The Red Cloud chief., 1875-12-16

VISIT an aunt l n6u tneIc.
1T was the day of stage coaches, and
the day Of highwaymen.
'Going over a certain common on Our
way, coaches had more than once been
stopped; the men were armed always,
and the women trembled when they saw
horsemen riding towards them.
"'Your money or your life,' was their
word, and they kept it.
"'If We should meet the highwsymen,'
said my mother; but I wa not afraid. l
did not care whom We met, or what hap
pened to mt.
1--WE rode away from u home in the
brigh. daylight, and We stopped for din
per and to change horses at an inn, and
then we rode on again.
at would be night long before we
reached London.
81 sat in the coach with my head on
my mothers shoulder, thinking of just
one thing-Cecil and our parting.
"Should l never see him again, never,
never, never?
"If he knew where l was would
he not follow me and carry me off by
fOrce2
"Could l not somehow let him know,
and escape from my aunt's house in Lon
don, and be married, SO that no one
could part us?
"Oh, I was SO miserable-so misera.
bic!
"Nothing like making plans that can
come to nothing, and burst like bubbles
when We have thought them out for
wretchedness.
1.-THE afternoon faded out and the sun
set, and l saw nothing of it. The moon
rose.
"'See what a lovely MOON said my
mother.
.'But l had not cared te look at the
moon since l saw her over the garden
wall that night, my love on one side and
I on the other. All, me.
"Rumble went the coach, crack went
the whip.
suddenly there was a tumult.
"'Gentlemen,' cried the guard-'gen-
tlemen, I am afraid we are to have some
trouble here. So, to your weapons, gen.
tlemen.'
"Then the coach came to q stand.
"The shrieking women chung to-
gether.
"Four masked men rode to the door.
"The coachmsn and guard lay in the
ditch.
zone of the gentlemen was bound, the
other was old and lame.
''They were rifing his pockets while
he screamed.
"They took out q gold watch and q
purse, and a sruff Oox with diamonds
on it.
"They had already the others money.
"Then one-the largest, the hsndsom-
est fgure-bcnt over us.
"'Don't fear, ladies' he said in a soft
voice. All We want is whatever valua.
bles you may have about YOU
mamma began to cream.
"The lady who sat next her tainted.
I'VE could not see the mans face for
he was masked and We were in the shad-
Ow of the coach.
"'Something shines on your finger, no
said, 'let me see it,
"He caught at the chain on which I
wore a locket with a curl of Cecil's hair.
"'Don't take that 1 cried. Don't
take that
81 clutched it.
"Our heads were close together.
II saw his chin and mouth under his
mask.
"At the same moment my face was
jill ust tuto TIE moonlight.
"'Amy"I heard him whisper to him
self, and I knew Cecil.
Meantime something had happened.
"Two gentlemen had ridden up.
"The one who had been bound was
free.
"For n the tables had been turned
upon the robbers.
"Then n had ridden away, two were
bound, and one lay bleeding.
"Tnis last one was Cecil.
81 knew now that my father had not
been wrong.
"Cecil was even worse than he thought
him.
"He was q h~,ghwayman, q bad man,
and q companion of bad men; . c.es-
ture who cut purses on the public road.
"They were not all ignorant men.
these highwaymer, by any mears.
"Many had good birth. education and
manners.
ayes. he was 3 bad man: but how
could I hate him all at opces
II understood that my father had
been right in parting Us; but those lips
had kissed me; those hands held mine.
"sThe ladies need fear no longer said
q of the gentlemen. Those fellows
are in no condition to molest Them
Then he sa,d, (men didn't say such