The evening times., 1898-12-24
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

come back from school, beginning with
Cadet Ferris and ending with Cady.
That Capt Foster was exactly like all
the rest of mankind and little deserved
the blessing he had in his daughter, was
manifested by his drawing from his
pocket a letter, and saying as he gave it
to her, by the bye, Kitty, this came for
you yesterday while you were riding
with Cady. and I forgot to give it to
you'"
Miss Foster looked at the postmark
and at the almost feminine chirog Apply,
and knew that the letter was from Fort
Bowie. and from Glocester She laid it
beside her plate and finished her break
fast. Afterward she took 1t up to her
own room and read 1t. Then she sat
with folded hands and looked, unseeing,
at the photographs of the fifteen upon
the wall before her. She was very white.
The most astute woman will frequently
stake everything and play all her game
upon honor in man. When that chances
to fail, her calculations are st at
naught, and the bottom falls out of her
universe.
And Glocester's honor had failed. He
wrete-Kitty read it again-"So you tell
me you are engaged to Cady. That means
little to you. But it may mean mucn TO
him. Therefore, to prevent his being
made the fool that l have been, have
taken the liberty of seSiing him by this
mail the letters you have written to me
within the last month-four in numb r
that he may know with what manner OF
woman he has to deal"
Now, fourteen times before. Miss Fos
ter had not been in earnest. But this
time she was Unfortunately, the fact
that she cared greatly for Cady had not
prevented her from writing to Glocester
! more affectionately than prudently, in
order to keep him-t'other dear Charmer
who was away-upon her string, so long
as it would hold him without swapping.
And the letters, sent while she was act
ually engaged to Cady, were going to
fall into his hands. 1t was desperate
situation. But, for all her blue eyes, and
curls, and bewildering ways Miss Fos-
ter was the woman TO meet it.
After time she rose to her feet and
set her lips. II is a popularity of Gu
pid's-bow lips that they can set, upon
occasions She knew that Cady had not
yet received those letters. And she de-
| ternined that he never should. Sne
would rob the stage.
| Guard mounting was just over, and the
stage was not due until noon. Kitty set
big hat a-tilting upon her curls and
walked down to the postoftice. Fate,
with her Partially for the brave and fair,
| willed that the postmaster should have
left his desk Miss Foster pushed open
the gate and went behind the rail. The
keys to the mail bag hung upon their
| hook She put them in her pocket, When
| the postmaster came back she was plac-
| Idly marking his clean blotter with the
| letter stamp.
IF you please. Mr.. Jones'" she said,
| II want this letter registered.
| An hour later Miss Foster reined up her
! horse the top of a rise and looked
across the fat stretch of greasewood and
cactus and sage Far away a tiny speck
| was crawling toward her along the white
/ road. 1t was the stage. She had been
| born upon the plans, and had an unfail-
! ing eye for distances. There would be
! full half an hour 10 wait. She cast about
! for some way of killing time. and found
| a deep, wide fissure in the parched earth.
| 1t appealed to her daring. She put her
| horse to a run and jumped II time and
| again until he was winded. Then she
rode gain to the crest of the slope. The
| stage was near. She dismounted, felt of
] the girths and sat down. hugging the til
ny MONDAY shade of a mesquite bush
| for the sun was burning down from a
! hard. blue sky. 4 big red ant was carry
| ing a beetles wing many times larger
| heard the rattle of traces as the stage
| climbed the other side of the slope. Then
| she commnded her soul to heaven and
| brought her quirt down upon the side of
| horses black fanks
| The stage driver drew up his stock and
| the one passenger put out his head and
! shoulders and gazed at the slender gray
! figure rising alone in the midst of the
prairie.
! Whatever. Miss Kitty" the driver
stopped short. He saw the horse grazing
! off a bunch of stumpy grass a hundred
| yards away. Kitty went a step nearer
| and laid her hand on the wheel. She had
| seen that there was no woman in the
| stage. woman would have upset all
1 her calculations. She raised her big blue
| eyes. The men who could have resisted
| them Were few. Those in the stage lis
tened now to a tale calculated TO melt
d heart of stone
| II was just out for a little ride said
| Kitty. and my girths were loose, SO I
dismounted to cinch up, and that horrid
Dandy got away. If you had not come.
don t know whatever | should have done. -
| Miss Foster would not have been the
| woman she was If tears-the genii OF the
lamp of fair 'femininity-had not risen al
her will. The driver looked again al the
horse and back at. Miss Foster. He had
When he was in his first enlistment, Ions
before he had returned to civil life, he haG
| been her fathers striker. He had held
her upon a a-.bufro and taught her TO ride
| before she could walk. Therefore, he Was
Justly annoyed. For the cleyerest. con
spirator is apt to overlook a detail and
Kitty had forgotten that the horse OF a
: good rider which has broken away
should have the bride over its head.
I'm sure. Miss Kitty" he said, that
it weren't me learned you to leave the
reins hooked over the pommel when yot
dismounted-and / should have thought
YOU could have mounted alone anywhere.
Kitty flushed. OF all things she wa:
proudest of her horsemanship.
do you think, O'Rourke, that you
could catch Dandy for me?"
81 dunno. said O'Rourke. "taint Sc
easy to catch a horse when the reins Is
over the pommel,'
But he wound the lines around th'
brake and jumped down. The passenger
was not to be outdone. He jumped down
too and together they went trottini
across the plain.
Kuty had seen others try to catci
Dandy She climbed leisurely into tn
stage and dragged the mail pouch from
,nder the seat. She was frightened now
and cold and trembling. and she threV
ouick glances to where o. Rourke and TN
passenger were advancing, and retreat
ing. and deploying-never within arm
reach of Dandy When she had stoves
away in the crown of her cap small
package postmarked Bowie and address
ed to Cady in a pointed, sprawllng, al
most feminine hand she snapped III
lock She had left the keys in the bag