Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-11-10

and were trying to determine its ori::
gin. Will you look at it?" and he held
out the fragment in his hand:
Her first fright had vanished, but
the girl stood regarding them with 4
look of indecision, Which threatened
to end the interview on the slightest
OCCASION But gradually more con-
fdent expression took its place, and
she asked: 'Do you know Homer?"
"No," replied Lyle, IT can't say we
know him very we'll, but we read him
aud have learned to love him: Yoli
Greeks have great advantage over
the rest of the world ir reading Homer
in your own tongue"
Indeed we do," replied the young
girl, her embarrassment rapidly dis
appearing, "but few of our country
men appreciate it. Yet some do, for
all Greeks are not like those that so to
America to get rich. There are still
many who love the glorious language
and traditions of our people. Oh,
yes," she continued, daintily taking
the fragment from Lyle's outstretched
hand, "there are many such specimens
here; have collection of them my
self"
A beginning thus made, they passed
easily to other topics Of common
interest. The students found that this
yonng girl was thoroughly trained in
the literature OF her country, as we'll
as its history, and loved both fer
vently.
An hour passed in eager converse.
At the earnest request of the two
students, Helene finally consented to
recite for them somo of her fayorite
passages from the Iliad. She seated
herself on rock which had fallen
from the gigantic ruin behind her, and
with the westering sun shining full on
her beautiful face, glowing with the
immortal words she spoke, she formed
a picture against the background
of those massive walls which
would have won the admiration of d
far less appreciative audience than the
two listeners. When she had finished,
the three walked back to the village
together.
For few days thereafter the Amer
leans saw much of HELENE. They ex-
amincd the fine collection of antiques
which she herself had made, and
found her of invaluable assistance in
several lines of study in which they
we're engaged.
But no woman could long fail to see
in Lyle's every glance and tone, that
wondrous something which women
long and fear to look upon. A shy
ness and difidence quite contrary to
her former frank and easy manner,
gradually interposed barrier to; their
intercourse, till at last the students
rarely saw her. Scott grumbled and
blamed Lyle for it all.
"It's only another case Of your con-
founded enthusiasm spelling things.
Here I was nearly through with my
to-be-celebrated thesis on Ancient
and Modern Greek, and you knew the
girl was my main dependence for the
work, and yet, like fool, you must
go and fall in love with her, and put
her to flight. Why can't you study
anything from a purely scientific
standpoint
But Lyle's detection at HellenSs
avoidance of him at last became SO
utter that even Scott was moved to
pity. The disconsolate lover tried all
in vain to have word with the girl:'
She deftly thwarted his clumsy mas
culine plans until he became well nigh
desperate.
One evening when this condition OF
things had gone on for several weeks,
the two men were smoking in the little
front room of the inn. The village
had been quiet for some time when
they heard light footstep and caught
glimpse of Helene rs she slipped
quickly out from o side door into the
moonlit street. Lyle rose with look
of grim determination on his face and
followed her. In moment he was ut
her side. "Hellene," he said, "can't
I walk with you-I have wanted to
speak with you about something for q
long time"
She made him no answer, and they
walked on in silence together.
The road led past the last scattering
houses of the village, along the bank
of the stream. It was bordered by
gnarled old olive trees through whose
branches a mosaic of light and shade
filtered from the moon to the ground.
A sleepy gurglo came now and then
from the stream near by.
Lyle stopped, took Hellene's hand
in his own, and said:
"Hellene, you must know what I
want to tell you. You know that I
love you better than life. Don't you
see you've been killing me by inches
of late? Why do you shun and avoid
me?"
The girls eyes were downcast for O
moment, and he saw her bosom heave
in quick sobs. Then she raised her
face to his, and there were tears Of q
great Joy in her glorious eyes. The
lovers did not see the crouching fig
ure of the man, which glided away
from the wall noar by off into the
placid night.
The next day Scott was hard ut
work NIL day on his notes. In the
early afternoon Lyle went alone to
visit @ distant part of the Suins, where
he was to obtain certain measurements
which had been forgotten. Helle ne
saw him pass from the inn, and M ex-
preston of surprised anxiety dis
placed the radiance in her eyes.
Lyle proceed to lonely spot some
two miles from the village, and was
bending over to examine o broken
fragment of rock, when he was sud-
denly seized from behind by power
full hand, and hurled backward on the
ground with such force as to render
him for o moment unconscious. When
he opened his eyes his feet were tied,
and his hands securely pinioned be-
1,;,1 b;s Io,1- Cto,,bono voc sooLo5