The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-04-30
OLD STONER'S GIRL:
How She Became a
Happy Woman.
BY HOWARD. sHERIN.


California, 20 years ago, when the Sep
TENDER moonlight shone down upon
Stoner's cattle ranch, near the Pacific
ocean, in the rugged Santa Lucia
mountains.
Stoner had been Texas ranger and
could hold his own extremely well in
that rough frontier community. He
had carried off a pretty Spanish wife
from the Chihuahua region years be-
fore, had brought her to the rocky
California coast and had purchased
settlers claim and an old adobe
house built by Spanish hidalgo half
century ago.
Here he farmed, raised cattle on the
unused government lands and kept a
sort of hotel, for several mountain
trails Joined at that point the broad
highway which led from the county
seat, 20 miles south, to the northern
settlements in the pineries. He had
five daughters, too, the youngest, Their
esa, known as Tessa, a girl of II. That
added to the attraction, and almost
every night the dark eyed half Span
ish girls sang and danced, and old
! Stoner managed to hear all the news
that was afloat, and somehow most of
the loose coin of the region ultimately
found It's way into his pockets. He
was a deep one, that same Ephraim
Stoner, quiet, sly and patient, secret
in his methods and deadly in his blow.
Stoner's wife and his four eldest
daughters were uneducated and in
complete subsection to his will But
Tessa had more brains and energy than
| all the rest put together and quite as
much beauty, and so the old Texan
ranger took a certain pride in her and
had even allowed her to attend dis
trict school for two years.
This midnight when, as l have said,
the story begins a person of a prying
disposition might have discovered sew
eral interesting performances in prog
ress around the Stoner abode. On the
north side of the house Tessa was lean
ing from her window conversing in low
tones with a blond, fair haired and
! sturdy young man on horseback.
| 1Olll, OO Ou hhOm L44y AotAO4 AAO
is not the careless, warm hearted man
you may suppose. | must admire his
! ability, but that is ALL | warn you,
Tom, there never was more danger
GUS man. He may be where he hears
every word you say, though If he is he
will not speak to you or me about it.
But if he knew you cared for me he
would be your enemy. He has other
plans for me. He wants me to marry
for money"
Tom Warren had once been the
schoolteacher in the mountain district,
miles away, where Tessa had been one
of his pupils. Thrown upon his own
resources from his childhood, he had
| developed a strong, earnest character
and was already so popular in the
county that he had just been elected
sheriff, though the youngest man on
| the ticket.
While Tessa and her lover were talk
ing a scene of a different nature was
being enacted on the south side of the
| old adobe, which overlooked deep ra-
vine and camp of five or Six men in a
field below. For several years these
men had spent their summers there,
ostensibly hunting, fishing and explor-
ing the country with their dogs and
guns. Every one knew them, and most
persons liked them. Tessa did not
Stoner, though it was midnight, sat
in the moonlight on an old rawhide
chair outside the door smoking his pipe
and meditating-a tough, sinewy, griz-
zled night owl of man.
."That Internal knucklehead at the
camp ought to have reported before
now" he thought to himself as he
smoked.
A man came out of the brush and
spoke deferentially.
"Cap'n, good evening"
you're late"
'Dick was shot"
"WellY"
Gust as the driver throwed off the
box Shot by passenger in the neck
and shoulder"
"He mustn't stay here to get us into
trouble Take boat and carry him to
the point and leave him in the cave
there"
Eyes, cap'n."
"How much aboardw
"About $4,000 for the Josephine min
ers."
"Send it over the cliff before morn
ing, and I'll divide it up soon. But
you be extra careful-that new sheriff
Is a smart one"
"All right, cap'n. "And the man went
back to camp.
A moment later, just as Stoner was
going into the house, there was a
low thud of horses hoofs. and Tom
Warren, the young sheriff. rode down
the trail around the corner of the
old adobe building into the country
road that led to the west. He had at
last yielded to Tessa's entreaties to
go, go. this minute, Tom"
Impassive as Stoner was he felt a
little startled by the sight.
"Where in the devil did you come
from. sheriff? Anything up in this
part of the country"
"Oh. no. not a particle. I've been
visiting my old school in the noun
tains and took the trail home down
Cayucus."
This was plausible enough. for there
was blind trail that entered the can
yon just east Of the angle of the house.
Stoner felt little relieved.
won't you put up and stay with US
all night?'
"No, Mr. Stoner; must go down to
Kestral to see my friends there. It's
only an hours ride"
"That settles it," thought Stoner.
'Plenty of stout fellows to use as sher-
| ifs deputies there. He has probably
stumbled Oh traces and is going for
help" He sat and smoked and slipped
his hand back under his coat. Easy
to shoot the fellow" he said to himself.
"Well, goodby, Stoner," said Warren
suddenly. Il suppose the beach road
is as good as ever"
Perfectly safe, only when you cross
Toro creek keep on the sand bar. It's
as hard as iron. / crossed there today"
"Thank you. Adios."
Simple, smiling speech, those words
of Stoner, and yet they were intended
to send Warren to his death more sure
" and safely than by bullet of pistol or
pellet of secret poison.
Stoner took an extra swig of brandy
and went to his rest. Warren rode
down the rugged hill to the bottom of
the ravine, then turned seward, and
at last the wide gulch opened broadly
to the shore of the Pacific.
The cliffs were from so to 300 feet
high and full of wave worn caves. War
rem drew rein on the beach and for
fully ten minutes watched the ocean
sway and rise. His thoughts throbbed
| NTH dreams of TaSSa He would take