The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-04-01

keep right along the path till you
come to the old stone tavern" said
Naomi. indifferently. "Then turn tt
the right, and IL amt more'n half mile,
y, -c.-lS ....oe-Yuai .-rsi
The bright.tressed girl still fingered
on the doorstep.
al am not very we'll acquainted with
the roads around here" said she. "n
you could send boy to show met"
awe don't keep no boy" said Naomi.
"And we've no one to send"
Again Miss Stuart recOiled.
"Good-evening she said, gently.
"Good evening""
And Naomi banged the door shut.
AS she sat eating her supper, and help
ing granny to fresh supplies OF home
made bread and butter, sudden thought
darted into her mind.
In giving Miss Stuart the directions
for finding her way back to Skene's
Corners, she had forgotten the young
strangers total ignorance of the neigh.
borhood characteristics.
It was true that the regular road
branched off to the right of the ruined
pile which had once been AN old stone
tavern; but there were was also dis.
used thoroughfarc which led through
dismal swamp, towcrd long abandoned
stone quarry, across rotten corduroy
road, which had nearly sunk iuto one OF
these frightful, quaking boys which
sometimes appear in dense and swampy
woods.
TO one unaccustomed TO the local
topography, it might be perilously easy
to stray oil iuto the weed grown and de-
serted track, especially when everything
was whtened with fast falling snow.
Naomi sprang up and went to the
door. She looked out, with one hand
held above her her eyes.
cam I losing my wits2" she thought.
"Of course | cannot see half dozen
rods down the roal; It's dark as pitch,
and showing into the bargain. Let her
| 20 her own gait! amt responsible"
A sudden light baz;l in her eyes, as
| if Satau's self had flashed lurid bomb
shelf across her soul. John ClaSson, her
own STEADY company, hah been dazzlcd
at least SO spoke the tongue Of popular
rumor-by the glitter of Eda Stuartts
scabluc eyes. She, the late belle OF
Skene's Corners, was quite out Of fashion
now!
Eda had danced every dance at Squire
| Mnrbury's corn-husking ,and Naomi had
sat by among the wall flowers, her heart
swelling with secret anger.
| Though Naomi hated the beautiful
| blonde, she rose up again aud reached
| down the lantern that David had re-
| placed on its hooN by the kitchen chin
| ucy.
"Granny," said she to the doing old
woman, "l'm going out few minutes"
| "Eh2 What" shrilly questioned
| granny. "Bc you a.goin' to sec the new
forte pianny! Is you bcwitchcd artcr
the new schoolma am, too"
Naomi made no reply. She ligh,e tho
| lantern, bundled II shawl aruunI her
head, and rushed out into the frozen
| darkness.
1t was showing hard now; the wind
rusted the pine trees with Il mournlul
sound, and hal nearly blown out the
faint beacon Of Naomi's lantern until she
| sheltered it, with her shawl
She gained some distance by climbing
| nmbly over n stone wall and traverSing
| u stubbly meadow, instead of following
the winduss of the road, and presently
arrived, painting Tor breath, ,at the ruined
| stone tavern.
She held the lantern high a.,ovc her
head and looked around. Nobody was
visible She called aln,.i, Miss Stuart!
Miss Stuart" NJ answer ca;uc.
For one second she hc-itatci; then,
changing the lantern from Que hand to
the other, she stastcl on II run down the
disuSed track until she came to the spot
where here and there partially sub
merged log bctokcncl the former traces
| of the corduroy roai.
| Was that something white that moved
against the dazhliuy whiteness of the
stormi
Once more Naomi called:
"Miss Stuart. Miss Stuart"
| "Oh, is that you2 Do come here and
help mel" terrified voice answered.
81 stepped on broken log, and think
the ground must be swampy here; the
log seems to I've sinking in. But I've
got tight hold OF II young birch tree
Naomi sprang to the rescue. Eda had
already set her feet upon the doomed
spot. In another moment the rcscucr
would have been too late.
| WIN " StlctISIil tI WHICH Sic itIHCii
nftcrwari marvcIcd, Naomi seized Eda
around the waist and lifted her out of tin,
mOrass.
"Do YOU KNOW she gaspci, "that
YOU have been standing face to face with
death! Do you know that you have
wandered out Of the road into the Shak-
ing Bogs"
Eda's face, in the glimmcr of the lamp
light, was very white.
"And you have saved me- she OK
claimed. "Oh, how can ever find
words to thank you!'
"Ncvcr mind that now, said Naomi,
in the old, hruSpuc way. "Lct us make
haste back 10 Skcne'S Corners. It's
showing faster every moment, and your
irct are wet in that awful mOrasS. Look.
Here's where sou missed the right road.
OF course YOU couldn't he cxpc ted 10
know that this old track was closed up
long ago, AMI drin'C remember to tell
Won. There are the lights of Skenc's