, 1896-07-27
OLD SCHOOL BANDIT.

"a story, girls?" said grandma smil-
ingly. "Why, I've never bad anything
happen to mo that could make a story
except once And I'm almost afraid
to tell you that one"
"Oh, that sounds charming, "exclaim-
ed Irene. well have that if We have
to OAK for a week"
Grandma was silent for several min
utcs, while we chartered and coaxcd her.
At last she gave way and began:
"Yoars ago, when l was Il girl, things
were SO different from our way of living
nov that 1 fear my story will seem i'm
probable toyou. lived in a small west
ern town, where my father had a tract
of land almost as large as this entire
village. 1t was a lonely place for young
people, but frequent visits to school
friends and return visits from them re-
lieved the drearincss somewhat. We had
plenty Of riding and driving, however, as
well as an occasional dance. We really
had little time to NOPE.
"Still, it was a sad change when my
sister married and went to live 40 miles
away. 1t seemed as remote as If she had
crossed the ocean; but the glorious an
ticipation of visiting her kept me in a
fever of excitement for n whole year.
During this time l had met Paul Foster
(your grandfa,her) and become engaged
to him, and it was arranged that he
should accompany my father and myself
Oh the journey.
"StagccOaches were the only convey
ances then, but there was MI enchant-
ment about travel then that no amount
of luxury in a palace car can equal now.
"The drive was glorious! On some
parts Of the road I sat On top of the
stage; but when l was tired, Or the road
rougher than usual, Icrept inside. Some
times we would walk while the horses
rested or followed slowly. Toward even
ing we would reach scme small tavern
and remain all night-glad BY that time
Of the change, but just as eager to start
again the next morning.
1.-THE second day, inst as we were
starting, a young man came up and Eur-
riedly Whispered to Silas. the driver. !
remember still my lively curiosity as to
what it was all about, when 1 saw Silas
lean forward and draw out two large,
fierce looking pistols. He examined
them carefully. meanwhile holding the
lines i'll a peculiar way, partly between
his knees, with the ends turned about
his arm.
II found out the meaning of the
whisper, and the pistols. too, when,
early i'll the afternoon, we entered a
narrow pass between the hills. By this
time l was covering inside the coach,
though I could see without wanting to
the rugged mountains, the steep cliffs,
the narrow roadway along which Silas
peered carefully as We proceeded. Yet
not so carefully but that ever he was
taken by surprise when half n dozen
men suddenly sprang up, apparently
from nowhere. l cannot express the
rapidity with which the whole thing
was DONE. Two stood at the horses
heads, two quickly disarmed the driver
and the men Oh top of tho coach, while
two others at the same instant threw
open the dCHr and with lcvelcd pistols
ordered us to step ont. Two elderly Ia
dies, n middle aged one, an old gentle
man and myself oheycd us quickly as
we could l assure You. l trembled so
that l could hardly stand, and was al
most falling, when suddenly one of the
h~ighwaymen pushed the other out Of
the way, exclaiming. "A Hebe, by Jove!'
and with such a bow as few had ever
given me he took my hand and helped
me down.
"To tell the truth, I knew very little
Of what took place around mo after
that. I saw my highwayman give some
orders to his men. Then he turned to
me, and in the most gentlemanly man
ner begged me to walk with him as the
air was rather cool. 1 dared not refuse,
and we paced back and forth till I felt
as if l should faint. He talked Of the
scenery, the mountain air and other
matters. but of his purpose there md Of
the operations of his companions-he
kept himself carefully between me and
them-he said not a word.
ut was at a moment when l felt ]
could endure no more, that 1 caught
sight Of Paul's face. All the men had
their hands tied behind them, and were
standing in q row, looking into the re.
volvers of their captors, who relieved
them of everything of value. There
stood your grandfather with such 9
glare Of helpless Indignation at poor me
that it was more than I could stand, md
with q sense Of the ridiculous that wal
more than half hysterical. l broke into
such peals Of laughter that the noun
tains echoed. / could not help it. ]
laughed and laughed till the tears ran
down my cheeks, and my escort at last
Joined me, while he whispered some
thing so flattering that my poor Paul
would have died outright if he could
have heard.
FINALLY my h~ighwayman placed me
in the coach again, with a whispered
request for some remembrance-a ring
or anything. As he had it in his power
to take rings and everything else. I slip
ped OF q turquoise and gave it to him.
He placed it ON his third finger above q
diamond, and as the diamond flashed, I
saw . tiny Cross cut into its surface.
Nothing else was taken from me. l was
not sven searched, and with o courtly
low my knight Of the road and his com.