Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-02-20

III the WeSG, tne W1nQ was spring
ing up sharply, and needle-like froze1
specks were beginning to prick hi
cheeks.
EVERYBODY in Trumbull knew al
about him. 1t was known that he wal
rising young landscape painter, tina
he was handsome in appearance bu
unpleasantly citifed in manner, ant
that he was taking down in oils th'
February aspect of Lemuel Parks
creek-crossed meadow; also, that h
wore gloves every day, and possessed
diamond studs and smoking-jacket
The fakes were coming down fas
and thick now, and their stingine
quality was increasing.
Bentley pulled his collar up and hi
hat down, lowered his head and bur
ried.
: The Trumbull Hotel was not luxuri
GUS, but it was preferable to Febru
ary snow.storm. 1t was binding.
he pushed around a corner force
fully. Somebody was turning the cor
ner from the opposite direction quite a
forcefully, and
Bentley dropped his burdens. Sit
ting at his feet, in the prone attitude
to which their violent collision hat
forced her, was girl-a young lady
he saw with Mortified eyes-and {
young lady with the most charming
face, framed in soft, pink hood
quite the sweetest face, 1t seemed tt
the young artist, he had ever seen.
Just now the face was red as to the
cheeks and angry as to the eyes
which did not look at him.
Bentley stood with both arms con
fusedly extended, but his victim tool
neither of them. She got to her fee
deftly enough, and shook the SNOW
from her blue dress energetically.
"Are you hurt?" cried the young
man-thut helpless query of all dis
tressed persons in similar cases.
ssNo!" was the short response.
The snow flew between them thick
ly, but it could not dim the prettines
of her flushed face. What blooming
ripenessl What a complexionl
ssI don't need to say that I didn'
mean to-that I didn't see you!'
Bentley gasped. 'I'm fearful.
sorry!"
She bowed coldly.
z She was looking toward 9 gray, cob
Webby article tossing gmerrily over th
snow at some distance.
s tYour yeill" Bentley CALCULATED.
He rushed after it.
The wind whipped it from the spc
and waited it before him.
Where was it now2 He was in fu,
chase, but it had disappeared.
Bentley ground his teeth. Wha
would she say now9'
She did not say anything. She We
not there when he got back She We
bufeting her way up the street, he
blue skirt blown wildly, both he
black-mlttened hands to her face.
Bentley watched her in miserabl
daze. She went into the postofice.
The landlord ofthe Trumbull Hote
doing in his Office. was astonished 9
the hurried entrance of his bes
boarder, snow-covered and excited
the city boarder, whom genert
opinion credited with being aristc
cratic and naughty.
The landlord beamed his welcom
and brushed his coat.
But he paused, open-mouthed, 6
the query with which the young ma
burst forth.
"Who's the prettiest girl in town
Bentley demanded.
''Bless my soull I don't know !
said the landlord.
''Pshaw! haven't you got eyes j
your head?" the artist questione'
vigorously. "Why, she's a beauty
man! I saw her just now and knocke
her down in the snow," he confesse
grimly. "Who is she? She went in
to the postofiice. Does she do any
thing in the postofice?"
He bent over the startled old perso
almost fercely.
"W'y, Teeny Wilson," he faltered
in alarm. "Teeny Wilson she's tend
ing to the postoffice jest now, whil
her aunt's away; great-aunt 'tis-
Mis- Demming; widow, she is. She
ben post-mistress here fer going o.
twelve year. They can put in an
President they want to, they can't pu
Mis- Demming out; town wouldn'
hev it. Wal, Teeny she's stayin
there while Mis- Demming's gone"
SIS she pretty-handsome-beauti
ful?" his boarder demanded, hotly.
"Wal, Teeny's pretty good-look
ing," the landlord admitted, with
dry moderation that exasperated tn
artist. "Wal, I guess the young me-
think so, anyhow. Teeny's got plent
O. beaux. All the young fellers-"
"Indeedl" said Bentley, sayagely.
He did not wait for the rests b
strobe up to his room.
Once in it, he put on the renowne
smoking-jacket, and sat down t
think.
But calm reflection was most i'm
possible. Teeny Wilson-postofic
-beaux. He saw her charming, in
dignant face wherever he looked-o
the walls, the carpet, the ceiling.
Such face! A girl with that tac
could be nothing but sweet and cleve
and good.
Where had he ever seen one like it
The actress the city had been ravinl
over when he left was simpering dol
beside her. That statuesque mode
so admired by the fellows in his artis
tic circle was an expressionless iceber
in comparison.
And he had knocked her down lik
any clownish BOBBY. Ape! Probabl.
she wouldn't look at him again, evel
if he could manage to meet her.
Beaux, eh? Pooh lanky, raw-bone'
hobbledehoys. Still she might lik
them-probably she did-undoubte