Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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E(y? W Vem&lfceStory df\' fl Who Drank cfji ai [A /Romancc^c ' IfeFX' (Cyrus Ti Author r?^ ffy Ppoaj^ly ^ &?-V . CHAPTER XIII. , ! The Castaways of the Mountains. The man was evidently seeking her, for so soon as he caught sight of her he broke into a run and came bounding up the steep ascent with the speed and agility of a chamois or a mountain sheep. As he approached the girl rose to her feet and supported herself upon the boulder against which she had been leaning, at the same time extending her hand to greet him. "Oh," she cried, her voice rising nervously as he drew near, "I am so ' glad you are back, another hour of loneliness and I believe I should have gone crazy." Now whether that joy in his return was for him personally or for him abstractly, he could not tell; whether she was glad that he had come back simply because he was a human being who would relieve her loneliness or whether she rejoiced to see him individually, was a matter not yet to be determined. He hoped the latter, he believed the former. At any rate, he caught and held her outstretched hand in the warm clasp of both his own. Burning words of greeting rushed to his lips torrentlally; what he said, however, was quite commonplace, as Is often the case. Word thought and outward speech did not correspond. "It's too cold for you out here, you must go into the house at once," he declared masterfully, and she obeyed with unwonted meekness. The sun had set and the night air had grown suddenly chill. Still holding her hand, they started toward the BUPPO^tO the excitement had unnerved her, in epite of his hand she swayed; without a thought he caught her about the waist and half lifted, half led her to the door. It seemed as natural as it I was inevitable fd'r him to assist her in this way, and in her weakness and bewilderment she suffered it without comment or resistance. Indeed, there was such strength and power in his arm, he was so secure there, that shq liked It. As for him, his pulses were bounding at the Contact; but for that matter eveii to look at h$r quickened bis heart beat. Entering the main rocr?, fci? led her gently to one of th6 chKirs near the table and Immediately thereafter lighted the fire which he had taken the precaution to lay "before his departure. In Spite of His Hand She Swayed. It had been dark in tho caijin, but tlio fire soon filiod it with glorious light. She watched him at his task and as he rose from the hearth questioned It i m "Nqw tell me," she began, "ycu found?" "First your supper, and then tho story," he answered, turning toward the door of the other room. "No." pleaded the girl, "can't you ^ee that nothing is of any importance to me but the story '/ Did you find tho camp?" s "I found the place where it had been." L "Where It had -been!" ^b^^^^There wasn't a sh-gle vestige of it That whole pocket, I knew it been clean the, Certafy Persons >fwmeT?d-^jv v .esSSS??S F.fi^-Zh-Z ^^toxri^^oxx'n6 .. "But Kirkby, and Mrs. Maitland and?" "They weren't there." "Did you search for them?" "Certainly." "But they can't have been drowned," she exclaimed piteously. "Of course not," be began reassuringly. "Kirkby Is a veteran of these mountains and?" "But do you know him?" queried the girl in great surprise. "I did once," said the man, flushing darkly jat his admission. "I haven't seen him for five years." So that was the measure of his isolation, thought the woman, keen for the slightest evidence as to her companion's history, of which, by the way, he meant to tell her nothing. "Well?" she asked, breaking the pause. "Kirkby would certainly see the cloud burst coming and he would take the people with him in the camp up on the hogback near it. It is far above the flood line; they would be quite safe there." "And did you look for them there?" "I did. The trail had been washed out, but I scrambled up and found undisputed evidence that my surmise was correct. I haven't a doubt that all who were in the camp were saved." "Thank God for that," said the girl, greatly relieved and comforted by his reassuring words. "And Robert Maitland and the rest on the mountain, what do you think of them?" "I am sure that they must have escaped, too. I don't think any of them have suffered more than a thorough drenching in the downpour and thn? -BKlr wajrto the settlements now." "But they wouldn't go back without searching for me, would they?" cried the girl. ''Certainly not. I suppose they are searching for you now." "Well then?" "Walt," said the man. "You started down the canon, you told everybody you were going that way. They naturally searched In that direction, they hadn't thfe faintest idea that you were going up the river. '"No," admitted Enid, "that is true. I did not tell anyone. I didn't dream of going up the canon when I started out in the morning, it was the result of a sudden impulse." "God bless that?" burst nut the man, and then he checked himself, flushing again darh.y. What h"d i f lit - fbout to say? The question flashed across his own mind and into the woman's mind at the same time when she heard the incompleted sentence; but she, too, checked the question that rose to her lips. "This is the way I figure it," continued the man hurriedly to cover up his confusion. "They fancy them- i .!??& in tVioco mountains. I which, p.iv? for me, they are; they believe yen to have gone down the canon. Kirkby with Mrs. Maitland and j the others waited on the ridge until ! Mr. Mail land and his party joined j them. They couldn't have saved very I much to eat or wear from the camp, : they were miles from a settlement; . they probably divided into two parties, ; the larger with the woman and chil- ; dren, started for home, the second j went down the canon searching for your dead body!' "And had it not been for you," cried j the girl, impulsively, "they had found i it." "God permitted me to be of service to you," answered the man, simply, i "I can follow their speculations exact- ! ly; up or down, they believed you to v,oTf0 hoen in tim canon when the cloud burst, therefore there was only one place and one direction to search for you." "And that was?" "Down the canon?" '"What did you do then?" I "I w<#t down the canon myself. I think 1 saw evidence that some one ; had preceded me, too." "Did you overtake them?" "Certainly not, they traveled as rapidly as I; they must have started early in the morning and they had several hours the advantage of me." "But they must have stopped somewhere for the night and?" | "Yes," answered the m n; "if I had only myself to consider, 1 sliould TiavV pressed on through the night and overtaken them when they camped." "Only yourself?" "You made me promise to return here by nightfall. I don't know whether I should have obeyed you or not. I kept on as long as I dared and still leave myself time to get back to you by dark." She had no Idea of the desperate speed he had made to reach her while it was still daylight. "If you hadn't come when you did, I should have died," cried the girl impetuously. "You did perfectly right. I don't think I am a coward; I hope not. I never was afraid before, but?" "Don't apologize or explain to me, it's not necessary; I understand everything you feel. It was only because I had given you my word to be back by sunset that I left off following their trail. I was afraid that you might think me dead or that something had happened and?" "I should, I did," admitted the girl. "It wasn't so bad during the day time, but when the sun went down and you did not come I began to imagine everything. I saw myself left alone here in these mountains, helpless, wounded, without a human being to speak to. I could not bear it." "But I have been here alone for five years," said the man grimly. "That's different. I don't know why you have chosen solitude, but I?" "You are a woman," returned the other gently, "and you have suffered, that accounts for everything." "Thank you," said Enid, gratefully. "And I am so glad you came back to me." "Back to you," reiterated the man, and then he stopped. If he had allowed his heart to speak he would have said, Back to you from the very ends of the world. "But I want you to believe that I honestly did not leave the trail until the ultimate moment," he added. "I do believe it;" she extended her hand to him. "You have been very good to me, I trust you absolutely." And for the second time he took that graceful, dainty, aristocratic hand in his own larger, stronger, firmer grasp. His face flushed again; under other circumstances and in other days perhaps he might have kissed that hand. As it was he only held it for a moment and then gently released it. "And you think they are searching -o> wi myself would do for one I lore?I loved, I mean, and they?" . "And they will find me?" The man shook his head. "I am afraid they will be convinced that you have gone down with the flood. Didn't you have a cap or?" "Yes," said the woman, "and a sweater. The hear you snot covereu the sweater with blood. I could not put it on again." As she spoke she flushed a glorious crimson at the remembrance of that meeting, but the man was looking away with studied care. She thanked him in her heart for such generous and kindly consideration. "They will have gone down the stream with the rest, and it's just possible that the searchers may find them, the body of the bear, too. This river ends in a deep mountain lake and I think it is going to snow; it ; will be frozen hard tomorrow." "And they will think me?there?" "I am afraid so." "And they won't come up here?" "It is scarcely possible." "Oh!" exclaimed the woman faintly at the dire possibility that she might not be found. "I took an empty bottle with me," said tho man, breaking the silence, "in which I had enclosed a paper saying that you were here and safe, save for your wounded foot, and giving j direction how to reach the place, i I built a cairn of rock3 in a shel- j tered nook in the valley where' your camp had been pitched and left < the tightly corked bottle wedged ou top of it. if they return to mo camp , Ibey coul'i scarcely fail to see it." "Dut if they don't go hack there." < "Well, it was just a chance." "And if they don't find me?" ( "You will have to stay hero for a , while; until your foot gets well enough to travel, anyway," returned ' the man, evasively. "Put winter is coming on; you said ' the lake would freeze tonight and if it ' snows?" jl "It will snow." ;i The woman stared at him appalled. "And in that case?" ' "I am afraid." was the slow reply, "iluit veil will have to stay here." Ho hesitated in the face of her white, 1 still face?"all winter," ho added, des- i perateiy. "My God," exclaimed the girl, i "alone, with you?" I, "Miss Maitland," said the man, reso- j, lutely, "I might as well tell you the truth. I can make iny way to the set- j' tlcments now or later, but it will bo a j journey of perhaps.a. week.. There will Continued on Page Seven. ^ MICH] Inner1 ForMidielinand all* IN STOC Pee Pee Iro , Cheraw, 9 Beechnut Brand * is just the thing, children for lunch. Horton H R. Mcl. WAT | PHONE 43 ENDORSED AT HOME. ce Nc Such Proof as This Should Convince St; Any CItcraw Citizen. tal The public endorsement of a local citizen is the best proof that can be1 produced. None better, none stronger can be had. When a man comes fortvard and testifies to his follow-citi-i Eons, addresses his friends and neigh-! jE bors, you may be sure he is thorough-j m ly convinced or he would not do so. I rolling one's experience when it is for; the public goud is an act of Kindness Hint ctinnld bo appreciated. The fol-j 'r lowing statement given by a resident! Df Cheraw adds otic more to the manyj r, cases of Home Endorsement which jro being published about Doans Kid- \\ aey Pills. eRad it. J. X. Stricklin. Green St., Cheraw, j ' S. C., says: "I have no hesitation'in j l> saying that Doan's Kidney Pills arel a remedy of merit for the purposes | for which their use is intended. I have w taken this remedy for backache and si other symptoms of kidney complaint; cc and it has given me relief." 1 d< For sale by all dealers. Price .00! i'< I ELIN rubes rflter Envelopes * { i majority of motorthroughout the world satisfied users of ichelin Inner Tubes. >y are the best judges. Ask them.* ok for ? m sign 8<lTaSt* :k by j 11 Works s. c. I I i START \ HIM RIGHT ! ON ? i EECHNUT t BRAND \ ; | PEANUT _ i wTitr ^ f . J 4 4 % V Pparmf Rutter Give it to the I . endrrx Co. TS, Prop. PHONE 43 | nts. Foster-Milburu Co., Buffalo, \v York, sole agents for the United ates. Remember the name?Doan's?and ce no other.?***0 A Coming Lad. Broker?No, I don'i need an ofLc? jyApplicant?Wot! Ain't you organlzig no new companies dat need dumiy directors? Proof. "I suppose there is no other street l the v.orPl that Is just like Broaday," said the man who was always ppponrient when he had to he away om New York lor a few minutes "No." replied the soulless person, ho was :tl !e to exist In a small town. I guess there isn't. Which proves iir-t ihern are some foolish things eo])!" don't Jmitute." Chamberlain's Cough Remedy has on its great reputation and extcnve sale by its remarkable cures of >ughs, colds, and croup. It can le jpended upon. Try it. Sold by all ?alers.