The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-03-02
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.


u the rest of her sex might have
been proved from any of the fifteen
men to whom she had been engaged In
two years since she had come back
from school. beginning with Cadet
Ferris aud ending with Cady.
That Captain Foster was exactly like
all the rest OF mankind, and little de-
served the blessing he had In his
daughter. was manifested by his draw
Ing from his pocket letter. and say
Ing as he gave 1t to her, by the by,
Kitty, this came for you yesterday
while you were riding with Cady, and
| forgot to give 1t TO you"
Miss Foster looked at the postmark
and at the almost feminine chirogra-
ply, aod knew that the letter was from
Fort Bowie, and from Glocester. She
laid It beside her plate and finished
her breakfast. 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 fire.
quently stake everything 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 Glocester's honor had failed. He
wrote-Kitty read Ii agaln-"So you
tell me you are engaged to Cady. That
means little to you. But 1t may mean
much to him. Therefore, to prevent
his being made the fool that | have
been, have taken the liberty of send
Ing hun 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 to deal"
Now, fourteen times before, Miss
Foster had not been in earnest. But
fact that she cared greatly for Cady
had not prevented her from writing TO
Glocester more affectIonately than pru-
IDENTIFY, In order to keep him-tother
dear charmer who was away-upon
her string. SO long as 1t 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 1t.
.,l,o a. Il. -
set her lips. 1t Is n popularity of
Cupld's-bow lips that they can set,
upon occasions. She knew that Cady
had not yet received those letters. And
she determined that he never should.
She would rob the stage.
Guard-mountlng was just over, and
the stage was not due until noon. Kitty
set big hat a-tiltlng upon her eurls
and walked down to the postoffice.
Fate, with her Partially for the brave
and fair, wllled that the postmaster
should have left his desk. Miss Eos
ter pushed open the gate and went be-
hind the rail. The keys to the mall
bag hung upon their hook. She put
them In her pocket. When the post
master came back she was placldly
marking his clean blotter with the let
ter stamp.
''lf you please, Mr.. Jones'" she said,
81 want this letter registered"
An hour later Miss Foster reigned up
her horse on the top of a rise and look
ed across the fiat stretch of grease
wood, and ictus, 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 unfalllng eye for its
distances. There would be full half
an hour to walt. She cast about for
some way of killing time. and found a
deep, wide assure in the parched earth.
II appealed to her daring. She put her
horse to run and jumped 1t time and
again until he was wlnded. Then she
rode again TO the crest of the slope.
The stage was near. She dismounted
felt OF the glrths, and sat down, hug.
cling the tiny MONDAY shade of q
mesquite bush, for the sun was burn
Ing down from a hard, blue sky. A
big red ant was carrying n beetles
wing many times larger than itself
Kitty watched 1t until she heard the
rattle of traces as the stage climbed
the other side of the slope. The She
commended her soul to heaven ant
brought her qulrt down upon th'
horses black tanks.
The stage-driyer drew up his stock
and the one passenger put out his heaC
and shoulders and gazed at the slende
gray figure rising alone in the midst o
the prairie.
what ever. Miss Kitty" tn,
driver stopped short. He saw tn
horse grazing Off a bunch of stump,
grass, a hundred yards away. Kit.
went n step nearer and laid her han,
on the wheel. She had seen that Their
was no woman In the stage. A woman
would have upset all her calculations
She raised her big blue eyes. The me-
who could have resisted them wer
few. Those In the stage listened nov
to a tale calculated to melt heart o
stone.
al was Just out for little ride" sal
Kitty. "and my glrths were loose. SO
dismounted tc clnch up, and that horri
Dandy got away. If you had not come
| don't know whatever l should hav
done"
Miss Foster would not have been til
woman she was II tears-the genil G
the lamp of fair femlnlnity-had nc
risen at her will. The driver locke
again at the horse and back at Mis-
Foster. He had known her from tn
dav ~ har hIrfh When hq WAS In III