Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-06-11
eyes, I'm here: what is it?"

eyes, I'm here; what is it?"
"Don't you forget to send that
thousand up on the stage tonight
to- Logtown. Tom says there's
at least $4,000 in sight. Charley
Motley is a school-marm, and dom
know 1t. Don't forget now. Good-by."
Franks pretty eyes and mouth
spread wider and wider as those words
came out OF the wonderful little instru-
ment.
"For goodness sake! who is he talk
ing to? Oh-h, yes! why it must be to
Frank Downey, the express agent at
Bokey. They've been talking togeth-
er and Downey has stopped and
switched my end on. Motley is a
school-marm, is he? There's $4,000
in sight and Charlie don't knowit, and
the money is going up there on the
stage from Bokey tonight. Oh, dear!
what shall l do? III go up there. |
will. It's only eight miles, and it's 90
from Bokey. It's 5 o'clock and the
stage gets there at 81
The sun was yet very hot, although
almost down behind the hills, and the
trail was steep and rocky; but Frank
pushed ON, ,nuttering to herself when
she felt SO tired she was tempted to
sit down and rest:
"Charlie's a school-marm, is he?
Ten thousand dollars in sight and he
don't know it, Ell? Well, he shall
know it, and have all the credit OF the
discovery, too There now!"
just as she reached the roadside and
was about to push through the chap
arra( which here reached to her shout
ders she heard the rumbling stage
coach coming around q bend close to
her. With a despairing resolve to 60
In At least with the stage If she could
not before it, she pushed her closed
parasol through the bushes and waved
it to the driver, shouting at the same
time, hoarse from her excitement:
stop! stop!'
But, to her astonishment and
dismay, instead Of stopping the driver
reached down into the boot, and, with
a 'c,,ss yer, take it"' threw % heavy
box into the road and flashing his
fourth hand into 81 run, disappeared
down the canon.
Poor Frank crouched down into the
chaparral in despair.
"Oh, dear! / haven't walked there
and I've lost the stage, and poor
Charlie-oh, dear mel"
The spirit Of q genuine California
girl is not easily overcome with de-
spair. and Frank was a genuine Cali
fornia girl, and she was not to be beat
en- until she was. She got up, pulled
her black veil tighter over her moist
face, and bravely started en- again to
Logtown. 1t was not far, and not a
half hour elapsed before she saw the
lights Of the little camp scattered
around in the canon below her.
BreAthless and painting she hurried
to the tavern. A great crowd of men
were excitedly swearing and threaten
ing on the porch Some were in the
street, clinching saddles on their
horses, and in their midst stood Black
Pete, the stage driver.
'Don't I know" he was angrily
shouting. II tell yer twar only a mile
back, an Their cuss showed his shoot
lng-iron right under my nose. Why
didn't I run fer it? Thar war two NV
'em thar as sure as 6stin'.'
Pretty soon, with u yell and whoop,
twenty men gallopei up the road witt
suggestive looking rope dangling from
one OF the saddles.
Poor Frank FASTENED to find Char
lie. She found him sitting disconso-
lately on the back porch.
"Why, Frank, what in the world.are
you doing here?'
"Oh, Charlie, have you sold that
mine yet? Am too late?"
"Too late for what? Sold it? No,
and don't believe I can. That man
Bonn sent the money up by express
and q road agent got away With the
stage tonight and the money went
with it. I don't believe he'll risk an
other thousand on q played out mine.
"Oh, goodie!" cried Frank. GIVE
got here in time. Road agent! Oh,
that is too rich! Oh, dear, I shall die!"
and Franks voice ended in high
squeak Of laughter. "Road agent?
There wasn't any road agent at all; !
stopped the stage to get on and the
driver threw q box at me!'
No sooner had Frank told her story
than he caught her in his arms with a
wild shout.
About two hours afterward q file OF
disconsolate, disgusted horsemen
wendell their way up to the tavern
with a "suggestive rope dangling
from one OF the saddles" and box
containing $1,000.
1t is sufficient to relate that Charlie
did not sell his $4,000 in sight, :"
but, on the contrary, received a much
larger sum--sutficient, in fact, to make
him happier man financially and
matrimonially.