The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-05-18

man was lying close to the trail, his
white face turned upward, his arms
stretched out. AS the girl knelt be-
side him a strand of her black hair
fell from beneath her soft, gray hat
and touched his face. He twitched
his eyes open.
For a moment he was bewildered.
Then he slowly smiled.
"Howdy, Lady," he hoarsely said.
! The girl drew back.
"Ain't you got any sense?" she
b%rusquely asked.
every little" he lazily answered.
"What's the new proof"
"Lyin' out here in tn sum-" she
said. Come, lift yourself. Here,
hook onto this" And she gave him
her hand.
He was weak and limp, and for a
moment he tottered, but she held to
him firmly.
"Wobbly," he said, with a quick
smile.
"Get your bearings" she command
ed. "Straighten up. My, but you're
a rag!"
GA mere frazzle," he smilingly add
ed. "The next puff of wind may be
expected to flutter me along and hang
me on the nearest BUSH
."Cut out tn poetry" said the girl,
"and brace UP. Can you walk now?"
He tested his feet carefully.
'"They seem to be dependable" he
replied. "Whither away, fair lady?"
"Drop it," said the girl sharply.
"No foolishness. I'm neither fair nor
a lady," She pulled up the straying
strand Of her hair as she spoke and
tucked it under her hat.
His smiling eyes followed her
movements.
I'm a sick man." he said; "an abb
Ject example of masculine helpless
ness. Sick men must be permitted to
babble. Even at the risk of mourning
your ~displeasure I shall allude to
you as a Diana of the plains"
"Plain enough, heaven knows"
said the girl. but there, tn sun has
got into your think box. You'll be
SEEM things an screechin' next.
Come"
He leaned on her heavily as they
moved toward the pony. And the eff
fort caused him to cough feebly.
ct don't know what's come over
me-" he family said. II seemed pref
ty fit this morning."
"It's tn sleepin' in tn sun at noon
day. I tell you," said the girl sharp
ly. Nobody but a tenderfoot would
do a fool thing like that. Kin you
hold on to tn pony?"
81 think So" he replied. GIVE held
On to bigger ones. But where are you
taking me, Diana?"
my name is plain Anna" said the
. girl brusquely. I'm takin' you down
to our ranch. Tn cabin is beyond tn
clump O. trees yonder on tn creek. I
live there with Uncle Jim. Let me
help you.
She got Linn balanced on the saddle
and led the pony down the trail and
across the lowlands to thecreek. Pres
emily they came in sight Of the cabin,
a half bungalow affair, with wide
porches, and flowers and climbing
vines all about it, and with the creek
quite a wide and noisy stream
splashing along 100 feet away.
The girl helped the stranger down
md 1nl hiro r. Tho noroh onl r,+ hin,
in a big, clumsy rocker with many
cushions, and ran and fetched him a
drink. He slipped the contents of the
glass slowly.
81 thought I was going to faint" he
said presently. THAT was the reason
8. / didn't have more to say to you. I'm
usually pretty gabby. It's fine here"
He looked around with an approx
ing smile.
The girl whistled to the pony and
the latter trotted around the bushes
and disappeared behind the house
Then she took a seat on the single
step Of the porch.
"You from tn East?" she asked.
Boston"
doctor sent you out here, OIL
course?"
Eyes. He gave me up, all right
Said Southern California was my only
hope. I came out more to oblige hin
than anything else"
Come alone?"
eyes"
"No folks?"
Mother. She's abroad"
"Where are you stopping"
Los Angeles. I'm in a sanitariun
there. Don't like it. It's lonesome
Been there a week. Don't sleep we'll
Made up my mind to run away thi
morning. Boarded a train. Got of
at second station. Wandered up ant
down and fell asleep. Then YOU
came"
He told this in a series of littl
r.