The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-13

she was sixteen years old, when the
family moved to Tryon City to run
private boarding house for summer
patronage, for which this mountain
town is noted. Adjoining the Paris
farm was the homestead of a family
by the name of Redmond, being near
relatives of the famed outlaw and
moonshiner of South Carolina. The
son, Ralph Redmond, was few years
older than Louise Paris, and they saw
much of each other as they grew up.
The little schooling received by Lou
was at the log cabin with Ralph. As
they became older their intimacy ripen-
ed into warmer feeling, and when
the Paris family changed their resi-
dence to Tryon City, Ralph and Lou
were engaged to be married.
DID NOT TELL HIS SWEETHEART.
Ralph was moonshiner, but he had
religiously kept this fact from his
sweetheart AS soon as the family
took up their abode in Tryon City,
Louise blossomed into the aeknowl-
edged belle of the town, and young
man by the name of William Johnston
became desperately smitten with this
rustic beauty. The attention of the
town beaux was something new and
novel to Louise, and her woman's wit
soon developed those coquettish man
ners which most women possess, and
she led the Tryon City boys a merry
dance for a few months, but remained
as true as steel to Ralph Redmond.
After some months Of general assoc
citation of this kind, the young men Of
the town gave way to Johnston. who
pushed his suit to the test, and was
quietly but firmly rejected. This was
a dreadful blow to him. He became
fearfully jealous Of any young man
whom Louise permitted to pay her any
attention. But as one after another
was politely refused, it began to be
suspected that Ralph Redmond, who
came now and then to see Miss Lou,
might be the happy man.
Johnston knew that it was reported
that Redmond was a moonshiner, and
q little effort brought forth positive
evidence that Ralph had been running
a moonshine distillery for several years,
but his 'plant" was so well hidden in
the Tryon Mountains that the revenue
officers had never been able to detect
him. The necessary information was
furnished Special Agent Vanderford,
and this officer laid his plans so well
that he caught Ralph Redmond and
several of his helpers red-handed with
the "still'' running at full blast.
They were all put in the Columbus
Jail, hut with the assistance from their
friends on the outside they all soon
escaped and took to the mountains.
RedInond's enforced absence gave
Johnston a clear field, and he renewed
his suit. Miss Lou treated him as
though he had not addressed her there
tofore. In the mean time the friends
of Redmond had not been idle, and
they had satisfied themselves that
Johnston had furnished the informa-
ton to Vanderford on which Redmond
and friends had been arrested and the
distillery seized and broken up. Miss
Paris was informed of this fact, and
she was fearfully wrought up, and
when Johnston made his next visit he
was charged with treachery to Red
mond, and was shown the door and adj
yised not to return unless he was sent
for.
Johnston now became desperate. He
endeayored to destroy the character of
Miss Paris by slandering her to the
other young men of the town. His
declarations were soon made known to