The San Francisco call., 1899-02-05

in the beginning, Tor 1t began
with love. The strange and un-
usual story of an outlaws bride,
1t began with love and found
loves old sad end-despair, death, even
worse.
1t began at the altar and is a pa
thetic tale of a woman's devotion, a
wife's fidelity, whose very wretchedness
one she loved.
1t is the history of an accomplished j
California girl who left a home of
luxury and refinement to become the
wife of a foreman on her fathers ranch.
That foreman was Bill Dalton, the
bandit.
1t is a story of ceaseless, hopeless
love, and its scenes shift from the pa
rental roof to a peaceful valley home
in Southern California; to a court of
justice, where the wife waited hours,
days and months for the jury's verdict;
TO the prison, whose doors opened at
last only to admit him to the world
whose doors had closed; to that death
in life, the civil quarantine, from which
no outlaw who has a price upon his
head ever escapes; and finally to a
of her girlhood home, where with her
fathers little ones she buried that
which the law did not demand-tha
body of her dead.
Mrs. Dalton was the idolized and
gifted daughter of prominent Merced
County rancher. All that love and all
that wealth could give had been law
ished upon her from childhood: and
when she left this home of plenty to
share NiRiGcitn6nS Of fofn
she loved, frugality had no terrors for
her. Life was but glorious promise
of that perfect home that was to be.
They started their new life of con-
tentment and hope together on a little
ranch in San Luis Obispo County.
Bill Dalton was a graduate of a Ken
lucky university and had come West
to outlive name already made no.
torious by his bandit brothers; to out
live a name and throw off the shackles
of heritage, for he was a cousin of the
James brothers. He was the seventh
son of a family of fifteen, and deter
mined to lead the life Of an honest man
despite the associations of his kindred
He felt secure in the peaceful valley
home, surrounded by purple mountains
and filled with the love and devotion
of q good, true woman. He was strong
and united industry with science in the
cultivation of the soil; she, the tender
wife, became a fond mother. and both
of them loved that cozy nest and
dreamed Of the day when by labor anC
economy they could pay for this little
home and possess it as their very own
Fortune favored them at first He
was willing to work overtime, anC
helped the neighbors with their plow-
ing; and she saved the proceeds from
poultry and dairy and helped the neigh.
borS with their sewing. The money
thus gained was applied to the funt
for the purchase of that home. Yeal
after year they saved and hoped anC
toiled, little dreaming that a shadow
was to darken the prospect of theil
lives: that it was even then waiting al
the door.
His brothers came to California, leav.
ing their old field of criminal opera.
tions for pastures new; came unbidder
and red handed from the robbery OF
the express; came to this cozy home fol-
refuge from the hands of the law.
They were given shelter-even more
for Bill Dalton helped his brothers t.
escape He went with them until the,
were safe beyond the borders of tb.
State, safe from the clutches of tn,
law. This he did for his brothers
Would any man do less?
1t was his first offense this kindnes,
to his own. 1t was the beginning O.
the end. He assisted his brothers t.
cSCdpc, DuI Ills SOIlClluuS COSl MIN dear
He was absent just two weeks, anC
the neighbors did not greet him kindly
when he returned.
That feeling for his brothers cost hin
the trust of friends and neighbors, hi
liberty. and eventually his life; bu
whatever it cost him, it could not de
prive him of his wife's love and fidelity
That was his to the last.
He was arrested on suspicion
they could not find his brothers, ant
so they arrested him. He was released
after while, only to be thrown bacl
In Jail upon other charges.
These court proceedings continued
one year. In the meantime farming i'm
plements, household furniture and tn
stock-a wedding present from her ia
ther-had been sold at sacrifice t,
pay the lawyers fees. Nothing wa
left. The earnest hopes they had Sc
their hearts upon had turned to ashes
When his trial was ended and h
came forth a free man, he found ever!
man his enemy and one woman hi
friend.
He went East on visit to his moth
er. leaving his wife and children here
with her brother, until he should pre-