Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-17
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Stagecoach Romance
tOriginal.I

go to bed and the next morning wake
up at their destination. Formerly when
one stepped into stagecoach, heard
the drivers whip crack and was jolted
along lumpy road day and night for a
week-that was travelling. Besides, the
acquaintance, attachments, weddings,
that resulted from being so closely
thrown together-I tell you, there was
romance in stagecoach travelling"
would you like to hear one of them
romances?" asked a graybeard in the
corner, removing u cob pipe from his
mouth.
The advocate of the stagecoach looked
somewhat taken aback; the others all
called for the story.
ct was afore the Union Pacific was
built, and 1 was goin' to Frisco by
stage l got into the old wood and iron
and leather trap, thinkin' 1 was the
only passenger, and TUX the back seat;
but, lookin' up suddenly, saw one of
the pertiest gals, a-sittin' on the fore
seat, a-facin' me, We ever see. She had
head of faXen hair made into rope
braid long enough to hang a jayhawk-
er with, her cheeks were a rosy red,
and her eyes were like the twin lakes
back of Georgetown, Colo.
"Waal, now, it wasn't to be supposed
that 1, gay bird of twenty-five, was
a-gOin' to ride with Il hull middle seat
between me and bloomin' gal of nine
teen. 1t wasn't more'n half an hour
afore 1 had her on the back seat, with
my arm around her waist TO help her
over the bumps. She fought mighty
shy, lookin' sideways out'n the off win
der, and KEEP teIlin' me that L oughtn't
to make love so student and all that
All the same, she 'peared to like it, and
KEEP it up. / noticed that she looked
worried. and when L tole her how
loved her and would give my life for
her she 'peared TO doubt me. Then
when 1 swore I'd kill any one who
dared lay a finger on her she got conf
dental and told her story. She said she
was a-fieein' frum brutal stepfather,
who was pursuin' her on a trumped up
charge to git her inter his hands. In
that bag she said. I've got some of the
FORUM my poor father left me, and if
can git to Frisco I'll find his old lawyer
and be safe
81 jest pulled my weepon around and
told her | had six bullets fur that step
father.
when we was a-pullin' up to the
fust relay TO change bosses we saw a
dozen mounted men waitin'. The gal
turned pale. Say I'm yer sister, she
gasped. One of the men rode to the
stage door, poked n cooked revolver in
al
What's yer name?" he asked me.
"'Thomas Winter
1.-The gal?
"'My sister, Mollie Winter
He turned away, and 1 heard him
say TO the others, He amt aboard
Then to the driver: We're loOkin' fur
one of the gang that robbed the s.
bank. Haven't seen no skulkers on the
route. have YEP The driver told him he
hadn't and drove on.
"'What luck fur you,' 1 said to the
gal. mighty pleased that they hadn't
troubled her. L reckon they're in the
pay O. yer stepfather and made a pur-
tense of Iookin' fur the bank robber.'
" Reckon they was she said, a-trem-
bin.
gage and found yer FORUM they might
"a thought ye was in cahOots with
the robbers and a-helpin' 'em away
with the plumber
at would "a been dreadful embar-
rassin',' she said, shudderin'.
81 TUX her in my arms and soothed
her. She just laid her head on my
shoulder and sobbed. When we'd went
about five mile all of q student she up
and said she was a-goin' to git out. l
tOle her l thought she was goin' to find
the lawyer at Frisco, but she said she
was afeared they'd be after her ag'in;
she'd better hide fur awhile afore goin'
on. l wanted to stick to her, but she
said she was under obligation enough
to me and wouldn't hear of it.
II we'll remember that partin'. 1t
was evenin', and a new moon was
helpin' out the twilight We stopped
the stage, and both got out. There was
no one near but the driver on the box !;
nothin' but the forest on all sides,
TUX her hand, and L said:
ct swar I'm not goin' to desert the
gal love in this cowardly fashion. I'm
a-goin' to stick to yer through thick and
thin, and the mex party as stops yer II
have to face my shOOtin' IRON
"A student change came over her
lima ments.
eye bloomin' galoot,' she said, pull
in revolver from her petticoats, yer
goin' on with that coach, and I'm goin'
in a different direction with the bank
plumber! I'm no gal; I'm a man, and if
We don't get into that stage mighty
quick I'll bore hole inter We, sartin?
st was taken so dead aback that 1
stood gapin' at the gal, thinkin' she
was was a-playin' some game on me.
couldn't at once git on to it that them
beautiful rosy cheeks, them fiashin'
eyes, that fax hair, belonged to a man.
l stood with my head throwed back.
my mouth and eyes open in astonish-
ment.
"'Git into the COACH she said again.
Dye think I'm goin' to let We wait here
to pint the way I goP