Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-05-30
!, OLD STONER'S GIRL:
How She Became q
Happy Woman.
BY HOWARD. .SHERIN.
ocSo ooSSo ooCooCcooCS oGj

Stoner's cattle ranch, near the Pacific
ocean, in the rugged Santa Lucia
mountains.
Stoner had been a Texas ranger and
could hold his own extremely well in
that rough frontier community. lie
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
n settlers claim and an old adobe
house built by a Spanish hidalgo half
a century ago.
Here he farmed, raised cattle on the
unused government lands and kept a
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, n 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 ahoat, and somehow most OF
the loose coin of the region ultimately
found its 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 subjection 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 n certain pride in her and
had even allowed her to attend dis
trict school for two years.
This midnight when, as have said,
the story begins a person of 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.
atom, do you know my father? he
is not the careless, warm hearted man
you may suppose. / must admire his
ability, but that is all. / warn you,
Tom, there never was a more danger
ous man. He may be where he hears
every word you say, though If he is he
will not speak to you or me about 1t.
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 n strong, earnest character
and was already so popular in the
county that he had just been elected
sheriff, though the youngest man on
tho ticket
While Tessa and her lover were talk
ing a scene of n different nature was
being enacted on the south side of the
old adobe, which overlooked n deep ra-
vine and n 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 n man,
''That internal knuclllehead at the
camp ought to have reported before
now" he thought to himself as he
smoked.
A man came out of the brush and
smoke deferentially.
Gavin. cood evening"
''Oor
you're late"
"Dick was shot"
"Well:"
"Just as the driver throwed off the
box. shot by a passenger in the neck
and shoulder"
~"TIe mustn't stay here TO get us into
trouble. Take n boat and carry him to
the point and leave him in the cave
there"
''YeS, cap'n."
'IIow much aboard?"
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
I'D adobe building into the country
road that led to the west. He had at
last yielded TO Tessa's entreaties to
"Go, 90, this minute, Tom"
Impassive as Stoner was he felt
little startled by the sight.
''Where i'm the devil did you come
from, sheriff? Anything up in this
part of the countryY
"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 a little relieved.
won't you put up and stay with US
all night:"
mo, MI Stoner; l must go down to
Kestral to see my friends there. It's
only an hours ride"
"That settles II" thought Stoner.
"Plenty of stout fellows to use as sher-
iffs deputies there. He has probably
stumbled on traces and is going for
help" He sat and smoked and slipped
hi1 rard back under his coat. Easy
tu4. .. .ow," he said to himself
"Well. goodby, Stoncr," said Warren
suddenly. Il suppose the beach road
is as good as everf"
''perfectiy safe, only when you cross
Toro creek keep on the sand bar. Its
IS hard rs iron. | crossed there today.
THANK you. Adios."
Simple, smiling speech, those words
[. cer. aud yet they were intended
to send w. . to his death more sure
ly and safely than by bullet of pistol ol
pellet of secret poison.
Stoner took an extra swig of brand!
and went to his rest. Warren rod'
down the rugged hill to the bottom o
the ravine. then turned seaward, ant
at last the wide gulch opened broadl.
to the shore Of the Pacific.
The cliffs were from 80 to 300 fee
high and full of wave worn caves. War
ren drew rein on the beach and 70