The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-23
MRS SAWKlNS>
 AND THE BANDIT
BY WILLIAM cnnsrER nsTA-
 DKoOx.

1 DkOOAs
 Copyright 1904 ,, Daily story Pub , Co.) On the afternoon delivery of ar October day. the postman handed Mrs. Sarah SAwkins a letter with ar Arisona postmark.
 Its from Jane Kilby. I know, she said, and opening 1t, read: Dear Cousin Sarah:--Kent and l have been wondering of late what had become of you. We haven't had more than half . dozen letters from you since your Henry's death and I'm sure you've forgotten to answer my last. I'm going to put a return ad- dress on this so I'll know if you got 1t. If you are alive and as we'll as we hope you are, why can't you come down and spend the winter with us1 It's pretty wild and woolly'' in this part of the territory, but I'm sure you would enjoy it immensely if you're willing to put up with the inconvenien- ces. Everything's as 'picturesaue'' as the railroad folders claim, and there's scads of fun down here, Sarah that never gets into print.
 Were still up at our mine, peEgine away. We're working ten or twelve ereasers now. but I've plenty helr and won't need to look after anythins except to make you have a good time Rents going to establish a little stage line between here and Cochiti. the sta tion. so we can get down occasionally and see the train. if nothing more We hope to have 1t going by the first of the month.
 By the way. do you know Sister Lavina's Wi1lief He's runty, stoopy boy, with bad 1ungs-we thought wed be doing him favor to have him come down and drive me stage for us It will keep him in the open, and l guess he won't hurt the other feI. low in case of hold-up. Truly, these hold-ups down here are awfully exag. gerated. But if you are caught, keen your hands up and you're safe as though, you were back in Yonkers I've written that to some our friends as a joke.
 Now. Sarah, do arrange to come Can't you he here by the firstf II would tickle us to death to nave you then for Cousin Alec's wife and her two daughters and an old-maid school teacher cousin of Rents are to be here at that time.
 We ship our ore over the P. q L. and Kent says he can get you trans. portation immediately if you will let us know. Honestly and truly now 1
 
 you will be here by the first.
 Yours as ever.
 "Jane Kilby."
 "P. S.--Kent says since you've been a widow now three long years, you might be interested to know that Mfr. Tulliver Billings of San Francisco will be here about the first to see about taking an option on our mine He's . very wealthy widower andA Kent thinks by having you on the sound you might be able to land the sale for us, if nothing else. He's such a tease, isn't he--I mean Kent.
 "P. s.-Kent sends love and asks If you're as fat as ever."
 A look of romantic interest touched Mrs. sawkins' face at the first post scribe but 1t was succeeded by a re- sentful flush at the second. She smothed the letter back into the en. velope, and going to the hall glass surveyed as much of her ample pro- portions as the mirror would accom- modate.
 If I keep gaining at this rate much longer" she soliloquized. there won't be any use to think of Mrs. Bulliver Tillinss, or anybody else.
 It may have been the result of her soliloquy that hurried Mrs. Sawkins to accept her cousins very kind invi- tation. for hurry she did, even to ne extent of going down town to mail her answer
 About fortnight later she received the following short scrawl from Jane Kilby:
 Dear Cousin:-so hurried; delight ed to know you're coming; have heard from the others-will all be here. Kent sends transportation, which gives you plenty of time to get here by the first-am so busy.
 Hastily, yours,
 "Jane."
 'P. s.--Kent has just come in to tell me he must have double our present force to get the mine in prop CT shape for Billings' inspection. Maybe I shall be too busy to meet you at the station--tell the others the req son if I'm not there. I'll have Willie explain but he's so nervous and bash ful. Two of my squaws threaten to leave and if they do 1t will be impossi- Die for me to come the thirty miles to Cochiti.
 "J."
 "P. s.-An hour later. The squaws have left. Will trust you to willie and the Lord"
 At eleven o'clock of November the first. the westbound flyer took the siding at Cochiti to await for the eastbound local which was seven minutes late. From one Pullman there stepped the generous figure of Mrs. Sarah Sawkins. while from a car fur ther to the rear there alighted a par ty Of four. consisting of a nervous lit- tie lady with her two young daugh- tcrs, and tall, slender, stern-faced woman who wore glasses and carried camera strappe dto a huge volume entitled The Philosophy of the Estu- fa' and it's Racial Significanoy Among the Tribes of the Southwest
 Both Mrs. sawkins and the party intuitively made their way to a three- seated, canvas-topped carriage, pre- sided over by a dangling youth of eighteen, whose natural attitude seem- cd to be a sort of compromise between ble, however, of telling the arrivals that he was their Cousin Willie, and that he was to drive them inmmedi- ately to the Kilby's, thirty miles away. There followed mutual introductiOns and many expressions of disappoint- ment that the prospective guests had not known each others presence on the train. At last they were all oom- | fortably seated except Mrs. Sawkins and the stage left Cochiti. The sudden accession of femininity intensified the timid element in Cou- sin Willies makeup to such an ex- tent that he promptly forgot the eastbound local. for which he had been told so explicitly to wait. The road was very steep and the team exceed ingly slow. They had just got beyond the confines of the camp when at a sudden turn a voice above them called