The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1905-04-28

He was fairly hidden In the woody tract
before Aunt Sally gasped and choked
and groaned and sat up.
1t took her q couple of minutes to get
her breath back and to realize the sit
uation. During this time the stranger
smiled on her in a paternal manner.
$3.50 you are robber, are you?"
sputtered Aunt Sally as soon as she
could trust her voice.
Not at all, ma'am," he pleasantly
replied. II simply wish to borrow
$4,000 of you for a few months to
put into a business enterprise. AS we
are strangers, and as you would
probably refuse to take my unindorsed
note offhand, have te resort to lit
tie strategy. Let me hope that you
are not suffering any physical pain?"
And let me hope that shall live
to see you hung higher than Hymen!"
Hamen, you mean," corrected the
man. "Hymen, you should know is
the god of marriage. but | don't sup
pose you have had much to do with
him of late years.
4 don't care whether it's Haman or
Hyman or any other sort of man, but
you'll suffer for this! Robbed me in
broad daylight on main highway:
Why, the audacity of it! Nobody in
Hickstown or Clarksville will believe it.
They'll swear that | ran away with
my own money"
"Rut will cheerfully make affidavit
to the contrary, ma'am," soothingiy
replied the robber 'As to the audacity
Of it, you should know that au-
dacity is the father of success. think
we will get out here.
What do you mean to do?" demanded
the woman, who was more indignant
than frightened.
Just what any man of sense would
do, ma am l must give myself time to
get a start with your money, and you
must submit to being prisoner for
few hours. l shall be under the neces-
sity of tying you to tree. Please de-
scend'
He extended a hand to assist her, but
Aunt Sally fought him off and set up
great screaming Her voice hadn't
carried 20 rods when the fellow had her
by the throat, and she saw more flashes
of fire, and again relapSed into uncon-
sciousness.
When she came to she was tied fast to
a big beech tree and the stranger was
seated on log near by, counting her
money.
Il beg pardon, ma am, but you rem
dered it positively necessary he OBJ
served.
''Oh, you villain-you skunk-you rob-
ber-you-you-!" sputtered the
woman
Your ebullition is but natural under
the circumstances, and will be over
looked | find the money all here, to
dollar, and l have every hope that 1t
will assist me to lead an honest life
hereafter l have been an offender
against the law for years past simply
because could not raise $4,000 to make
a new start with
'Philanthropists ought to think OF
these things. No man would steal or
rob if he had capital to go into legiti-
mate business OF what use to tell a
man without a dollar in his pocket that
honesty is the best policy?
"One never hears of the rich trans
crossing the law. Why? Because there
is no temptation! In couple OF years.
through the use of your money, hope
to be beyond temptation, and to be in
position to warn others breaking the
law"
.'You won't profit by it cents
WORTH she sturdily replied, for I'll
have you followed to the ends of the
earth"
He rose and looked at her in plying
way. He had tied her with one of the
lines, and he now used the other to make
the horse fast. The satchel he heaved
away in contempt, although it was one
which had descended to Aunt Sally
from revolutionary days.
He divided the package of money into
four equal parts and put them into four
separate pockets. Then he lifted his
hat to the woman, and was about to
make her farewell address and take
himself off, when something occurred to
change the programme.
A number of cattle ranged these
woods, and among them was yearling
heifer known as a "bunter." Almost
every farmer has had one on his hands
in his time, and will agree that they
are more tricky and vicious than any
billy goat
Neither Aunt Sally nor the robber had
noticed the cattle except in a general
way, but the "bunter' had been quietly
preparing for business for many min
utes.