The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-05-05
Quita's
Kidnapi
By lola L. Forester
Copyright, 1905, by T. &. Mcclure
By lola L. Forester

S2tlS III Iuc niue WuIlS ullSSlOu Church
ct San Junipero Over at Happy Chance
we called her Quita
Some way she seemed to belong more
to Happy Chance than she did to San
.un1pero with its soft toned bells and
tine solitude of clustered gardens. She
was tall and slim and sunburned, with
Hips like the heart of a rose and dark
Bhadowy eyes that looked sidelong at
enc and made the earth seem an excel
lent place to live in.
Before Happy Chance had opened up
as a silver mining center the shack Of
cid Tom Terrier had held it's own up
ON the mountain side and dominated
the whole yalIey. No one knew when
III had been built Ferrier had drifted
from camp to camp down through Col
orado and crosswise through the Sier-
Tas until Mexico was the limit, and he
found Happy Chance. 1t was bit Of
the wilderness that had escaped for
time seekers and railroad surveyors,
and he held it for his own and be-
Eeyed that some day he would be a sill
YER king.
In earnest of that belief he had built
the shack and married Dolores Ruiz,
daughter of the old Mexican who
elaimed the valley by prior right. The
result was success in a way There
were no signs of silver, but there was
2ufta.
When the strike did come fifteen
years later. both Terrier and the Mex
lean lay in the deep sleep up among
the pines on the hills, and from the
lone shack Quita and her mother look
ed down on the valley and saw the cho-
sen Of the Lord of Mammon sweep
away their Canaan and it's wealth. But
they were wise, being women, and
showed no fight, and Happy Chance as
q law abiding community reviewed
their case and admitted them to share
I'm the profits of their own property
and shook hands with itself over it's
generosity.
The summer after the strike Larry
Carroll alighted in camp. and we en-
tertained him unawares, not seeing
any wings. We had heard of Larry
before. He was gentlemanly boy
with good record behind him Of ways
or honor. He was a miner, but he new
or mined. He would follow the cry of
fame to new camp and laZe around
for few weeks until he found claim
That suited him. He paid in cash, and
the camp would see him no more until
ane day he would come back with some
- I,,4 :,
ecTrailed, and the claim would change
hands, and Larry would ride on in tri-
zmph, ten thousand to the good
1t showed depth of intuitive wis
dom that the world respected and Hap
py Chance welcomed him; also he had
n winning way with women. He was
gay hearted and debonair and master
fal, with eyes of Irish blue and hair
Ike a water spaniel, chestnut curled.
He never wooed with words; only with
Afs eyes. They were sufficient You can
not make out case against a man on
the score Of tender eyes So Larry rode
scot free over a highway of signing
hearts until he struck Happy Chance
and Quita
There was a dance at Dorrity's the
night he came, and he rambled in Qui-
"a was dancing, and as he stood in the
doorway, watching, she whirled by
him on big Sim Rawdon's arm, and the
cluster of scarlet mountain flowers she
wore in her hair fell at Larry's feet
Sim went back for them. They were in
tire breast pocket of Larry's shirt, and
the two went outdoors to settle the ar
gument for possession, while Quita
perched herself on a window sill and
SMILED cOntentedly.
II was the beginning of a state of
affairs which Happy Chance resented
Rawdon owned the biggest claim in
camp and if we ever grew to be city
we intended making him mayor or
chief of police or something interest
ing. In the dream of the future Quita
had shared his honors in our minds
She belonged to Happy Chance. 1t
was right that she should have the
best article in its marriage market,
All neither Sim nor Quita had object
I'd up to date. But with the coming of
Larry there was a change. We car
Fied Sim home from the dance with
BULLET in his shoulder, and Larry went
back and finished the waltz with Quita
The next day Sim went to the shack
with bandaged shoulder and spoke
up like man, knowing that public
sentiment was with him. When he
Fame back he invited us all to the we'd
fling, and Larry tipped his chair far
Eber back on the shady stoop Of the
HIlVer Star and whistled softly.
The wedding was set for the follow
z1g Saturday, and Sim rode every day
10 the shack and came back with a
smile on his lips and spray of scarlet
flowers from the vine that grew on
Quita's hillside But Saturday at
sunset, when he rode after his bride,
he came back without smile or flow
ers and told his story to the crowd
that waited in the Silver Star. Quita
was gone. Old Dolores said she had
been carried off by the devil with the
Irish eyes to the mountains, and Sim