The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-12-31

l5!l ElI in his horse with a NUT
tered exclamation OF surprise. for he
had believed himself to be quite alone
in the dusty highway.
What he saw on turning his head 4
little to one side was a denure lit
tie creature, with big, bahy-blue eyes.
red, ripe. strawberry lips. ripping
blonde hair. and complexion like
wax.
She was half sitting half reclining
on a mossy bank in the shade Of some
hazel bushes, and it needed but that
first startled glance to assure the
young man that she was in trouble of
some sort In an instant he had
leaped to the ground, rushed to her
side, and was asking anXiously:
what is the matter, miss? Are
you hurt?''
Her big frightened eyes scanned his
face earnestly for a few fateful sec
ondS as he bent over her. and then she
cried, with half repressed moan Of
pain: "Oh, my ankle! I'm afraid it's
broken"
Her head dropped back. her eyes
closed, and she looked so white and
lay so motionless, that Ray felt sure
she had tainted.
you must think me very silly. sir"
and a Pickering smile parted the
tempting lips But I'm not used to
pain, and such an arrant coward"
pray, don't speak of it," Ray inter-
rupted, more earnestly than he was
aware. But if you will tell me what
I can do to serve you I shall be much
obliged"
"My friends will be dreadfully
frightened
"shall I find them and send them to
you?"
y "And leave me here alone until they
can be brought she cried in a dis
mayed voice. "Oh, no. no." Observ-
ing his wondering stare. she added:
II must have lain here's an hour already.
slipped on some rocks just beyond
this hazel hedge. but managed to
crawl through it to the roadside. Oh,
you don't know how dreadful it is
the loneliness and the-the-pain, I
mean! I was getting more nervous
and hysterical every minute
'Never mind. I won't leave you" he
said, reassuringly. 'But suppose
something must be done. If you could
only ride my horse, now
4 "How good you are"' she ex-
claimed. lifting a face in which smiles
were already chasing away the tears.
"Yes, I'm sure I can ride, and then
!. you need not leave me"
The rose-red flush that crept up to
the softly-flowing hair aided the sen
tence more eloquently than words
could have done it.
I "Are you strong enough?"
E. ut isn't far, and would suffer any
thing rather than remain here"
Ray said no more, but raised her
slender figure in his arms as gently as
he could, and, after several awkward
attempts (for even a little woman of
eighteen is not a burden to be de-
spised-in any sense of the termD he
managed to lift her into the saddle,
where she easily supported herself by
clinging to the pommel.
This is so NICE" she said, quite
gleefully. Il begin to feel like myself
again"
!: "Does your ankle still pain you?"
"a little, but it is easier. I hope it
is only sprained. after ALL"
e Ray was gazing straight into her
pretty face. and had unclosed his lips
to make some reply, when he paused.
startled by the ashen pallor that had
suddenly oversDread her piquant fea-
lures.
= She was looking down the road with
a frightened glare in her, lovely blue
eyes. Turning in that direction to as
certain the cause of her alarm, Ray
saw only very pretty, stylish-look-
ing young lady in dark-green rid
ing habit, mounted on gray mare.
who was slowly approaching.
'.Do you know that LADY, Ray
asked. Shall l appeal to her for as
sistance:"
Z "Oh, 10, no, no. Not for the world"
Her alarm was genuine. Ray saw
that very readily, so he only bowed
in reply, and stepped a little to one
side for the newcomer to pass: though
he did feel greatly surprised at his
protege's reluctance to have aught to
do with the lovely stranger.
AS the latter drew nearer she ap-
peared to look sharply at tEc little tab
leau in the shadow of the hazel bushes
and a contemptuous smile curled
her lip. It vanished Instantly. how
ever, when she had obtained an unob-
structed view of Rays face. and. stop
ping short, she cried out, breathlessly:
Ray Braddon."
The name seemed to have escaped
her lips involuntarily. AS soon as it
was uttered q flush CT annoyance
mounted to her forehead.
do you know me:' exclaimed the
young man with dilating eyes.
boro caao ro11r nict,1ro': :: thp