New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-18
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

That Miss Foster was different from and NOR
charming than all The rest OF her sex might nav
been proved from any Of the life.n men to whom
she had been engaged in the Two years sihc
! she had come back from school, beginning VIII
Cadet Ferris and ending with Cady.
That Captain Foster was exactly like all TN
rest Of mankind and little deserved the blesslh,
he had IN his daughter manifested by hi
drawing from his pocket a letter, and saying a
he gave it to her. by the bye. Kitty. this came
for you yesterday while you were riding VIII
I, Cady. and forgot to give II to you.
Miss Foster looked at the postmark and al I'M
almost feminine chrography. and knew that tn
letter was from Fort Bowie. and from Glocester
She laid il beside her plate and finished ne
breakfast Afterward she took ii up TO her owl
room and read it, Then she sat with folde'
hands and looked, unsecing at the photograph
of the fifteen upon the wall before her. She wa
very white.
The most astute woman will frequently STAKE
everything and play all her game upon honor II
man When that chances to fail her calcuia
lions are set at naught and the bottom falls on
Of her universe.
And Glocesicrs honor had failed. He wrote
Kitty read IT again-"So you tell me you ar
engaged to Cady That means little to you. Bu
IL NAV mean much to him Therefore, to proven
his being made the fool that have been have
taken the liberty of sending him by this mail I'M
letters you have written to me within the las
month-four in number-that ne may know witt
what manner Of woman ne has to deal"
Now, fourteen times before, Miss Foster ha'
not been in earnest But this time she was. I'm
| fortunately the fact that she cared greatly 70
Cady had not prevented her from writing Il
GIoccstcr more affection1tely than prudently, II
order t. keep him-t'other dear oharrnef wh'
was away-upon her string. SO long AS IT woul'
Told him without swapping And the letters
sent while she was actually engaged to Cady
were going to fall into his hands Ii was dts
pcrate situation. But for ALI her blue eyes, an'
curls and bewdering ways, Miss Foster wa
the woman to meet il.
After "A time she to her feet and set he
/ lips II is a popularity Of Cupids-hw lips ina
they can set upon occasions She knew tina
| Cadv had not yet received those letters. An'
she determined that he never should She would
rob the stage.
Guard mounting Just over. and the stag
was not due until noon. Kitty set big ha
a-tilting upon her curls and walked down 10 TIT
postofiice Fate with her Partially for th'
brave and fair willed that the postmaster shoult
have left his desk Miss Foster pushed open th
gate and went behind the rail The keys to th'
mail bag hung upon their hook She put then
in her pocket When the postmaster came bacl
she was pacldly marking his clean blotter viii
; the letter stamp
/ IF Won please. Mr. Jones" she said, Il wan
this letter registered.
An hour later Miss Foster refined up her horse
on the TOP of a rise and looked across the fla
stretch of greascwood, and cactus and sage
Far away tiny spcck was craving toward ne
along the white road 1t was the stage Sh'
had been born upon TIE plains, and She had al
| unfailing eye for its distances. There would b'
fun half an hour to wait She cast about fo
some way Of killing tim and found IA deep
wide assure in the parched earth. II appealed
to her daring. She put her horse to "A run ant
jumped it time and again until he was winded
Then she rode again to the crest of the slope
The stage was near She dismounted felt of the
girths and sat down. huggine the tiny MONDAY
shade OF mesquite bush. for the sun was burn
ing down from a hard blue sky big red an
was carrying a beetles wing many times larger
than itself Kitty watched ii until she heard the
rattle Of traces as the stage climbed the other
side Of the slope Then she commented her sou
to heaven and brought her quirt down upon the
horses black TANKS
The stage driver drew ny his stock and the
passenger put out his head and shoulders
and gaZed at the slender gray figure rising alone
in the midst Of the prairie
What ever. Mis- Kitty the driver stopped
short. He the horse grazing of bunch OF
stumpv grass hundred yards away Kitty
went "A step nearer and laid her hand Oh the
wheel She had seen that there was no woman
in the stage. a woman would have upset all her