Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-05-11
Lela 1ras aratchtna them.
A MATTER OF FINANCE

AS Eric found himself a few minutes
later standing among q group of cheer
ing white men, with his hand in that of
Pierce, and hearing his own tongue
spoken by all about him, it seemed to
him as though he had awakened from a
dream. Pierce was unchanged. These
were the same profane, adventurous and
armed westerners with whom he was
familiar, their horses standing about in
dusty disorder, giving the place the air
of camp or mining town. 1t all seemed
80 natural and civilized, especially the
profanity, that he had to turn and look
into his doorway upon Leila standing
there before he realized it all. Pierce
was introducing Gale Whitley and the
sheriff, warmly praising them and their
conduct of the search. He did not know
how timely had been his arrival or he
would have termed it rescue.
The eyes of both Gale and the sheriff
had been rowing over the city and cal
culating its strength and riches. To
them, from where they stood, it present.
ed merely the appearance of pueblo,
with the general makeup Of which they
were too familiar to expect to discover
much of art or treasure. They were
somewhat disappointed with its COM
monpIace and in parts almost ruinous
appearance, and felt their hopes rather
dashed as they observed no golden domes
and glittering palaces rising in the midst
of green gardens. But they had found
the object of their search and earned the
reward, which was comforting refec-
lion to turn to after all. They gazed
rather curiously upon the bearded man
in the strange, un-American costume as
he stood before them with the confused
look in his eyes Of the sleeper awaking.
Leila was watching them with wom-
ans curiosity. Already she had noted
all their faces and compared them with
her ideal yet real lover, and much to
their disadvantage. She had been con-
fident that there were nc men like him,
and now she was assured. When Eric
invited them within she greeted them
graciously and with the manner Of a
princess. She spoke to them with a
brave effort in their own tongue, with a
curious blending of modesty and pride,
and her voice fell upon their ears with
queerly foreign intonatiSa unlike any
thing they had ever heard. Wearing a
white lambs wool gown, flowing freely
about her perfect figure and encircled
at the waist by wide gold belt, she
stood scanning each face and form, a
picture of queenly beauty and grace.
Pierce bowed before her in respect
and almost reverence, so surprisingly
lovely she looked in her archaic costume.
He noted her fair hair, blue eyes and
perfect mouth in sincere, unqualified ad-
miration, marveling that this could real
" be savage. Five minutes later he
was willing to swear she was New
Yorker whom fate had buried here in
the wilderness for Gilbert to unearth,
and then some little action or accent
filed him with a new feeling, and he
was wondering again.
The others simply realized that she
was wondrously beautiful woman
Eric's wife, as they supposed-and gave
no thought to the wonder of her appear
ance in that desert realm. Besides their
thoughts were on revenue bent; they
longed to see the treasures of Atzlan and
divide them. They felt as Pizarro's fol-
lowers must have felt as they saw the
Inca's treasures almost in their grasp
millions upon millions-for in spite of
Pierces caution some inkling of Eric's