The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-22
Zoe looked LID with a faint smile.

time.
"Now I think of it," he said, II
must have offended you a hundred
times by my stupidity. Well, I shall
know better in future"
His face expressed so much contri-
ton that she laughed outright.
81 don't bear you any malice, MIR.
Moore. There's my hand on it,"
He held it for a minute.
"Prove it, then, by coming with us
tomorrow"
Every well. Goodbye"
"Good-bye," said Clement, and left
her.
A word more with the other two
and then he was gone; and Louy and
Marian walked down \ garden path
arm in arm.
"He is very NICE" said Louy.
Every handsome" her sister SAID,
with a sigh; "but he's very-very-"
AS she paused for a word, Louy
nodded.
"Unimpressionable. Depend upon
it, there is some one in London"
After these mysterious words two
more sighs might have been heard, had
any one been near; and the sisters
were silent, thinking of tomorrow.
The weather was kind, and did not
damp their spirits with rain. The sue
ceeding afternoon found the three Sis
tiers suitably attired in their prettiest
cotton dresses, ready to start, when the
young man appeared.
81 hope you won't object to my vas
culum," he said, us they set off. 81
always take it when I'm going any dis
lance. Three miles, 1 think you said?"
They chose by mutual consent the
short cut across the fields, the said
short cut taking a much longer time
than the following of the road would
have done. There were so many stiles
to climb, and over every n Mooreh had
to help Marian, who was very helpless
and nervous. Then he made an at
tempt each time to assist Zoe, who as
frequently declined, and nimbly sur
mounted them by herself.
Louy, too, was independent. She
was even a little sarcastic, for Zoe's
ear, at the amount of laughing, and
pretty awk%wardness, and holding of
Clements hand, before Marian was
safely landed in each new meadow.
And then-oh, horror! there was a
| field of COWS to be crossed. And Marian
was dreadfully afraid of COWS. What
should they do?
81 thought you ladies who live in
the country were more courageous"
said Moore, as the girls came to a
standstill. "Shall I 60 and send them
farther away from the path?"
"Oh, no, for then they would be
sure to run this way" And Marian
looked absolutely pale.
"Come along, then, and take my
arm" said he, laughing. I'll under
take to pilot you safely through, and
then come back for the Others"
But Louy and Zoe had seen COWS
before. and followed without waiting
for a protector. And very soon they
were in the road, the uninteresting
dusty road, with no stiles and no wild
beasts to encounter.
"Ah!' exclaimed Moore, suddenly,
"there's the moonwort! I must get
it up, if you ladies will wait a min
ute"
He produced a little trowel from his
pocket, and plunged his hand in
among the long grass to sepa-
rate it from the fronds of the fern.
Immediately there was a slight kissing
sound, and Zoe sprang forward in time
to see something glide slowly into a
hole in the bank.
She turned toward Moore as pale as
death.
What a narrow es-" she began,
before she realized that his face also
wore an unusual expression. sob,
MI. Moore, it didn't sting you?"
For answer he turned up his coat
cuff and displayed a couple of little
marks of teeth.
"Was it a viper" he asked, and
Zoe nodded.
A quick exclamation, a sigh and a
slight rustic, and Marian was lying in
the road unconscious, with Louy bend
ing over her.
Here's a pretty kettle of fish,"
muttered Clement, putting the tiny
wound to his mouth and sucking it.
"Not very dangerous, is it,"
Eyes, rather" said Zoe, with a
shiver and a glance at her sister.
"Come, the Castle inn is only about
half a mile! Do come, quickly never
mind them! She is coming to-"
She seized his arm as he stood ir-
resolute, and half dragged him along
for a few steps, when he gave way to
her earnest entreaty and walked
quickly on beside her.
Brandy is the best thing painted
Zoe, who had hard work to keep up
with him.
Are they ever-fatal?" the young
man asked a few minutes later, with
assumed nonchalance.
"No; that is, very seldom. a severe
illness is the worst that could result,
1 think. Is it ~painful?"
"No,"said Moore, telling an unblush-
ing ib, as he glanced down at the
white little face by his side.
A sudden idea flashed into Zoe's
mind.
"Stop a minute" she cried, snatch
ing out a dainty pocket-handkerchief.
"No, give me yours, it will be longer.
That's it! Now turn up your sleeve"
She bound his handkerchief as tightly
as she could round his arm, a little
way above the wound.
II can improve that" he said, and
thrust his pocket-knife between the
folds to tighten it. "Thanks, my
child" he added. forgetting his resolve
to remind her no more of her juvenile
appearance.
They hurried on again and were
soon in the inn parlor, surrounded
quickly by a little group of curious and
sympathizing women.
Zoe dispatched some n for the
doctor, and set to work apparently to
reduce Clement Moore to a state of
i%ntoxication. She forced him to drink
glass after glass of brandy, until he
obstinately refused to take another
drop.
She pleaded, insisted, implored him
almost tearfully, but he remained
firm.
eff 1 have any more, 1 shall not
know what I am doing" he said in her
ear ; and finding him so resolved, she
desisted and longed for the doctor.
That gentleman arrived at last and