Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-10-07

NV ~ uon. SHi WIZ m"e
W strolling along the
mountain path stop
" ped and looked about
her in wonder. On one side rose the
rugged mountain, on the other lay a
deep gorge. Where Was the singer ?
The question was answered by stall
wart masculine form swinging around
sharp turn in the pathway just
ahead of her, and coming to sudden
stop. Evidently maiden tair" was
m unexpected vision on this lonely
mountain trail. The hesitation was
ouly for an instant removing his hat,
he SAID:
M beg your pardon. The path is go
narrow here I'll go back bit" and
he turned. The girl fo,lowel him
with an amused smile.
eff it we're only the least bit dau.
gerous," she thought, "this would
really be an adventure; but it's not,
more's the pity" She murmured her
thanks to the young man, who stood
respectfully aside to allow her pas.
sage.
Henry Msxon gave one glance over
his shoulder as he again rounded the
corner.
"Well, she is a 'winsome wee thin2,
but she must have thought me an
idiot to seare at her so ;-must be
stoppinq ai; tba Gen. Aud he went
on his way.
The trail, foliowir the curve of the
mountain, formed a semicircie as
Neva Hildreth reached its innermost
point, she uttered cry OF delight; a
tiny canca opened before her, its
rocky sides covered with dense
growth OF brush, moss and ferns (;
through the branches cleaned the
white rocks of watcrless waterfall.
Miss Neva cultivated passion for
ferns. and she could not pass these by.
Entering The canon, she was sooD
gathering the dainty golden and sill
yer ferns. !. particularly fine cluster
just above The little iall attracted her.
There were tempting little cracks and
crevices.
clean go upthere inst as we'll as not, :"
she thought; and up she went. On
reaching the higher level another lit.
tie fall was disclosed, and the wild
confusion Of growth was even mora
picturesque.
81 must bring mamma here, musell'
the little lady; "it is one f-tthe -them most
beautiful spots | haye~ee7er seen, now !;
what must It be with the water
tumbffiin3 over these rocks!" Taking
e seat on stone, she gave herself up
to the contemplation OF the beauties
about her.
But reyel.iesmust end. and girls who
climb up rocks must climb down
again. It looked easy enough, and
the young lady had no fears as she
placed her foot upon en- apparently
firm bit of rock only to find herself
suddenly precipitated to the ground
below. Fortunately the distance was
not great, and after a momentary
shock she picked herself up; but when
she attempted to walk she found that
her ankle had been injured IN some
way, and she was compelled to lean
against the bank for support. She
tried again, and managed to make her
way back to the trail but here she
sank down, faint with pain, and could
go no further. Already the sun had
gone behind the mountain, and though
the opposite hills and valleys were still
flooded with light, the shadows were
falling IN the little canon.
Miss Neva suddenly realized that
she was having an adventure, after all.
''It's quite romantic to sprain ones
ankle,-people always Do that in
stories,-only there can't be many
people passing this way to rescue me
that young man stared at me SO
when he saw me. And nobody knows
where am mamma was asleep when
came away. What if there should
be wild animals s:-what was that man
telling about mountain lions at the
table?".
She glanced about her rather ner.
vously, but she prided herself on her
"nerve." and for fully half an hour
she bore tine situation very philosophi.
cally, assuring herself that help must
come in some way soon. But her foot
was growing very painful, and the
shadows were growing very deep,
and her courage was fast falling her,
when she at last heard footsteps ap-
preaching. Presently she saw Mezi-
can laborer, with spade over his
shoulder, coming around the path.
When he was opposite to her she called
to him. he stopped with an exclsma'
tion of astonishment, hut when he
saw her foot, from which she had re,
moved the boot, he asked:
"Hurta?--Mucha malo," he added,
shaking his head. He listened to her
explanations with many expressions Of
sympathy, and at its conclsion said:
"I 60 for Meesta Smith; we come
pretty quick, aqd moved away at o
remarkable speed-1or ile1lcan.
It seemed hours to the suffering
and impatient girl before she again
heard footsteps. This time it was the
''singer," and he came directly TO
her.
"Jose tells me that you have met
with an accident" he said; "l am
very sorry
''It's only a sprained ankle, l
think" she replied, ':but that i:
bad enough" T. en, forgetting every.
thing but the misery of the
past hour, she cried, sob, dear,
oh dear how am / ever to get away
from this place over that dreadful
trail? can't walk-and-there's nc
other way" In spite Of her tnerve'
the tears came.
Henry Maxon, looking down at the
dainty little figure with it's tear.
stained face, loDged to pick her up IL
his arms, as he would have done little