The daily morning Alaskan., 1904-01-12
A Sfa8eCooCb
 Romance
forlrInaLl

y, people don't travel They step in- to an elegantly furnished apartment go to bed and the next morning wake up at their destination. Formerly when one stepped into a stagecoach, heard the drivers whip crack and was jolted along lumpy road day and night for a week that was travelling. Besides, tle acquaintances. attachments, weddings, that resulted from being so closely thrown together-I ten you, there was romance in sagecoach travelling"
 "Would you like to hear one of them romancesg" asked a graybeard in the corner removing a cob pipe from his mouth.
 The advocate of the stagecoach looked somewhat taken aback; the others all called for the story.
 @Il was afore the Union Pacific was built, and I was goin' to Frisco by stage. l got Into the old wood and Iron and leather trap. thinkiu ] was the only passenger, and tuk the back seat; but lookin up suddenly, l saw one of the perHest gals, a-sittIn' on the fore seat, a-facin' me, ye ever see. She had a head of naxen hair made into a rope braid long enough to hang a jayhawk- CT with, her cheeks were a rosy red, and her eyes were like the twin lakes hack of Georgetown. Colo.
 "Waal. now, it wasn't to be supposed that l. a gay bird of twenty-five. was a-goin' to ride with a hull middle seat between me and a bloomin' gal of nine teen. 1t wasn't more'n half an hour nfore l had her on the back seat w.th my arm around her waist to help her over the bumps. She fought mighty shy, iool1in sideways outn the on win der, and kep' tellln me that ] oughn't 10 make love so student and all that All the same, she 'peared to like it, and I kep' it up. ] noticed that she looked worried. and when tole her how ] loved her aud would give my life for her she 'pearcl to doubt me Then when l swore I'd kin any one who dared lay a finger on her she got conh- dental and told her story. She said she was a-feein' frum a brutal stepfather who was pursun' her on a tUmped 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'Il find his old lawyer and be safe
 or jest pulled my weapon around and told her ! had six bullets fur that step father
 "Wheu we was a-puu.n' up to the fust relay to change hosscs we saw a dozen mounted men waitin' The gal turned pale. Say I'm yer-s.ster she gasped. One of the men rode to the stage door. poked a cooked revolver in at the winder and looked us over
 What's yer nameT be asked me.
 Thomas Winter
 "'The galT
 "'My sister Mollie Winter
 He turned away, and l heard him say to the others, He ain't aboard Then to the driver We're lookin' fur one of the gang that robbed the S- bank. Haven't seen no skuikers on the route, have yeT The driver told him he hadn't and drove on.
 "'What luck fur you. ] said to the gal mighty pleased that they hadn't troubled her T reckon they're in the pay Q yer stepfather and made a pur- tense Of lookin' fur the bank rohber'
 Reckon they was. she said a-trem- blln'.
 And if they had searched yer bag gage and found yer forum they might "a thought ye was in cahoots with the robbers and a-helpin' 'em away with the plunder'
 "It would "a been dreadful embar- rassln'. she said, shudderin
 CT uk 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'a student she up and said she was 0-goin' to git out ] tole her l thought she was g0in' to find the lawyer at Frisco, but she said she was afeared they'd be after her agm; she'd better hide fur awhile ufore goin' on. wanted to stick to her, but she said she was under obligation enough to me and wouldn't hear of 1t.
 "I well remember that partin' lt was eyeniu', 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 an sides. l tuk her hand, and l said
 "I swar I'm not goin' to desert the gal I love ir this cowardly fashion. I'm a-goin' to stick to yer through thick and thin, and the nex party as stops yer D have to face my shootin' iron.
 "A student change came over her lina'ments.
 'Ye bloomin' galoot she said. pull in a revolver from her petucoats, yer goln' on with that coach and Pm goin' in a different direction with the bank plunderl I'm no gal; I'm a man, and if ye don't get into that stage mighty