The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-12-31
HIGHWAY ROBBERY
BY Gwendolen overton.
THAT Miss Foster was different


proved from any Of the Is men to whom
che had been engaged in the two years
since she had come back from school,
beginning with Cadet Ferris and end
ing with Cady.
That Capt. Foster was exactly like all
the rest of mankind, and little deserved
the blessing he had in hlsdaughter, was
manifested by his drawing from his
rocket letter, and saying as he gave
it 10 her: "By the bye, Kitty. this came
for you yesterday while you were rid
ing with Cady, and forgot to give it
to you"
Miss Foster looked at the postmark
and at the almost feminine chirog-
raphy, and knew that the letter was
from Fort Bowie. and from Glocester.
She laid it beside her plate and finished
her breakfast. Afterward she took it
up to her own room and read it. Then
she sat with folded hands ana looked,
unseeing, at the photographs of the Is
upon the wall before her. She was very
white.
The most astute woman will fire.
quently stake everything and play all
her game of honor in man. When that
chances to fail, her calculations are set
at naught, and the bottom falls out of
her universe.
And Glocestcr's honor had failed.
He wrote-Kitty read it again-"So
you tell me you are engaged TO Cady.
That means little TO you. But it may
mean much to him. Therefore, to pre-
vent his being made the fool that have
been, / have taken the liberty of send
ing him by this mail the letters you
have written TO me within the last
month-four in number-that he may
know with what manner of woman he
has 10 deal"
Now. IA times before, Miss Foster had
not been in earnest. But this time she
was. Unfortunately, the fact that she
cared greatly for Cady had not pre-
vented her from writing to Glocester
more affectionately than prudently, in
order to keep him-t'other dear charm
err who was away-upon her string, so
long as it would hold him without
swapping. And the letters, sent while
she was actually engaged to Cady, were
going to fall into his hands. 1t was a
desperate situation. But, for all her
blue eyes. and curls. and bewildering
ways, Miss Foster was the woman to
meet it.
After time she rose to her feet and
set her lips. 1t is popularity of
Cupid's bow lips that they can set. upon
occasions. She knew that Cady had Not
yet received those letters. And she de-
tcrmined that he never should. She
would rob the stage.
Guardmounting was just over. and
the stage was not due until noon.
Kitty set a big hat a-tilting upon her
curls and walked down to the post of
fee. Fate, with her Partially for the
brave and fair, willed that the postmas-
ter should have left his desk. Miss Fos-
ter pushed open the gate and went be-
hind the rail- The keys to the mail
bag hung upon their hook. She put
them in her pocket. When the post
master came back she was placidly
marking his clean blotter with the let
ter stamp.
IF you please. Mr.. Jones'" she said,
Il want this letter registered" .
An hour later Miss Foster refined up
her horse on the top of rise and
looked across the fat stretch of grease
wood and cactus. and sage. Far away
a tiny speck was crawling toward her
along the plains. and she had an unfaii-
ing eye for it's distances. There would
be full half an hour to wait. She cast
about for some way of killing time, and
found deep, wide assure in the
parched earth. 1t appealed to her dnr-
ing. She put her horse to run and
jumped it time and again until he was
winded. Then she rode again to tbs,
crest of the slope. The stage was near.
She dismounted. felt of the girths, and
sat down, hugging the tiny MONDAY
shade of mesquite bush, for the sun
was burning down from harl, blue
sky. A big red ant was carrying a
beetles wing many times larger than
itself. Kitty watched it until she heard
the rattle of traces as the stage climbed
the other side of the slope. Then she
commended. her soul to Heaven and
brought her quirt down upon the
horses black tanks,
The stage driver drew up his stock.
and the one passenger putout his head
and shoulders and gazed at the slender
gray figure rising alone in the midst
of the prairie.
"What ever, Miss kitty" the driver
stopped short. He saw the horse graz
ing off bunch of stumpy grass, hun.
dred 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. A woman would have up
set all her calculations. She raised her
big blue eyes. The men who could have
resisted them were few. Those in the
stage listened now to n tale calculated
to melt heart of stone.
81 was just out for little ride, said
Kitty, "and my girths were loose, so
dismounted to cinch up, and that hor-
rid Dandy got away. II you had not
come don't know whatever should
have DONE"
Miss Foster would not have been the
woman she was IL tear-the genii OF
the lamp of fairy femininity--hadn not