The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-04-14

sounu asleep inside, mt the curb in
front of the hotel; gave the latter his
instructions. and climbed In.
Opposite Jackson Square the cloy-
Ing sweetness of palmetto, palm. and
hg burdened the air. Above E,e
rumble of the taxi he could hear the
distant babel of voices in the French
market across the square. SO he
matted the taxicab, alighted and handed
the driver a bill.
Il want to explore this square," he
said. He had recognized II by the
heroic statue Of General Jackson peep
Ing through the trees. 'I'n walk
through the square to the market and
you may proceed to the market and
meet me there. Later we will return
to the hotel"
A Creole girl-starry-eyed, beautl-
ful, rich with the glorious coloring of
her race-passed him bound for the
cathedral across the square, as Web
ster thought, for she carried large
prayer book on her arm. His glance
followed the girl down the walk.
ohS hoitCu- n SOunR
rose from a bench where he evidently
had been waiting for. her, and
bowed low. his hat clasped to his
breast, as only Frenchman or a
Spanish grandee can bow. Webster
saw the Creole girl turn to him with a
little gesture Of pleasure. She ex-
tended her hand and the young man
kissed 1t with old-fashioned courtesy.
John Stuart Webster with reverent
and wistful eyes watched their meet
liz.
Forty years DID," he thought, "and
I haven't spoken to dozen women
tl'at caused me a second thought, or
who weren't postmistresses or biscuit
s, ooters Forty years old and I've
n"ver been In love! Springtime down
t Ut little path and Indian summer In
- old fool heart Why. ought to
b" arrested for failure to live!"
The lovers were walking slowly,
arm I'm arm, along the path by which
tie girl had come, so with a courtesy
aHd gentleness that were innate in
b IN, Webster stepped out of sight be-
! nd the statue of Old Hickory; for
+. did not desire, by his mere pres
zee, to intrude discordant note in
t. perfect harmony of those two hui
man hearts. He knew they desired
tat sylvan path to themselves; that
evidently they had sought their early
orning tryst In the knowledge that
tie square was likely to be deserted
a this hour.
The young man was speaking as
ant, vibrant with the earneStness of
what he had to say: with II pretty
little silver mounted walking stick he
Slashed at spears of grass alongside
the path; the girl was crying little.
Neither Of them had seen him. so he
entered path that led from them at
right angles.
He had proceeded hut few feet
along this trail when. through a break
In the shrubbery ahead of him. he cav
two men. Brief as was his glimpse of
them. Webster instantly recognized
the two Central Americans he had
seen in the steamship ticket Office two
days previous.
They were not walking rs walk two
men abroad at this hour for con-
stitutional. Neither did they walk as
walk men churchward bound. A
slight. sl;nlking air marked their prog
ress, and caused Webster TO wonder
idly what they were stalking.
He turned into the path down which
the two men had passed, not with the
slightest idea Of shadowing theru, but
because his destination lay in that
direction.
Bot4 men had fOrsaken the graveled
path and were walking on the soft vel
vet OF blue grass lawn that fringed It |!
"Perhap, I'd better deaden my hoof
beats ESQ.," John Stuart Webster
sollloquized, aud followed suit imme-
diately.
He had scarcely done so when The
men ahead Of him paused abruptly.
Webster did likewise. and responding
-subconsciously, - perhaps, to the re
membrance of the menace In the
glance of the man with the puckered
eye-he stepped out Of sight behind a
broad oak tree. Through the trees
and shrubbery he could still see the
lovers. who had halted and evidently
were about to part.
Webster saw the young man glance
warily about; then, apparently salts
fled there was none to spy upon them,
u