Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-03-17

another lecture for her if at this
moment Miss Graham had not re-
ceived warning. AS she looked
towards the poacher she met his
eyes fixed upon her with a puzzling,
almost mischievous expression.
He certainly could not have under
stood their conversation in Eng
lish, but his bad conscience must
have sharpened his power of pene-
tration for he evidently under
stood what they had been saying
about him.
The lady deemed it prudent to
say nothing more, and they pro-
ceeded on their journey-Mr. Ber-
den nervous about his mule,
although it was lead, Mr.. Rosman
in constant dread of an attack
upon his money-box, and Miss
Graham enraged at the audaesv
of the poacher, who maintained
his place, and in defiance of her
began to play knight to the young
lady.
He sprang aside to pluck two
splendid gentian blossoms that
peeped up on the edge of the forest
and offered them to Adele, and
che, instead of throwing them
away,the dangerous gift that might
have been a signal to his accom-
plices, adorned her hat with the
flowers and declared she was de-
Lighted with them. This was suffi-
cient to send the poacher hunting
all the rare flowers that grew near
the road. Now he clambered up
the steepest rock to get the cdel-
weiss, now he fearlessly leaned
over the ravine to gather bit of
fern, and soon he. presented to
Adele all immense bouquet that
the young girl could not hold; and
all the while he talked increasingly
in his barbarous dialect, and Adele,
the unhappy Adele, in her blind
ness, laughed as innocently as
child and seemed much amused.
Finally they reached the last
bend in the road and the hotel
lay before the travellers. There
was q general sigh of relief. Now
the poacher would disappear ac.
cording to his custom and they
were saved this time. But the
boldness. of this man, knew no
bounds. AS if he had heard what
had been said of him and was de-
termined to brave the danger of
discovery, he remained by the side
of the young lady as if he was an
employed guide, led her mule to
the entrance and assisted her to
dismount.
But this was his limit. MISS
Graham, who was watching him,
saw him start with surprise aid
quickly turn his face from the
hotel.
In evident haste he gave the
young lady the bouquet, took leave
with a few words and disappeared
in trice around the corner of the
house. There was no time for
further observations for a servant
came out, and in answer to an in
quiry stated that the rooms en-
gagged by Mr.. Rosman were ready.
The afternoon had passed, and
the sun was low in the west. The
travellers had dined well, had
visited all the points from which
views" were to be had, and were
now resting from the fatigues of
the journey. On the terrace of
the hotel sat the banker with an
acquaintance whom he chanced
to find here-an artist of consid-
erable merit and renown. Mr..
Borden joined them, having just
returned from an expedition in
which he had sought Adele but
failed to find her. He had met the
banker and his daughter at one of
the popular mountain resorts and
had straightway begun to pay
court to the young lady. The
father did not seem unwilling for
the match, and as Borden had
been wise enough to get Miss Gra-
hams good graces, he was favored
on two sides; unhappily for him
the person whose favor he most
desired was opposed to him. Adele
uid not give him the least encour-
agement, and on this expedition,
which he had JONES in hopes of
winning her, she was mora re-
served than ever.
(To BE CONTINUED.