Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-10-30

! death had no terror now, for he was with
| her. He half led, half carried her TO the
floor below, and passed straight TO the
only aperture, the window by which he
| had entered. The waters flowed few
feet beneath them, bathed in the silvery
moonlight. After one look, Darrell folded
his arms more closely round the girPs
fragile form and set his teeth, hope almost
nying In his heart. lie bent over the sweet
! face that rested upon his breast, and his
burning tears fell upon the girls brow.
"Oh, lima, lima, ! have brought woe
and death to youw
"Philip"-oh, the pain ia her trembling
voice twas IL not truth that spoke TO
you In the sunshine yesterday! Shall L
say to you again now--so near the grave
that one hour of happiness is better
than years of duh content? To have won
your love--love that more than risked life
only to die with me'-and her face lighted
up with glorious brightness-"oh, my
heart, is not this more than thousand
years could give me, never knowing such
lover"
He could not answer her. The CULVER
ing lips that pressed hers were silent;
and the waters rushed on, leaping aud
bounding. After few moments, two
more victims would be carried away to-
wards the sea. The curse was fulfilled to
the uttermost-"lif for life"
"Philip"-and Ilma's voice was very
low and almost pleading-"you have not
killed him?"
The fierce passion that prompted the
deadly blow leaped like lightning into
Darrell's dark eyes.
81 struck him with death blow.
| hay had m gnQh VIII
lain:"
The girl trembled and hid her face.
"Let me pray tor strength to forgive
him, Philip. lie offered me life if | would
be his wife. 1 chose death. Then he
said" Here she paused.
$50 on" said Darrell hoarsely; "let
mo know all"
"He said that he would send to you and
tell you my fate; for he knew you would
come TO die with me. Ny prayer to spare
you only angered him the more, for he saw
how / loved YOU"
"You humbled yourself to him who
dared give you choice between his base
passion and death? You, my betrothed
wife, knet to him, and for me? Oh,
Heaven" said Philip Darrell, raising his
clenched right hand and his liyid face TO
the moonlit sky, ''thou dost not claim from
mortal man pardon for crime so black, FOR
wrong so foul as this avenged tonight"
The girl trembled at that awful appeal
on the brink of death; yet her own pas
sionate soul had almost echoed it.
"Philip," she whispered, after few
moments silence, 'slet there be no stern
memory even Of him in your heart or mine
now. See, the waters are rising, and the
foundations of the Mill shake beneath us {!
! The time is so short, Philip, before-before
! the last struggleW
Her voice faltered, and the golden head
sank upon his breast. The strong man
ground his teeth in the potency OF des-
pair as his dark eyes sought in vain over
the surface OF the food for any chance Of
escape. Ii he could see some object near
enough TO give the faintest hope of reach
/ ing it by swimming, he would risk all on
that hope; but, after all, 1t was not GER
tain that the Mil's foundation would
! Yield; and he knew that to trust himself
! and lima TO the swollen tide in the expec-
tation of reaching either shore would be
! madness. Alone he could not, though a
strong and expert swimmer, hope TO resist
the force of the current; how then could
! he with Ilmai
The drops of agony stood on his brow
az he bent over his darling, doomed by his
| fatal love to an awful death; and the
words of the curse seemed to ring back in
/ his ears
"'Ti,l the waters, rising, rising,
Bring the bounden sacrificing
Life for life for traitors deedi"
The moon was yelled, and darkness fell
| over the water. In vain did Darrell
strive to pierce the gloom. Oh, for ray
Of light The cloud was passing, its edges
! cleaned with silver; the moon peeped
out; and suddenly Darrell uttered cry.
! lima started, and followed his gaze
TO BE CONTINUED.