Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-10-24
BRAVE BETTY.

There was a clatter of horses hoofs on
the hard road in front of the little wood
en- jail at the county seat of an interior
county of West Virginia, and then pris-
.oner was brought in by half q dozen Of
icers and chained to ring in the wall.
The prisoner was a broad shouldered
young man, with long, black hair and
piercing eyes. AS he passed into the jail
part of the building Betty Rainsford,
the pretty wild flower danghterof Jailer
Rainsford, caught sight of him. She
sprang forward with the word ''Jim'
trembling ON her lips, but instantly re-
strained herself and turned away with
apparent unconcern.
Jim Springston was moonshiner. In
other words, he manufactured liquor
without government license and was
therefore hunted by United States de-
tectives. He had still among the dark
recesses of the mountains, where for
years he had pursued his unlawful call
ing. AT last, however, he had been
trapped by Detective johnson and his
deputies, but his capture was erected
only after hard fight, in which Spring
ston had wounded two deputies slightly
and had himself received flesh wound
in his left arm. ,e.7, IL ,gaf5y l5,f
''WeIl, we've got another desperado,
and the court3will soon make short work
of him, said johnson to the jailer as he
came out from securing the prisoner.
81 shall look to you to see that he does
not escape" and the officer twirled be-
tween his fingers the key of the padlocl,
which secged Springston, at the same
time striding out. After placing his
deputies on guard around the insecure
structure to prevent recaptrre by the
prisoners friends, or to circumyent any
efforts on the part of the prisoner him
self to escape, Captain johnson went to.
the only lodging house in the village.
where he put up for the night,
The reader has already surmised that
the members of the Rainsford family
were at least acquainted with Jim
Springston. He was, in fact, the affi-
anced husband of Betty, who had al
ready resolved to rescue her lover at all
hazards. Her father was, to say the
least, morally responsible to the law for
the safekeeping of Springston, and she
knew it would be of no avail to turn in
that direction for relief. In fact, she
would not have released Jim from Jail
if she could have done so with her own
hands, as it would have brought censure
and disgrace down on the head of her
father and created the suspicion that
the Rainsford family was in league with
the illicit distillers. 200
Jim Springston had been a FREQUENT
visitor to the Rainsford household for
the previous year or two and had won
his promised bride over numerous rival
suitors, but the head of the household
did not know he was a violator of the
law until brought in that evening.
Neither had Betty known of this fact,
but the moment she had learned of the
arrest she decided in favor of Jim.
At supper that evening the elder Rains
ford stated that, while he sylmpathized
with Springston, he could see no way
but that he would have to go'to prison.
Betty acquiesced meekly, but her brain
was busy with plan of her own. ir
a passing country doctor had dressed
the wounds. of the deputies. and the pris-
oner. Betty looked down at the latter
operation, but not even look of recog-
milton passed between herself and lover.
They seemed to pursue that course intu-
itively. They were as strangers, and
thus darkness settled over the quiet
country village. nti 1f
Just after midnight, when the alertness
of the guards was benumbed by drowsi-
ness, dark figure stole to the window
of the jail. a voice almost as still as
the night itself called: ''Jiml Oh, jim!
Don't stir or make noise. It's Betty"
There was soft answer denoting that
he heard her, and she went on thus,
Read this note when daytime comes
and obey Instructions carefully thrust
ing the paper through the bars and into
the hands of the,prisoner by means of
long stick.
After breakfast the next morning the
prisoner was taken out and mounted
on horse, and the officers also mounted
their horses, and the party set off for the
nearest railroad station, a distance of so
miles. Just as the horsemen cantered
away glance from Betty to Jim as
sured each that both understood the
Captain johnson felt elated over the
capture of Springston for the reason,
first, that there was handsome reward
awaiting his safe delivery into the hands
of the government and, secondly, be-
cause the capture added another large
feather to the already well decorated
cap of the detective.
1t was delightful summer morning,
and as the party rode along the birds
chirped and the dew sparkled like noth-
ing had happened or was about to hap
pen among the lonesome mountains
The road was little more than bride
path in places, and for two miles from
the Rainsford house it bore around the
foot of mountain, forming a semicircle
and coming back to within half mile
of the starting point on the opposite side
of the range. For a long distance at
this point the roadway was overhung
with thick branches, producing twilight
except IN the middle of the day.
In few moments after the departure
of the officers and their, prisoner. a
slight, boyish figure, wearing an i'll fit
ting suit and g sIouch hat half conceal
ing the face, disappeared into the forest