The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-11-14

IN slowly, diIuOSl PAIN o-AJ, ~AANAS
I'M the narrow road that skirted
the base Of mountain. 1t was
drawn By four horses, and upon the
seat sat two rough, unkempt Russians.
Nne holding the reins, the other lying
back In lazy doze. The month was
.Jsue, and all the world seemed soft
saad sweet and joyous. To the right
Epwed a turbulent mountain stream,
esoumg sayagely with the alien waters
of the food season. Ahead Of the
creaking coach rode four horsemen,
all heavily armed; another quartette
followed some distance in the rear.
at the side Of the coach an officer Of
The Russian mounted police was rid
ing easily, -jangling his accouterments
with q vigor that disheartened at least
one occupant of the vehicle. The Win
dows Of the coach doors were lowered,
permitting the fresh mountain air to
caress fondly the face Of the young
woman who tried to find comfort in
cne OF the broad seats. Since early
morn she had struggled with the hard
ships Of that seat, and the late after
coon found her very much out Of pa
sience. The opposite seat was the rest
eng place Of substantial colored wo-
man and a stupendous pile Of bags and
boxes. The boxes were continually
,seppling over, and the bags were for
ever getting under the feet Of the once
placid servant, whose face, quite luck
gSy, was much too black to reflect the
xngeS she was able otherwise, through
years OF practice, to conceal.
~<How much farther have we TO go,
Neutenant?' asked the girl on the rear
seal plaintively, even humbly. The
man was very deliberate with his
English He had been recommended
Go her as the best linguist in the serv-
Zee at Radovitch, and he had repu-
1stien to sustain.
~It another hour is but YET" he man
aged to inform her, with confident
.smile.
~oh, DEAR" she sighed, ga whole hour
-ee thisr'
I'VE SOON be Oar, Miss Bev'iy. Jess
go max up yo' min to res easy-like,
an We But the faithful o!d colored
wema0,s advice was sost in the wrath
gM exclamation that accompanied an
sssher dislodgInent OF bags and boxes.
The wheels of the coach had dropped
suddenly into deep rut Aunt Far
egss growls were scarcely more potent
than poor Miss Beverly's means.
ut is getting worse and worse" ex-
claimed Aunt Fanny's mistress petu-
tanHy. 3sI'm black and blue from head
100 foot, aren't you. Aunt Fanny"
s.Ah CAIN say as to de blue, Miss
Bev1y. Hits a mos monstrous bad
eaad, sho 'nough. Stay up dar, will
-yo'g' she concluded, jamming bag
sate an upper corner.
Miss Calhoun, tourist extraordinary.
,sgsin consulted the linguist in the sad
die. She knew at the outset that the
guest would be hopeless, but she could
shink Of no better way to pass the next
Gour s1en to extract a mite Of informa-
zion from the offer
- <--Now for good old chat" she said.
beam1ng smile upon the grizzled Rus
sian rs there decent hotel in the
sxinage?" she asked.
They were on the edge Of the village
before she succeeded il finding out all
THAT SHE could, and it was not great
Zeal, either. She learned that the town
ef Balak was in, Axphain, scarcely a
xn5le from the Graustark line. There
was an eating and sleeping house on
che main street, and the population OF
the place did not exceed 800.
When Hiss Beverly awoke the next
snornlng, sore and distressed, she look
ed back upon the night with horror
shat sleep had been kind enough to in
esrupt only at intervals. The wretched
Sosseiry lived long in her secret cata-
1Dgue of terrors. Her bed was not
Aed, it was a torture. The room, the
sable, tile-but it was all too odious for
description. Fatigue was her only
'sxzend in that miserable hole. Aunt
1anny had slept on the floor near her
mistress cot, and it was the good old
-coiDEed womans grumbling that awoke
Beverly. The sun was climbing up the
znountalls in The east. and there was
:an air o. general activity about the
1gace. Deverly's watch told her that it
was past o'clock.
Good gracious!' she exclaimed.
~EFs nearly noon, Aunt Fanny. Hurry
along here and get me up. We must
aeaye this abominable place in ten min
sztes" She was up and racing about
eacieeG,,y.
-<Befe' breakfast demanded Aunt
*sSFanny weakly.
'Gooe2ess, Aunt Fanny, is that all
you thi,,}, ;,hout:'
Te'l honey. yoll be thinkin'
Iousnty se...ous beat breakfas' long
S1ahds 'leSen o'clock Dat Ill tum-
Dy o. yourn'll be pow'ful mad cause
ye' Mdn'"-
$<y<,rv we'll Amt Fanny vor can