Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-10-23

Ia mans hgure--yanisiIed in the shadow;
the other ran swiftly towards the Grange
garden, which, at the back Of the house,
stretched to within u few hundred yards OF
the river.
As Zeph--for IL was she-drow near to
the gate OF the garden, her keen eyes
detected form standing just without
aud hsr vengeful heart gave a glad bound.
The mex moment lima had sprung forward,
aud Zeph was painting for breath, pressing
her hand TO her side.
"What is IL? What is the matter?"
asked the Canadian hurrledly, her thoughts
flying instantly To Roland, who had left
her 20 in distraught a state Of mind.
"Oa, lady" faltersd the girl, al was
coming to tell you'll ddren't tell them ut
the Larches; and the young Squire was
fond Of you; wasn't ne, ladyp
''GO on" said lima, grasping Zeph's
wrist and speaking quite sternly in her
agony aud terror. "What has happenedl"
'He's down there, lady-in uncle's cot
tage-drowned. Father found him"
But lima waited for no more; she ran
down the slope 1eetly as deer. She had
reached tile bottom, and had turned to
ask Zeph, whe was little way behind,
where the cottage was, when stalwart
fOrm-which even In that second she reeog-
missed as that OF job Heston-sprung out
before her, and, before sue could utter
cry or word, u thick shawl was thrown
over her head, and she was lifted in
grasp against which her widest struggles
would have been yain. Sue did not struggle,
sue did not try To cry Quit would have
been useless il sho had. She perceived,
even in that bewildering moment of hor-
rer never to be forgotten, that she was the
victim Of "A terrible deception-that Job
Heston and his daughter were but the
tools OF Roland Sabine.
about hurt her, father" she heard
Zeph say, as sue 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; sho was carried on--still on, over tue
| lock bridge. They were taking her to the
| Mill-the Mill that would be washed away
| that nghtl Where was zeph now? Gone?
| All, Heaven, there was SONS sense Of pro-
lection while in her presencel she was
u woman, evil though lima knew her to be.
lima did not faint, not once did her
! keen wits desert her. Every faculty was
sharpened. Sue quickly reyolved the
feasibility of any appeal to her captor,
|
the first place, Heston was firmly con-
| WINGED that Dark Darrell would perish in
that nights floods, and therefore ne would
only laugh ut her If sue promised him a
reward from her lover If ne 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 pOssiOly-
| nay, probably--armed; so that treacnery
on jobs part would DO Instantly frus-
| trated.
Her Cousins object was, she thought, to
| imprison her in the Mill, and To try TO
force her into promise to fly with him,
leaving her, If she refused, TO perish in the
floods; and, horribly rs this fate was, it
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 on; they had
| passed the first floor. Next a somewhat
steep ladder was climbed, something was
set down by the man who followed Job
the man was Roland, lima knew-and tue
next moment she WAS put down gently,
| the shawl removed, and she found herself
In the disused corn-loft from the narrow
window of which'she had gazed II few days
before, aud Roland Sabine stood before
her, the dim rays OF lantern shining upon
his CHASTITY face.
Not less CHASTITY was the face on which
he dared not look, while tire large brown
eyes sought his In very agony of appeal.
Even jon Heston, villain though lie was,
turned away, and seemed unwilling to
gaze on the beautiful fragile creature he
had brought to a dreadful death.
Roland first broke the terrible silence.
! He advanced a step towards his victim.
"Ilma," he said-and his voice sounded
| hard and changed, as changed as his aspect
| --.syou have nothing worse than death TO
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 ineffable relief
| made her breast heave for u second. The
| horror Of the situation was too new to be
| yet fully comprehended, aud the thought
of death as something to shrink from nad
| yet to come; it was AS an angel OF light
that 1t came just now.
| Before Roland could speak again, Job
strobe towards the large trap-door that
| gave admttance TO the loft.
| "'m of, sir" he sand. "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 rs it is. Good-by, missy.
You breed your own weird when you let
| Dark Darrell catch your fancy with his
handsome face and glozing tongue"
| lie uttered u harsh laugh, perhaps To
hide some CLEAN of better feeling ia his
hardened nature, rs 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 1t 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 Mill?
! 1t had almost washed their feet as they
| entered, but now lie turned, and
suddenly graspod Ilma's wrist, with
| grip so strong that at any other time she
must have cried out; now she seemed
beyond feeling physical pain.
'Ilma," he sried hoarsely, "there are
not many moments to lose; the floods may
| In NJ, ~ dira.tIvf No ,n,. ,,n.ta.st...dq