The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1899-05-17

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and more charming than all the
Il rest Of her sex might have been
proved from any of the fifteen men
to whom she bad been engaged in the
two years since she had come from
school, beginning with Cadet Ferris and
ending with Cady.
That Captain Foster was exactly ike
all the rest Of mankind, and little de-
served the blessing he had in his daugh-
ter, was manifested by his drawing from
his pocket letter, and saying as he
gave it to her, "By the bye Kittie, this
came for you Yesterday while you we're
riding with Cady, and forgot to give it
TO YOU"
Miss Foster looked at the postmark
and the almost feminine chirographY,
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 it up to her
own room and read it. 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 sstute woman will frequent
ly stake everythin" 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-Kittie read it sgain-"So you tell
me you are engaged to Cady. That
means little to you. But it may mean
much to him. Therefore, to prevent
his being made the fool that 1 have been
1 take the liberty of sending him by this
mail the letters you have written to me
within the last month-four in number
that he may know with what kind OF
woman he has to deal,"
Now, fourteen times before, Miss Eos
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 then prudently in
order to keep-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 actually
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 Foster was the
woman to meet it.
After a time she rose to her feet and
set her lips. 1t is a peculiarly 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-
termined that he never should. She
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, aud
walked down to the postofIice Fate,
with Partially for the brave and lair,
willed that the postmaster had left his
desk. Miss Foster pushed open the gate
and went behind the rail. The keys to
the mail bag hang upon their hook.
She put them in her pocket. When the
postmaster came back, she was placidly
marking his clean blotter with the letter
stamp.
"If you please, Mr.. JONES'" she said,
want this letter registered"
An hour later Miss Foster refined up
her horse on the top OF rise and looked
across the fiat stretch of crossword, and
cactus, and sage. Far away tiny speck
was crawling toward her along the white
road. 1t was the stage. She had been
born upon the plains, an she had an UNI
failing eye for it's distance. 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 daring. She
put her horse to run and jumped it
time and again to the crest OF the slope.
The stage was near. She dismounted,
felt of the girths, and sat down, hugginG
the tiny MONDAY shade of a mesquite
bIsh, for the sun was burning down
from hard, blue sky. A big red ant
was carrying beetles wing many times
larger than its self. 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 flanKs.
The stage driver drew up his stock,
aud the one passenger put out his head
and shoulders and gazed at the slender