Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-09-25
al cannot but believe it, Sir Philip; and

How could she say to him that she beiev-
ed noble life could not be doomed for ev-
err for a sin not his, that a noble love given
and received must be savior aud not Il
destroyer? She might have said it three
days bcfore-even perhaps yesterday; but
now she shrank from the very subject.
Sir Philip dropped his hand, and turned
away. She believed in the curse, believed
that there were woe and death in loving
him, and yet did not not fear him; then it
was not too late--she did not love him.
Nay, in so short a time how could she?-
And yet in the very moment that he re-
joiced that he could save her, his heart
was crying out, beatiI 1, wildly against its
prison bars, "Oh, lima, lima, my soul,
were thousand years Of life to be mine,
/ would give them all for the bliss OF one
brief monochrome moment to hold thee in
these arms, to feel thy heart throb an an
swer to mine, to kiss thy sweet lips, and
hear them whisper, philip, love thee p"
But he only said
.Pardon mel / will not ask you any
more questions. Thanks, lima"
They had reached the opposite bank,
ana now pulled up for the others to join
them; and lima found herself once more
by Roland's side.
the Weir Mill; aud as the riders APP
preached it, Roland proposed that she
should see it now.
"But Sir Philip might not like it," be-
gan the girl.
Sabine laughed.
"My dear coz, you must not think that
there is an active hatred on Heston's part
against the barrels, though certainly he
bears them no good will; moreover, Dar-
rell himself is far too naughty to regard the
hatred of interiors.
lima however persisted in appealing to
Sir Philip. lie laughed.
"YOur wish would be enough" he said
CALAMITY, even, If had any objection; and
1 have not indeed. There is Job Heston
at the door, and Zeph feeding chickens
outside"
Yes, there stood Job Heston, with fold
ed arms, leaning against the door, and
watching the advancing riders scrutinis-
ingly, or rather watching Sir Philip and
lima, for the horses were coming up the
river bank all abreast at an easy trot, III.
ma riding between Darrell and Roland.
Job Heston's gypsy descent was plainly
marked OH his face, and it was not a pleas
ant face; the brows were heavy, the lips
thick, aud the eyes sinister. Zeph too
had ceased from her occupation, aud also
watched the riders. She knitted her brows
and clenched her hands under her apron
as she looked from the young Squire 10
lima.
"What am to herr" she muttered.-
"But, If the Dark Darrell fancies her, she
would love him rather than Roland Sabine.
Who would not except for the curse!"
"ZephV said JOB suddenly, startling
the girl from her angry thoughts.
ayes, father"
"They are coming here. i suppose they
| want TO show the foreign missy the Weir
Mill. Pll lay it she knows the story long
agol Ha, hap
"Of course, father; yet what If she
should not heed and marries Sir philipW
ats never Sir Philip will marry
w0t," returned the miller grimly, sunless
he takes his wife home between now and
st. Bartholomew; for the nsods will DO
out, and he has but few days more OF
| life"
"Fatber," said Zeph, turning pale,
"why should IL be this timer"
"Bah, grill See-the foreign missy
rides Zuleika, the choicest mare in the
| Court stable. DO you think Sir Philip
will leave Scarth Abbot: Not he! Ills
his fate that keeps him here; and, II he
said to- day, that he would leave, l should
| know it could not be. BE sure Sir Philip
will never see gray hairs, and stranger
will reign at Court before the trees are
bare"
But Zeph was a woman and grieyed for
the handsome and winning Lord Of the
| Manor.
The riders came on and drew up before
the Mill, and Sir Philip, ever courtly,
raised his hat TO Zeph, as she ran forward
curtseying, and asked smilingly IL Miss
Costello might look over the Mill.
"Surely, Sir Philip, and welcomed" re-
piled Zeph, stealing glance ut Roland
But Roland was looking at lima; and Zeph
hated lima.
Then Heston came out, and, as politely
as he could, offered to show the young lady
over the Mill. Rose and jamie remained
In the saddle, but Sir Philip and Roland
accompanied lima; aud Job, who was hab-
ituaIly saturnine, showed the girl all over
the quaint old place.
"May rs well see it while We can,
Missy" he said presently, as they passed
up from the lower toward the upper floors
"rhe old Mill HASN'T long to last, Pll war.
rant"
esPooh, Heston 70. observed Roland. al
will stand good deal yet"
"No, it won't, Mr.. Sabine; the founda.
tions are less secure than you'd think,
know. They have been repaired more
than once In my time. But, ii il will be
it will be, and when it will be-" And Jol
closed his mouth after that for fully ten
minutes.
alt looks dismal somehow, and makes
me think of the story of Bishop HatNo and
the rats" said lima, in German, to Sir
Philip.
"There is something eerie and uncanny
in the very air of Scarth Abbot, think
replied Darrell. "You must wish you had
never come here, lima. Shall we leave
the Millg"
"0h, no, please; L want to see all over
it, But, Sir Philip, 1 don't like its own
err"
"Nor 1; IL lie were not a miller, he
would be quite equal to the role Of muir
derer."
ado you mean thaty"
"Fully. l am not testing; and he may
play that part yet"
lima shuddered, and instinctively drew
nearer to her companion. She remember.
ed his words afterwards.