Morris tribune., 1886-10-13
Miss Priscilla.
From the Chicago Ledger.

or DuC our business VIII SLtIlO GAo PAe
" sure, believe. A cool thousand
yours if you will secure the robber
y "The reward is good; I will do n
~ best, Mr.. Storms" said, as l sat
,r q listening, half thoughtful attitud
* before the mine-owner.
One week before, Luke Storms ha
~ ~ been waylaid, knocked senseless an
le robbed, while driving from the tow
n of Upgrade to the Crescent mine,
which he was sole owner.
4 At Upgrade he had drawn the SIC
a. 900 from the bank, all in nations
y bank notes, and after short waitir
} in the town, set out on horseback
= regain the Crescent, one of the the
q best-paying silver mine in Colorado.
e Soon after the robbery, the min
d owner having heard of my vocatio
from a friend, called me to his hous
q and gave me an accent orI 5 Il trouble,
concluding Ith the offer of Isl 900 for
/; I-te arrest of the man who ad robbed
him of his money. n
"Have you many acquA Enhances in
the t t town OF Upgrode'" lquegtiqned'
finally.
Several"
"Name them"
He did so, each one being familiar
one to me, since had been some wdS KS
in the town looking up another thai,
which believed led in another direc-
ton, when Storms induced me to listen
to his troubles.
81 will give week to your case, Mr..
Storms" | said; that is all the time
l can spare now"
II am sorry" he said; you can do
nothing in so short time"
'"That remains to. be SEEM" re-
turned, and then bidding the mine-own-
er adieu, turned my face toward Up
grade mounted on fleet horse.
The trail that followed led through
q wild country, over rocky hills,
through deep-wooded depressions, al
together a gloomy journey, and when
l arrived at the spot where the miner,
Storms, had been waylaid and rob-
bed, | involuntarily came to halt.
At the left gurgled q shallow brook.
fringed with bushes; bridge SPAWNED
the water just ahead, and on the
right was a dense thicket, beyond
which a lofty ridge raised upward sew
eral hundred feet.
1t was from this thicket that the OBJ
ject had been hurled that had sent Mr..
Storms senseless from his saddle.
AS l satin the saddle looking abe
with one hand on the but of my 7
volver, a sharp scream in adv a.
beyond the bridge, attracted my
tention.
A femalein distress.
| at once spurred forward4 and
turning point of rock. game upon a
scene that eolliissiSs5o led my sympathies,
BesieIe the road was g. female-a
beautiful young girl, wringing her
hands and wailing beside a dead horse
that lay on the ground in the narrow
road between the shafts OF a light We
hicle. Evidently the animal, a rather
sorry beast, had been stricken down
suddenly, and the lady thus deprived
!, of q mode of conveyance most unex-
pectedly.
ooh, sir, I am so glad you came"
cried the girl, wringing her pink and
white little hands in q helpless way,
and transfxing me with pair of the
most beautiful eyes had ever beheld.
GIVE been trying ever so hard to in
duce Homer to rise up. He fell quick
as flash. Oh. dear, ] don't know
what to do"
"Your horse is dead, Miss" I said
as sprang to the ground and--t-ae
brief examination.
Dead! Poor Homer!" /
With clasped hands thegia : 'ded
her fallen beast, while tearsd her
heavenly blue eyes. Iglantjf i, her
as she stood there, and MAJ as
scented that she was the most pvely
female l had ever looked upon.
She could not have been owe 20,
and there was an artless expression
Of countenance that was altogether
charming.
81 was intending to visit Upgrade"
she said, in answer to an inquiry, and
after her first deep emotions had sub
sided II have brother living there,
and sister upon the hills. I rode
out with brother Frank two days ago,
and yesterday he was compelled to
return, and so he took the stage, leav-
ing me to drive in with Homer and the
vehicle. | was elated at the progress
l had made, when poor Homer drop
ped as though hehad been shot. What
can we do sir?"
II will put my horse in the shafts;
I am on my way to Upgrade, and you
will not be delayed long, after ALL"
"You are very kind sir. What
name"
Civilians" said quickly. Even
under the influence of this girls mar
velous beauty l was not led to give
my true name and character.
"And l am Priscilla Mcdonald. 1
feel sure we shall get on very nicely,
you are so kind"
Miss Mcdonald adjusted herself to
circumstances with naivete that was
truly charming, and very fattering to
myself.
I was not long in exchanging the
living for the dead, and then, seated
beside Priscilla, I gave the horse rein,
and soon was whirled from the vicin-
ity of the accident.
/ left my fair passenger at the door
of one of the most imposing dwellings |
in the frontier city, she informing me
that Frank would care for the vehicle,
and rode my horse to the "Great |
Bear" the principal hotel in the town.
The time was now evening. When I |
moved to consult my watch I met
with a startling discovery.
My handsome gold chronometer,
with it's heavy chain, was gone!
stood stunned for an instant,
realizing that had been robbed.