Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02

Two OF MIN, was LOOT loo snort, ana
showed his dusty cowboy boots.
Here" and she pushed chair into the
back of the room between the stove and
table and turned it so his back would be
toward the door; peel the potatoes, when
the men come in
He did everything just as she told him.
You're a captain, Miss PendIetou-you'r.
trump he said: they'll never suspect
for a moment. Then boxing w and seri..g
her blanched face and shaking hands, he
cried;
80, don't be so frightened don't feel so
badly! I'd rather have CHANGED it with
such distress.
Don't worry so; they'll never guess it's
me, and at the worst they wouldn't kill
me here before your eyes. With you by l
| could probably get them to listen to m ex-
PLANTATION and"
Here they are" whispered Grace
through white lips; and though the world
reeled around her the foremost of the pur-
suers found her. when ne came to the
Kitchen door, with tucked up riding habit,
and hands full of kindiing. building a fire
IN the stove. between them and the old
Mexican woman pee.ing potatoes in the
further corner.
BEG pardon miss sail he while sew
eral others came and stood behind him,
ANY of your men folks about?"
NO. said Grace, there's nobody here
but old Feiipa and me-we just got in our
selves few minutes ago."
Hes here. boys, hid somewheres." to
tHOSe peiilHu Elms Inon TO Trace, 1t s q
boss thief we've been chasin' all day He
gave US the slip this morning. Don't be
skeert, miss; you're safe, now; an we'll
git him an take him away safe an quiet.
bob you stay here with the lady-shes
sorter skeert-whle we hunt through the
place"
The agony of those moments. The mad
panic OF fright and horrible, ungovernable
apprehension that possessed her, while she
built that fire, F'arris peeled potatoes and
Bob stood leaning in the door. watching
her Idly and eXpectorating tobacco juice!
Her face was white as death. Her limbs
shook so that Bob noticed it and observing
kindly that she bad scarf, offered some
consoiatory assurances as to how they d
settle the boss thief's hash which made her
sick with horror.
Her mind ciamorei with awful and terri
flying questions. Hadn't they left some evil
dence of Farris' presence in the front room?
what II the men should speak to the pre-
tended Mexican woman, or ask SOME serv-
ice of her? Would the potatoes hold out?
WHAT should she seem to set the woman at
next? And, oh, horrible. what if Fepa
should come in-Felipa. the loud and garru-
lous and irrepressible?
And all this time the men were pounding
about the place, talking loud and cursing
the boss thief, who seemed to have evap-
Grated
suddenly the leader came to the door. and
looking past her said. Gould the old woman
get US "a"
Grace interrupted him, deprecatinr,v. her
voice almost falling her for terror she
she's old and a little lame-and she don't
understand any Engiish-wnat is it? Any
thing land she clutched at the table in
the extremity of her agitation, though Far
RS plainly tried to reassure her by turning
his head half way round. SO that only the
sunbonnet edge partially hid his face and
handlnS her some sliced potatoes very nat
urally.
20. no, miss. you just tell rs wha.c--"
| but at this moment there came shout
| from the gate:
Come on. boys! Quick,
Hes ben an gone while nobody wuz
hyer d-n him! Here's his hnif tracks 20
the corral an, out asin at t'other gate, an
on up the trail.''
Jump on yer bosses an gitr said the
man who was speaking to Grace. Well
Tea you, miss 'ou neednt be oleAsy
enough. an he won't trouble nobody after
| we onct git our hans onto him.
And In minutes time they were gone
| every boot spur and six shooter of them
Grace scarcely dared breathe till the Ia st
hoof-beat died into silence on her ear Then
she sat down weakly in a chair, and they
discussed what should be done.
| 1t was decided that Grace should change
her habit for her usual home dress, and
f'arris remain as he was, as the men We uld
probably come back when they found The
| proofs or their horse thief having been
drowned in the Punta de Aqua.
Supper was all got ready and they waited
Grace hoping the boys would come.
They did not. but just at dark the horse
|
the trail. They stopped and hailed, outside,
and Grace went to the door.
| We thought we'd jest stop an tell We
not to worry bout tibet boss thief mss"
| said the spokesman; hes rer,',kly safe
| Tried to cross the crick down thar It's on
red rise, an drownded his se'f-pony an
all. We see the boss. ketched agin q mess
o drift mile below. lie warn't nowhar
| about. TIL amt nothia Eowhar fer
! him to hide in-jest open plains-so he's
i drownded ez safe eZ if we'd a strung him
| up. though t amt near so satisfactory
! Then they rode down the trail once more
| and Grace went in.
Since the day of these exciting happen
| ings there has been wedding at the J-T
| by which it lost its mistress.
| There's an enterprising girl. my friends -
| says Jack Pendleton, when he wakes face
! tious over his sister and his new brother-in-
law. IAN enterp-ising girl,
| 'Despairing of getting a man at home in
| the eTete east, she came to the wilds of
/ West Texas, where they were reportd to be
| plenty, and easy of capture. Failing to find
/ one in any of the ways ordinarily employed
she rescued a fleeing maefactor from the
/ haite-! Yes, sir: snatched from the hands
| OF pursuing vigilantes, and married a horse
| thief! A common horse THEIR