The commonwealth., 1904-01-02
"A Yanke G
Girls Deed
'ayETHAT eau poasIbIy cause such

NM ma Ihu poHc!Uly '""0' Hb'h
w delay?" muscd Lula Robinson,
shading her dark earnest eyes with her
hand and gazing out into the prairie in
The fast deepening twilight
mere slip Of girl with n sweet,
thoughtful face-a little Yankee school
marm," who had come from m eastern
state On visit to her uncle and aunt;
and to help eke out her slender income
had been teaching In the small school
house in the midst of that wide reaching
prairie land the few young children Of
the neighborhood.
They certainly cannot intend 10 re-
main away all night. And n violent
storm is brewing can hear the dis
tant thunder even now, and these prai,
rle storms arr sometimes terrific. Some
thing must have happened to cause such
delay Al. there II dust In the west
al5 and pray If may be friends"
ower and lower the black clouds
BIZ; nearer and palmer the roar Of
nder drew and the hot, dry air be-
blast of sand and dust that al
shut out the other cloud of dust
westward
at last they were quite near, and |
perceived them to be three spleu-
mounted plainsmcn.
first, large dark man, lifted his |
zero with dash that would have |
tredit to a city dandy. and with |
gow and foreign accent said;
evening, little girl We ara
sime to accept your generous |
y and with a wicked smile .
d around to the stables,
re no honest hordormcn. but
i dangerous. God protect and
mel" she breathcd, her face
owing white with terror as she real
ized her position.
In few minutes they returned and
mad Just time to close the door ere the
storm burst In its awful fury
Don't be afraid, said the man who
had first addressed her; I'VE won't harm
hair OF your head child, - for Lula had
grown very white. and only nt the sound
of his kindly voice did she recover her
composure sufficiently to answer his
mssiuestion and place before the hungry
,arty a humble supper Of bread and milk
and yenison.
8 AS the storm ragged and tore she crept
away to her own little room under the
caves, hearing the Eruf voices Of the
men as they smoked their pipes be-
tween the thunder claps and shriekings
of the wind,
N Its a wonder they haven't beer ON
y our track before this"
They couldn't keep on the tracks of
ThunderboI,.' with low chuchlc.
Il say Don what about that little
business at C. Is there any pruspcr,
of rich haul?"
Yes, well try that tomorrow nfgbt
and"
The remainder Of the conversation
Lula lost. but she had heard enough
The men had spoken in Spanish, and in
unguardedy loud toaes, supposing. of
course. that the Girl upstairs could not
comprehend word. An they little
realized the little Yankee girls thirst
for knowledge that led her into tho !
mazes and beauties Of modern Ian {
guages.
The violence Of the storm prevented !
any further information from reaching {
her ears. but pressing her hand upon
her heart, she murmured:
Heaven help me! 1t is Don Slmop's i
band, and they are going TO c. to- {
morrow night to rob and murder What {
can | do? What can do to give the I
warning? must try, but oh! what n .
terrible night"
Rising from her couch where she had l
flung herself, she drew on her wafer c
proof cloak and crept to the small gar
ret window. With trembling fingers she 1
raised the sash and peered out. The V
rain was still falling with steady pour c
but the violence u the wind had ceased |
somewhat (
Lula drew back with shudder, but v
the voices of the men reached her and /
gave renewed courage. Near her hung q
arope, which she hastily seized, and, fas- v
tanning It securely, slipped down into the n
darkness and rain. Reaching the ground
without accident she hastily sped away
to the stables, whfre only the robbers y
horses were for her uncle had taken a
both OF his own with him. Z
III is fearful risk. but must run :
IT, she thought as She entered the sta
bic and threw her OVID saddle and bride
On the first horse she found. v
III