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FIRE INSURANCE E. J. NORRIS, Agent Edgefield, South Carolina Representing the HOME INSURANCE COMPANY, of New York, and the old HARTFORD, of Hartford, Connecticut. The HOME has a greater Capital and Surplus combined than any other company. The HARTFORD is the leading com pany of the World, doing a greater Fire business than any other Co. See Insurance Reports PRUDENTIAL LIFE "HAS THE STRENGTH OF GIBRALTAR." E. J. Norris, FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE. IIIIIIIIIIIHIIIllllBIIIIIIBIIIIflaiEKnUIIOlllllBIIIIIIIIIICilllliaiBIII Pianos and Organs At present we desire to call especial attention to the Adam Schaff piano, which is used exclusively in the public schools of Chicago. The factory has been established forty years. It is a strictly high grade standard piano. Prices of uprights are from $300 to $500. , Farrand Organs. We have sold over 1,500 Farrand organs and all of them are now giving satisfaction. We also car ry a line of other makes of pianos and organs. Any of our goods are sold on liberal terms of payment. Satisfaction guaranteed in every particular. Holland Brothers, Greenwood, S. C. _ m muiiiiiiniinuiiiininiiHiisnmiiiiiimtmiiiiiiiiuiiiiniiiinii For Boys and Men We have never bjen better equipped than^we are this season to supply the boys and men of Edgefield county with Clothing, Shoes, Hate, Neckwear, Etc. Large assortment of all kinds. We de sire to call especial attention to our large stock of Eclipse shirts for men. Notqingjbetter on the market for the money. Drop in to see us. If we haven't what you want, we will order it out for you at once. Dorn & Mims A E. Padgett, President Thoa. H. Rainsford, Vice President W. H. Harling, Cashier W. A. Byrd, Asst. Cashier The Farmers Bank ST * TE, COUNTY AND TOWN DEPOSITORY Capital and Surplus Earnings $110,000.00 Total Resources over 300,000.00 .m m After 20 ye?rs of-successful banking, greets the public and its patrons for the year 1912 with beat wishes, thanking- them for their patronage and confidence in the patt Conserrative business solicitor. Iirtef?sfc paid on"sp?cial" o^pOSits. Your account sp preciated. If not already a depositor, begin now. DIRECTORS': Thea. H. Rainlrord, Df. C. P. D^V^ W. 23. Penn, E. HI Folk, S. B. Maj?, C A, Wells, W. H. Harlin*, 4L E. Padgettl * ^,1^ rt-.wu jim iiiiiwlillipilliwtfrtliiil^MBWliB.nm.?.??III - ( ANNOUNCEMENT I hereby announce myself a can didate for re-election as a member of the town council of Edgefield from Ward 4, and will abide the result of the election. . E. S. Johnson. Yielding to the solicitations of citi zens who reside in my ward, I have de cided to become a candidate for war den from the fifth ward of the town of Edgefield. A. T. Samuel. I respectfully announce that I am a candidate for warden for the town of Edgefield as the representative of the 5th ward. J. U. Rives. The POOL of FLAME (Continued from Opposite Page) CHAPTER XXV. Mrs. Prynne, roused out of her seml E tupor by O'Rourke's cry, with some return of her habitual clearness of thought, stepped to the companionway and cj?led for her maid. O'Rourke passed a hand over his eyes, and brought it away black with blood, but was no more than half aware of this. Dazed and heart-brok en, he stared blankly round the sham hies that was the deck, then, recover ing slightly, saw Cecile Join her mis tress, and realized that, whatever his personal grief, pain and despair, he must play the part cf the O'Rourke. So he turned and staggered down into the saloon. Danny was in his berth, sleeping the childlike and loglike sleep that was ever his. Dravos, below, his ears deaf ened by the mighty chant of his en gines, had been no more conscious of the drama on deck than had Danny. O'Rourke caught the boy with hands that gripped his shoulders cruelly, and shook him awake, then methodically booted him up the steps to the deck. Once there, Danny came to his prop er senses and fell with a will to the tasks O'Rourke set for him. With Ce cile he lifted the unconscious captain and bore him down to hi* berth, then left him to the ministrations of mis tress and maid and returned to throw overboard the last corpse, that of the lascar whom the Berang had set to slay the adventurer from behind. O'Rourke himself proceeded to the bridge, where he found the helmsman still at the wheel, soberly keeping the vessel on her course. Tba circum stance at the time surprised bim; but it afterwards was developed by dint of cross-examination of the remainder of the crew that the Berang had spe cially exempted Quick and Dravo? from the general massacre, they being held necessary to the navigation of the ship. He had likewise put strict Inductions ou the beuna man not to de sert the wheel, whatever the tide of battle, whether for or against his brethren. The stabbing of Quick seemed to have been accidental, or necessary under dre um s tances unfore seen. As a matter of fact, the remainder of the lascars were thoroughly cowed and proved unbelievably docile-Cor the balance of the trip. Thus tt was that the voyage of the Ranee from Aden to Bombay was pushed through without further fatal ity. To the Irishman, however, must go more than half the cr?dits tor for ty-eight hours he never left the bridge nor once dosed his eyes lu slumber. It was not indeed until the Ranee, on the stroke of the hour, the evening of the fifteenth day of June, walked smartly into Bombay harbor, the In ternational code signal "NJ" flutter ing from ber peak, rounded Colabra and dropped anchor off the point; not until Danny and Dravos, free at length from their toll in the broiling engine room, came on deck to relieve him, that O'Rourke collapsed-stumbled down the bridge ladder and lurched drunkenly down the saloon compan ionway. His head humming with sleep, his brain bemused with fatigue and pain, his eyes heavy, he brushed by Mrs. Prynne without seeing her or even hearing her low cry of pity and Solicitude; and so entering the first stateroom that he came to, threw him self, already asleep, Into the berth. As he did so a loaded revolver dropped from his numb fingers. . . CHAPTER XXVI. It was night when O'Rourke awoke; he found himself staring wide-eyed at the celling of the stateroom, upon Which rippled wavering lines of light reflected through the porthole by the waters without His mind for the time was a blank; he was merely con scious that he was rested and very thirsty, and that the ship was mo tionless. Then lu a blinding flash memory returned to him. He rose, curiously light-headed and strangely weak, pushed open the door and stepped in to the saloon. v lt was Ugh ted, If poorly, hy a smoky kerosene lamp dependent from a beam ..abere the center-table, and wore a hol ] low, dlnsy ah- ot desolation for ah that Danny slept there, bia vivid head pillowed op anni crossed before bim oajthe table. The ship was utterly al and the OlUmrkVs sensitive in told him that it wai tenanted to ??rvanl Be clapped a hand on Danny': shoulder and shook him into wakeful ness. The hoy leapt to his fest witl a cry and, seizing O "Bourke's hand, he gan to sob upon it-a touching bu disconcerting performance, to the las degree exasperating to a man thirst log and famished. O'Rourke, as gently as he couM, dis engaged his hand and thrust Dann] away, at the same time indicating ii no uncertain tones that he preferre< meat and drink to emotional crisis Provided with a duty, Danny's senti mental nature was diverted; he bust led away and returned with an excel lent cold meal-sandwiches, a salad cheese, and other edibles upon a tra; graced likewise by a bottle of chain pagne. And you are to believe thal the master fell to and wolfed it all to the last crumb and the last drop A new man, refreshed, he demanded a pipe, and, with his head cocked or one side and something of his old hu mor twinkling in his eye, what time it was not clouded with bewilderment and concern at the answers he re calved, cross-examined his valet. "How long," waa his first question, "will I have slept now, Danny ye divvle?" "Wan complete round av the clock, yer honor." "Where are we?" "At anchor, sor, off the Fort in Bom bay harbor." "Umm-hm. I'm by way of remem bering something of that What of the captain?" "Raymoved, yer honor, to a horse pittle ashore, sor, to con-valesoe. At laste, I'm thinking thot's the word the doctor used, sor." . O'Rourke pulled at his cigar, re garded regretfully the empty glass be fore him, and with some visible reluct ance put the question that, more than aught else, he had wished to put ever since he had eaten. "And Mrs. Prynne?" "Aw, yer honor!" "What's the matter, Danny?" "Sure, sor, and axin' 3'er pardon for spakin' so, and manin' no manner of disrayspict whatsoever-" "What the diwle, Danny!" Danny drew himself up with an air, bristling indignation. "Sure, and 'tis meself never seen the loike av thim wimmin for rank ingratichude, sor. And afther all thot meself had said to thot black-eyed Frinch vixen-" "Danny!" "No, sor, not wan word av ut will ? widdror, not if yer honor discharges me wid me usual month's notice, sor, this minute. Faix, didn't I see? No more and the anchor was down, sor, and yersilf did to the worrld in yer berth, sor, thia thim two does be after ballin' a boat and lntendln' to go ashore, widout so much as a fare-ye well, and me meanin' the most hon orable intintions in the world toward the maid-" "Have your Intentions ever been aught else toward any woman ye ever won a smile from, spalpeen?" "Aw, now, yer honor-" '"Get on with your story. What about Mrs. Prynne?" demanded O'Rourke, eyeing his servant curiously and trying to fathom his but half-dis guised and wholly awkward air of self esteem. Plainly the boy thought highly of himself because of some thing he had accomplished, some ex ploit of prowess or stroke of diplo macy as yet undisclosed. "Yissor. ... I was teilta* ye it seemed to me the height of inaneness she was displaying ma'nln' this same Mrs. Prynne, whin 'twas meailf knew, none betther, how much ye*ve laid out on her account and hersih* not waltin' to settle up wid ye-" "What business was that of yours?" "'Twas none, sor. But yersilf had keeled over and was did to ivrythlng, and what am I for if not to look out for ye at such times? .... So I'm afther sthoppin' thim two just as they would be lavin' their staterooms, and szl, 'Missus Prynne,' sz'I, *me masther's compliments and he'd like a worrd wid yees before ye'r-3 gone en tirely.' And 'What's this?' sz'she wid a fine show of surprise-the dayceyt ful huzzy!-though I'm watchin' her and thinkin' she was frightened about somethln', from tho white turn av the face av her. Sz'she: "Tis in the dlwle's own hurry I am the minute,' or worrd s to the same iff let Sz'she: 'And phwat will he be wan tin' av me?* 'A momint's conversation wid ye,* BZ'I. And sz'she: 'I've no time. Let me pass.' 'I'll be doing,' sz'I, 'nawthln' like thot,' for be now I'm thinkin' there's somethln' deeper behlnt her fluster and flurry thin a mere desire to bi'" -e-p'rhaps 'twas this thing in te um I've heard ye mintion. And I dXt minlt I'm sure av ut, for she .A white as snow in the face and _iie eyes of her begins to burn like cold grane fire and she screams to Ce cile for help and is afther whipping out a gun to blow me opt av her way wid; but 'tis mesilf thot's be way sv bein' too quick for her and takln' the pistol away; and be the mercy av the Saints Mlsther Dravos hears the shindy and hops down just in time to snatch anpther gun out of the hand av that same Cecile, and he grabs the gurl and turns her into a stateroom and abuts the dure on her and-" "And," interrupted O'Rourke ls a black rage, rising and turning back his sleeves -"And now rm going to give ye the father and mother of all thrashings, ye Insolent puppy! How dare ye lay hands on a lady--* "Ow, murtherP chattered the boy? leaping away. "Be aisy, yer honor, and hear me ont, for tis tain yell not be blands' me, but if ye do ni take the patin* widout a worrd, sor." "Very wall," assented O'Rourke om inously. "But be quick about lt, for rm mistrustful of ye altogether. Get en^ye whelp r _ _ _ Danny placed , the table between them with considerable expedition. "Aw, listhen now," he pleaded. "While Misther Dravoa was 'tendln' to Cecile, this Missis Prynne was scrappin' like a wildcat, scratching and bitin', and -tis all I can do to kape her by wrap pin' me arms tight about ber and hold in' her so, and I'm makin' a grab at her waist whin be accident like what do I catch hold av but something un dernathe ^as big as a hin's egg-a stone she's carryin' round her neck, the same as yer honor did wid the Pool as Flame; and be the feel av ut ut's the same entirely; and thin I'm sure 'tis the same and thot some scul duggery's be way av havin' been put upon ye." "What the diwle!" "Wan momint more. . . . Now in flghtin' wid me the collar av her waist has come unfastened and me self can see the string av ribbon that's holding the thing there. So I sez to mesilf, sz'I, "Tis strange enovgh to bear investigatin',' sz'I, 'an* I'll be takln' a cbanst at this if the masther do be afther flavin' me alive. So I calls Misther Dravos -nd gets him to hould her fast while I takes out me knife and cuts thot ribbon and pulls the thing out widout any immodesty whatever; and there on thot ribbon ls a chamois-case, all sewed up, and I'm rippin' it open an' finding-this I" "God in Heaven!" cried, O'Rourke, stupefied and agape; for Danny, hav ing worked up to his climax, had dra matically whipped from his pocket and cast upon the table between them the Pool of Flame. He looked up, blind to the glee and triumph in Danny's face. "How did ye come be this?" he de manded, speaking slowly and steadily, as one who. having drunk more than *nou;rh. listens to his own enunciation to detect m lt the slur that liquor brings. "I mean-I mean-how could ye have taken this from the woman when it lay all the time at the bottom of the sea-six hundred miles and more behind us?" "Ask Misther Dravos If ye do not belave me, sor. How would I be hav in' it at all, widout I got it like I've told ye? . . . 'Tis the real Pool of Flame ye're handlin'; that's sure. T'other one-the stone the serang flung into the say, sor, was a counter feit." "How do ye know that?" 'Aisly enough, yer honor; be puttin' the maid Cecile on the witness stand. 'Twas this way: I tuk the stone from Missus Prynne and Misther Dravos and mesilf locked her in her cabin. Thin afther talkin' things over we let Cecile out and be dint av threats and persuasions, got her to tell what she knew." "Go on." "She sez thot Frinchman ye kilt back there in Algiers, sor, is at the bottom av it all, only he's not did be cause ye dldnt make a elane job av ut, but lift him wid the laste susphie ion av the breath av life in the body av him." "I was afraid of that," nodded O'Rourke. "The next time we meet, Des Trebes and I, there'll be no mis take about it" "She sez thot befure he fought wid ye he'd taken measuremlnts av the stone and made a wax mould av ut "God in Heaven!" Cried O'Rourke. so thot whin he failed to kill yersilf and had got his strength back, he wlnt to Paris and had an lmltashun av ut made there-somehow be fusing chape stones together and all thot, I belave. 'Twas Ixpinsive an' him tight up for money, so he takes Missus Prynne in to partnership and she puts up the cash. Thin-they've been watchin' yersilf all the time, sor-they sets Cap'n Hole onto ye to get the stone away, and he does it like ye know. Afther ye escaped from the Pelican, he goes ashore and mates the lady at her hotel and daylivers the stone to her, getting his pay and the lmlta shun Into the bargain, he insistin' on thot because he knows ye'U be comm' back for the Pool av Flame, and he's afraid av ye-afraid yell kill him If he can't turn over a ruby to ye like the wan he stole. So 'twas the faked stone we tuk from him thot same night and the same we brought aboard the Ranee and the same the serang s thole from yo." "I begin to see. But how about the serang? What did Cecile have to say in explanation of html" "She couldn't account for him at all, sor, save thot mebbe the natives in Rangoon had somehow got wind av the fact that the stone was oomhV back and a gang av thlm set out to stale ut She ass Missus Prynne uiv er cud account for the way they dis covered she had ut but the/ seemed to know pretty certain sure, ?or, for yell recall they nlvar bothered ye ai' AU sAJlrsjL andjftffSsl ttl* bo ehspat like, thot the serang got the imitashua from ye." "But what about Des Trebes? Did the maid 6ay?" "No more than he'd been lift lill Paris, sor." "And what 'ev ye done with the two of them, Mrs. Prynne and the maid? Are they still locked up safely?" "Divvle a bit, yer honor. 'Twas im possible to kape them so, Dravos said, wid Missus Prynne threatening to yell bloody murther out av the poort and kick up such a row thot the authori ties wud be down on us-if we didn't let her go. Besides, we'd got what we wanted out av her, and pwhat was the use av holdin' her anny longer?" "So ye let them go?" "Yissor." "I could kill ye. for it," said O'Rourke, "and Dravos, too; for there's a deal of matters I'd like to be inquiring into with the lady thia blessed minute. But, Danny boy, there's nothing in the world I can't forgive ye now, for what ye've doner for me, and 'twill be a strange thing] if I don't serve ye handsomely when, I come into a fortune. . . . Nowl don't be standin' there like a ninny,' but be off with ye and pack me thing? before I lift me hand to ye. 'Tis ia haBte we are-with Des Trebes alive and Mrs. Prynne on the loose; and there'll be no such thing as rest for either of us until we reach Rangoon." CHAPTER XXVII, "Danny ..." said O'Rourke without looking up from the occupa *ion which had engrossed his atten tion for the last three hours; and for the first time in that period he spoke audibly, making an end to the mum bled confabulation he had been hold ing with himself, a Murray's Guide, a Bradshaw, an Indian railway guide, several steamship folders and a large colored map of the Indian empire. "What day's this day, Danny?" Danny thought laboriously. " Twas this morn' we lift th' Ranee, sor?1 . . . Thin yestiddy was Wednes day." "And today Thursday, be logical progress of reasoning, eh?" "Aw, yiss, sor." "And what's the time?" Danny consulted O'Rourke's watch on the bureau. "A quarter av twilve." "Then bestir yourself, ye lazy good for-nothing, and pack up me things." "Aw!" cried Danny, expostulant "Our train leaves at two. Ye have an hour and a half." "Aw, but yer honor, is ut no rist at1 all we'll iver be havln'?" "Ye can rest on the train," said! O'Rourke. "I've just ten days left in; which to reach Rangoon, where I've an appointment to keep with a lady, Dan ny, to wit, Madame O'Rourke. D'ye mind her, and do ye blame me, Dan ny?" Danny became suddenly extraordin arily busy. '?Why did ye not say as; much to begin with, yer honor?" her complained. "As If I wouldn't work; me hands to the stumps av thim. . . ." "'Tis now Thursday noon," con tinued O'Rourke thoughtfully. "The two o'clock train's scheduled to land us in Calcutta at ten Saturday night At eight Sunday morning a steamer, leaves Diamond Harbor for Rangoon, scheduled for a fair-weather passage of three days. That'll leave us a lit tle leeway, barring accidents. But we've no time to waste." "But how'll we be catching thot steamer at Di'mind Harbor, sor? How far's that from Calcutta, now, an' will there be thralns at that hour av the nightr "That's to be dealt with as it turns up, Danny. There's only for cy miles between the two places, and if there's no train, we'll charter a motcr-car or a boat down the Hughll. . . ." The latter expedient O'Rourke final ly adopted, although he could have af forded a comfortable night in a ho tel at Calcutta, had he deemed lt wise. But in the fifty-six hours of unmitigat ed sweltering that he and Danny en dured in their f ight across India he had leisure to think m?tters over very carefully, with the result that, all things considered, he felt justified in assuming the world to be in league against him and in shaping his course accordingly. Therefore it were un wise to permit himsel' to be seen and recognized in Calcutta, or even to lin ger on the soil of India an instant longer than absolutely necessary. Within an hour, then, of his arrival at Howrah, he had, by dint of per sistence and rupees, succeeded in hir ing a launch to take him from the ter minus by water to the steamer at Dia mond harbor CHAPTER XXVIH. At a small hour of the morning they made Diamond Harbor in pitch dark ness and without misadventure were successful in causing themselves to be transhipped, bag and baggage, to the twlnscrew steamship Poonan, which vessel rode at anchor in midstream. Toward eight o'clock of the white hot forenoon that followed, O'Rourke, in the shadow of a long-boat on the Poonah's promenade deck, stood fin ishing a matutinal cigar and watching narrowly a tender ferry out a final boatload of passengers from the east ern river bank. Slowly the teador forged toward the steamer's side; and as it drew near, O'Rourke forgot to smoke and bent o?er the rall to inspect with unremit ting interest those upon its decks. The forward deck of the tender held ids regard bot briefly; those who waited there, eyeing impassively the towering flanks of the liner, were one and all of the asst. of races, creeds (TO BE CONTr?TJED.)