Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE HIGhWAYMAN.
fOriREal ]

One autumn evening in the year lo4o.
| tie year after the battle OF NoSeby.
| when the royalist cause in England
was irretrievably lost and the Cavaliers
scattered TO the winds. the day coach
numbered along a muddy road between
London and Hartford. The occupants
| were two ladies. mother and daughter.
| who had been TO London TO shop and
were returning to their home. When
| daylight and night were mingling the
1 coach was halted and a masked man.
riding up 10 the window with cooked
pistol. oked within TO discover the
| character OF the occupants. Upon see
ing the two ladies his hat came off and
| was swung with a grand sweep along
/ his horses flank. its plume almost
| touching the road. The hats removal.
besides revealing more perfectly the
| glossy hair hanging in long curls over
| the wide lace collar. left uncovered
| scar running diagonally across the
| mans forehead. While there was
| enough daylight left To show these fea-
lures. the ladies In the closed coach
| were but indistinctly visible. especially
the younger one. who sat on the oppo-
site side from the highwayman.
ladies'" he said. these are unfortu-
nate times. The kings service has Civ
| en- way TO service on the road. Never
| theless you have only to say. Long
| live King Charlie," and you will not be
| expected To pay toll
Long live King Charliew gasIred the
elder woman.
And what says your companion"
asked the hichwayman.
she says the same" the mother has
tened To- reply. We are a royalist fam
lily"
But the companion uttered never a
word. The robber. who evidently was
not In love with his profession was
prompted him TO say:
Then let her speak"
Still the girl kept silence. drawing
farther back into her corner.
If you are a Roundhead I must ask
some contribution to the royalist
cause" said the highwayman.
Straightway the girl pulled a ring
from. her finger and handed ii to him.
At the moment wheels We're heard COM
inS down the road. and the highway
man disappeared
Two years passed. The younger of
the two ladies who had been robbed
WIS one morning handed a letter.
which she opened and read:
Written ON the 10th Of April I64s at
Paris. in France. TO Ruth Spencer at
HEREFORD I'm England.
Ruth. My Beloved-I have but a few
minutes before the postman rides tn say
that Hnrl.. hgin- dead ri m u
having been killed Ira hrawl. the family
estates como to me l follow this very
soon To claim my property and the only
girl have ever loved. Your devoted
ROGER.
The girl had scarcely finished read
ing when the writer. a young Cavalier
entered. flushed with pleasure at see
ing her, and WAS about to advance to
take her in his arms when he was
stopped 10y the look with which she re-
garded him.
Ruth he said reproachfully. have
I waited all these years for nothing?
Am TO be made miserable when
expected to he made happy"
1t is several years since l have had
any account OF your dOings. Roger.
First assure me that you have not
lived as so many of the young royalist
officers have lived since the wreck OF
our hopes. | am told that as many as
a hundred captains after Noseby took
TO the road. 1t is true they treated the
kings adherents kindly. but levied on
all Roundheads. Others. ! hear. have
spent the time no better employed
abroad. Tell me. Roger. what have
you been doing these three yearsT'
The young man hung his head.
Let us skip that wretched period
dear Ruth. There is much in them
that is painful for me To remember"
AT that moment lie caught sight of
the girls finger OH which three years
before he had placed n circlet OF gold.
''oh. Ruth. You have deserted me for
another. You have accepted a pearl In
place Of my golden circiet."
"No. Roger. | have not. Father gave
me the pearl. What you gave you had
. right TO take again
Il take again? You speak In rid
dies"
Listen. one evening two years ago |
just before the November frosts. moth |
er and ! were journeying home from |
London in the day coach when one OF |
those rOyalists who had turned high |
wayrneh rode up To the coach window |
TO rob US. lie took of his hat, and ! |
saw the scar left by the wound that | |
had myself bound up after the battle"
I he young man took a step back |
ward. putting his hand to his forehead |
convUlsivcly to conceal the telltale scar. |
Il would not shout for King Charlie |
under compulsion." continued the girl. |
and rs had no choice but To do SO or
give up the only thing OF value l hap
pcncd 10 have with me took of my
ring aid gave il to him. Doubtless ne
has il now"
The young man covered his face with
his hands.
IF you would Ike TO return liz to me