Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-08-10

coat. HIS head was protected Dy q
decayed bowler, end his neck by o
greasy red handkerchief, while his
shirt was SO loosely fastened that here
and there you might catch glimpses of
of his bare chest. Had you sought for
o week you could not have found a
greater contrast than was presented
by the spick and span young cyclist
and this ferocious waif of the highway.
A thought flashed through Reginald's
brain: "Suppose this brute were to
attack defenseless girl-driven to it
by lack of pence and o gnawing pain
in his stomach!" Then E another
thought-.'Suppose I were to bribe
him tol"
"Hil" he shouted after the SLOUGH
ing figure.
The tramp looked round. Reginald
wheeled up to him.
"Do you want to earn sovereign"
'Juss try mel"
"Very we'll, then; here is how you
may earn it. Goa little way farther
on toward Woodchester and wait until
a young lady in a sailor hat comes by
on bicycle. AS she is passing by you
must spring out and clutch her handle
bar"
"And wot then?"
''Leaye the rest to me-"
"Oh, yes, and git chokey fur six
months2 Not dis chilel'
'sHere's something on account"
said Reginald, giving him half a
sovereign. Upon this the tramp took.
up his position as directed, while Re-
ginald retired out of sight round the
corner.
CERES Kerismas tree!" chuckled
the hired rufian, who was known to
various policemen as William Grimes,
Il, of no occupation. ga bloomin'
'arf-quid an annuvver to foller. Oh,
crimey, this is an adweatur! This is
awl Sirgarnetl"SS
Reginald meanwhile was cogitating
in his way.
"That's it," he exclaimed. "I
must play the role of hero before her.
must be her knight-her king.
Rescue her from the grasp of that
ogre, and her gratitude will soon
ripen into love.
"It's no fair er m ne wot lis game
is" muttered Mr.. Grimes. ''No, not
q tall. Spec it's luv or summat."
"This is flash of inspiration"
breathed Reginald, waiting round the
corner. "Upon my word. I'm CRATE
ful to that tramp. Oh, Margot, my
sweet, my darling, is the time at
hand?"
1t was, for that moment Grimes
deserted in the distance an approach
ing object, which gradually shaped
itself into o lady cyclist, pedat,ing
briskly. Nearer and nearer she came,
and soon Mr.. Grimes could see that
she answered to the description of
young lady.
"Yuss, she's well-turned-aht 'un,"
he muttered. "Spec it's luv. Nah
for it!'
The tramp arose from his crouching
position under the hedge, and ad-
vanced into the middle of the road.
Miss Carpenter-for it was she, sure
enough-divining the vagabond's in
tentior, for his attitude was the re-
verse to friendly, she steered to the
extreme left, increasing her speed as
she did so. But Mr.. Grimes, thinking
of the half sovereign to come, like
gaunt greyhound was across the way
in two bounds, and in another mo-
ment he was hoarsely calling upon
Miss Carpenter to yield up her purse.
Margot screamed. She was only
girl, SO she screamed. MIR. Grimes
was villainy personiied-a dreadful
presentment of all unholiness-so
Margot screamed her best.
All! help was at hand! Round out
of bye-road came a splendid and
gallant young Englishman, squirting
alas, no!-pedalling, for all he was
worth. Determined not to do the
thing by halves-as Mr.. Oldercheek
explained to his blase friend
of under twenty-Reginald charged
full tilt into the tramp and sent him
flying.
Then, springing off his machine,
Reginald let the thing fall, and flew
at Margot's assailant with the courage
and energy of mastiff. After roll
ing Grimes over and over, Reginald
finally gave him final shove into the
ditch despite low "Old ard 'guv-
norrD and then went back to Margot.
ooh, thank you, so much, Mr..
Oldercheek; how lucky you were SO
near! That horrid mani"
'I'll lay into him again if you like!"
was Reginald's chivalrous offer.
"Oh, no, you have punished him
enough, I think. Let us 60 back.
Stay with me, won't YOU"
s'Of course I will" exclaimed
Reginald, and so, wheeling his own
machine, ne began to accompany Mar
got back toward Woodchester at
slow pace.
For some little time the tramp lay
quite still where Reginald had de-
posted him. Presently, however, he
looked up, and, seeing that his en-
ployer was fast disappearing, he got
up and gave chase. So softly did he
run that Reginald and Margot were
not aware of his proximity until he
was close upon them. Then Margot
gave half scream and clutched her