Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1899-01-12
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

been proved from any of the fifteen
men to whom she had been engaged Ia
two years since she had come back
from school, beginning with Cadet
yerris and ending with Cady.
That Captain Foster was exactly Ike
all the rest CT 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 II to you"
Miss Foster looked at the postmark
and at the almost feminine chirogra-
ply, aud knew that the letter was from
Fort Bowie. and from Glocester. She
laid 1t beside her plate and finished
her breakfast. Afterward she took It
up to her owa 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 fall. her calculations
are set at naught, and the bottom falls
out of her u iiyerse.
And Glocester's honor had failed. He
wrote Kitty read 1t again-"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 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 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
Glocester more affectlonately than pru-
IDENTIFY. in order to keep him-t'other
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
% 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 1t.
After q time she rose to her feet and
set her lips. 1t is a peculiarity of
Cupid 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-tilting upon her curls
and walked down to the postoffice.
Fate, with her pastIalIty for the brave
and fair, willed that the postmaster
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 placidIy
marking bis clean blotter with the let
ter stamp.
''If you please. Mr.. JONES'" she said,
II want this letter registered"
An hour later Miss Foster reigned up
her horse on the top of rise and look
ed across the fat stretch of grease
wood, and ictus, 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,
and she had an unfailing eye for its
distances. There would be full half
an hour to walt. She cast about for
some way of killing time. and found q
deep, vide assure In the parched earth.
1t appealed to her daring. Che put her
horse to a run and jumped 1t time and
again until be was wInded. Then she
rode again to the crest OF the slope.
The stage was near. She dlsmounted,
felt of the glrths, and sat down, hug.
ging the tiny MONDAY shade of q
mesquite bush. for the sun was burn.
ing down from hard. blue sky. A
big red ant was carrying a 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 and
brought her quirt down upon the
horses black 6anks.
The stage-driycr drew up his stock
and the one passenger put out 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 grazing of bunch of stumpJ
grnss. a buadred yards away. Kitty
went step nearer and laid her hand
on the wheel. She had seen that there
was no woman In the stage. womar
would have upset 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 a tale calculated to melt heart Of
stone.
II was Just ont for little ride" said
Kitty, "and my glrths were loose, so
dlsmounted tc cinch up. and that horrid
Dandy got away. IL you had not come
don't know whatever should have
DONE"
Miss Foster would not have been the
woman she was If tears--the genii Of
the lamp OF fair femInIhIty--had moi
risen at her will. The driver looked