw said Rose
you'll have to meet him, you know;
for we know him, and so does aunt
Rachel, OF course. He is a most fascin..t-
ing man-been all over the world-and so
81, laIf ofr Of
him; there seems kind OF recklessness
about him, as if he was trying to fly from
HIMSELF; and he does such reckless things.
He does not seem to value his life; yet he
always escapes danger, as IL there was
something supernatural about him; and
then the knowledge that he is under "a
curse, gives one an eerie impression in it.
self"
"You are superstitious, you North
Country people," returned skeptical IL
ma. ave are bad enough in Cornwall;
but then left IL so young. L believe you
really think Sir Philip is kind Of Mephis-
topheles."
.'He would do for it," remarked jamie
-''the beautiful Mephistopheles Of the
German legends"
"Dear me-" said lima, ar wish he would
fall in love with you, jamie Now cross
yourself and mutter u charm"
But jamie shook her head.
"Wish me anything but that, lima
However, l am safe. L am not the kind
OF girl Darrell would fall in love with,
though am sure he could make any wo-
man love him if he tried"
"What AN irresistible cavaliervs
"Ah, you New-World skeptic," said
Rose, rising, "you mock, but take care!
Everybody must have told you how beau
tiful you are"
''Oh, this is lovelyv' cried the girl,
clapping her hands. "Fancy tom-boy me
winning the heart and ever SO many thou
sands year of Dark Darrell, who is I'M
der a curse and half supernatural, and
rides about on a black horse-it must be
black, to be in keeping-and who plays
battledoor and shuttlecock with his lie,
and yet is miraculously preserved! Why,
Rose, you pique me to the combatV
"You mustn't talk So" cried Rose,
catching Ilma's arm. al would rather see
you in your coffin than lady OF the Court;
it can't be a mere legend that such q man
as Darrell believes in so thoroughly. Come
OH and see the Mill and the weir, and meet
Roland"
"Poor Rose 70 said lima, 0afer all, I