Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-06-30
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

HlGHWA " Robbery I.
That Miss Foster was different from
and more charming than all the rest or
her sex might have been proved from
any of the fifteen men to whom she
had been engaged in the last 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 de-
served the blessing he had In his
daughter, was manifested by his
drawing from his pocket II letter, and
saying as he gave II to her, by the
bye, Kitty, this came for you yestcr-
day while you were riding with Cady,
and forgot to give II 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 Gloucester.
She laid II beside her plate and I'm
ished her breakfast Afterward she
took II up to her own room and read
II. Then she sat with folded hands
and looked, unsecing, ut the photo
graphs of the fifteen upon the wall be
fore her She was very white.
The most Hstutc woman will fire.
auently stake anything and play all
her game upon honor in man. When
that chances to fail, her calculations
are set at naught, and the bottom falls
out of her universe.
And Gloucesters honor has failed.
He wrotc-Kitty read 1t agaln-"SO
you are engaged TO Cady. That means
little to you; but II may mean much
to him. Therefore, to prevent his be
ing made the fool that | have been, !
have taken the liberty of sending him
by this mail the letters you have writ
ten to me within the last mOnth-fOur
in numbcr-that he may know with
what manner OF woman he has to
deal"
Now, fourteen 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 prevented her from
writing to Gloucester more affection
ately than prudently, in order to keep
hlm-t'Other dear charmer who was
away-upoh her string, so long ms 1t
would hold him without swapping
And the letters sent while she was ac-
tually engaged to Cady, were going to
fall into his hands II was II desperate
situation But, with all her blue eyes,
and curls, and bewlldering ways, Miss
Foster was the woman to meet II.
After some time she rose to Her feet
and set her lips. II II a popularity Of
CupId's-bOw lips that they can set, up
on occasions. She knew that Cady had
not vet received those letters. And
she determined that he never should.
She would rob the stage.
Guard mounting was just over and
the stage was not due until noon. Kit
ty set big hat a-tilting upon her
clIrls and walked down to the post
office Fate. with her Partially for
the brave and fair, willcd that the post
master should have left his desk. Miss
Foster pushed open the gate and went
behind the rail, The keys 10 the mall
bag hung upon their hook. She put
them In her pocket When the post.
master came back she was plncldly
marking his clean blotter with the
letter stamp.
"If you please, Mr.. Jones, want
this letter registered"
An hour later Miss Foster refined up
looked across the fiat stretch of grease.
wood, 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
plains, and she had an unfaillng eye
for Its distances. There would be
fully half an hour to walt. She east
about for some way OF killing time
mil 10 Aasa. A.
pa tched earth. II appealed to her dar.
ing She put her horse to run and
Jumped II time and again until he was
winded. Then she rode again to the
crest Of tho slope. The stage WAS near
She dlsmountod. felt of the gIrths.
and sat down. hugglny the tiny noon.
day shade Of tiny mesquite bush, for
the sun was burning down from
hard, blue sky A big red ant was
carrying beetles wing many times
larger than itself Kitty watched II
until she heard the clattor OF traces M
the stage climbed the other side OF the
slope. Then she commended her soul
TO heaven and brought her quIrt down
upon the horses tanks.
The stage driver drew up his stock.
and the one passenger put out biz
Dthu HHd Inc
slender gray figure rising alone In the
midst OF the prairie.
whatever, Miss Kitty"-the driver
stopped short. He saw the horse Rraz
ing on a bunch Of stumpy grass, a hun
dred yards away. Kitty went a stet
nearer and laid her hand on the whoei
She had seen that there was no wo
man In the stage. A woman would
have upset all her calculations. Sh,
raised her big blue eyes. The meB
who could have resisted them wer,
few. Those In the stage listened now
to tale calculated to melt heart Of
stone.
II was just out for little ride" said
Kitoty. and my Rirths were loose, 80
| 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 II tears the genii Of
the lamp Of fair femlninity-had not
risen AT her Will. The driver looked
again at the horse aud back at Miss
Foster. He had known her from the
day OF her birth. When he was In his
first enlistment, long before he had re-
turned 10 civil life, he had been her
fathers striker H0 had held her upon