Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-25
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Costly Adventure.
Ioriginal.l

1
latter was several hours behind time,
the former was sent out with but two
passengers, a rancher and his daugh-
| ter. The girl had been east at school,
and her father was taking her home.
During the twilight the two enjoyed
the scenery from the coach window,
but when darkness came leaned back
on the cushion and each fell into a
doZe.
Suddenly they were aroused by the
crack of q rife, the breaks were put on
and the coach came to a stop. Then,
after q few words spoken roughly to
| the driver, the coach door was thrown
open and a masked man thrust in his
head. In the darkness nothing but his
form could be distinguished.
A masked man took the valuables OF
both, then said to the girl, "Have you
nothing else for meY'
There was no answer. The girl was
too frightened to answer.
''Well, then" continued the man, "I'll
| take your own sweet self"
At this the father went wild, beg
ging and pleading for his child.
"Calm yourself, my dear SIR" said
the agent. "Your daughter shall come
to no harm"
''What do you want with herr"
Nothing except what she will her
self wish. Come. l can't be fOOling
here" And. taking the girl by the
hand, he led her out OF the coach.
There was something in the mans
voice that won her confidence, and her
fear left her. He seemed strangely
polite and tender hearted for road
agent AS soon as she had alighted
he lifted her on to d horse furnished
with 4 woman's saddle and, mounting
himself seized a leading strap and
galloped away with her.
Meanwhile the Union Pacific train
rea ched Laramie, and the passengers
for Denver were provided with an ex-
ira coach. There were half a dozen
passengers. including Denver banker
and his niece. Most of them were
Denver people, acquainted with one
another, and they were having a mer~
~ time before settling to sleep. when
there was hold up and they were Or
dered to alight, line up and deliver.
One man did the work, though there
were others in the background who did
not show themselves. When the val
uables had been collected the passen-
gers were permitted to return to the
coach. One, the niece of the Denver
banker, Miss Frances Delaney, Jagged
behind and whispered to the road
agent:
What am 1 to doT'
"Do? Get into the coach"
But want to go with you"
ooh, you do. Well. 1 reckon you or
any other likely gal can do that. Come
along"
When the coach started on the girl
was missed by her uncle. the coach
was stopped, search was made, her
name was shouted, but there was no
Miss Delaney.
An hour later two mounted men, APP
and Laramie road, each hearing the
others horses hoofbeats, drew rein.
Presently one called to the other:
"Who are your"
'I'm Walter Blake of Denver. Who
are your
There was some delay In the reply
which came evidently of the consulta-
ton:
81 got a gal here who says she's
made a mistake. She knows you.
You were to have pretended to rob the
Denver coach and carry her of to get
her away from her guardian uncle.
She thought 1 was you and wanted to
come along. 1 amt got no use for
her."
You don't say SOL Thank heavenl
Lucky meet! 1 robbed the wrong
coach and took a rancher's daughter"
"Well, 1 tell you what you do. Turn
over the proceeds, and I'll turn over
your gal"
I'm no robber."
81 am"
"Oh, L seer
"Come down with the dust"
Blake thought the matter over. II it
were not for the two girls, one of
whom he had kidnapped and the other
had kidnapped herself, he might have
either turned and run or fought. AS
it was, there was nothing to do but
surrender not only the rancher's and
his daughters valuables, but every
dollar he had with him, and this, since
he had provided himself for a bridal
trip, was considerable. Everything was
given up, and Frances Delaney was
permitted to ride forward.
''Stupidr" was her first word.
You wrote you would be in the
coach tonight. l didn't know there
were two coaches"
There was little else spoken between
the lovers till they and the rancher's
daughter reached Denver, where Blake
turned the latter, with many shame
faced apologies, over to her father and
asked for an account Of the property
he had taken from the banker. When
the account was paid and the amateur
road agent figured up the amount the
effort had cost him it seemed a pretty
high price to pay for a wife whom he
hadn't succeeded in kidnapping. Miss
Delaney was so mortified and incensed
over the matter that she turned a cold
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