The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-07-25

In VILLA W . ANN OhOFHED 10
HIS SIDE, AND HIS RIFLE FELL.
fallen post. red apples in her lap, red
apples above her head and one half
eaten in her hand
''Oh, but I'm hungry" she cried,
land apples don't satisfy me one bit.
Why did we come away without break
fastT
Miss Everton," said Ingram, ignor-
ing her question, could you never care
for country bred manT
"Maybe-if he gave me enough to
eat"
He made an impatient gesture.
you said last night you'd never
marry any one but university grad
uate."
when / said that had just eaten a
good dinnerr' she laughed provok-
ingly.
'aThrow up your handsr' commanded
a voice from behind the mine man.
ager
He wheeled around, and Mora look
ed up TO see a roughly dressed man
climbing into the cart and another Gov
ering Ingram with his rifle. As the
latter hesitated about obeying the or
der the desperate repeated angrily:
Throw up your hands, you fool, or
I'll shootr'
Resistance would be madness In
grams hands went up.
Neither of the outlaws thought the
girl worth their notice. and she sat with
the half eaten apple in her hand appar-
emily stupefied. but her mind was busy.
She knew. though she had not been
told, that the gold from the weeks
clean up of the Usage mine was in the
cart
Usually II was sent to Roma for ship
ment to the San Francisco mint on the
backs of mules, but the stage from
Roma to Red Gulch had been held up
few days before, and. though the
sheriff and his posse had been out daily
hunting them, the outlaws were still
at large, and therefore it had been
deemed wise to send the gold down in
such a careless manner as to put the
robbers off the scent
The whole situation mirrOred itself
in the young woman's brain. Mentally
she saw Ingram ruined, Inundated and
disgraced. and all through his love for
her. For weeks she had kept him in
suspense as to her feelings toward him.
and now by her coquetry she had so
engaged his attention as to throw him
off his guard
Softly she transferred the apple to
her left hand, and her right hand went
quietly to the side Of her skirt. where
an old pocket bulged out For six |
months the city girl had been the guest !
of the engineers wife, and each day |
she had received lesson from Ingram |
in the art of shooting She would not |
fail her preceptor in his extremity |
She felt she must undo the harm she |
had done. The open air life in the |
mountains had steadied her nerves. and |
she felt wonderfully cool.
Quickly and deftly she drew the |
weapon forth and sprang to her feet |
The next instant n report broke the |
stiffness. the outlaws right arm drop |
ped to his side, and his rifle fell with
crash. With a couple of bounds In |
gram was upon him. had thrown him |
to the ground and was holding him /
there with his knees upon his chest. /
Then he drew stout cord from his 4
pocket and bound the mans arms
tightly to his sides.
His confederate had carried some of
the gold into the chaparral and was
back in the cart getting the remainder
when he heard the report. He lifted
his head quickly. and a bullet from
Mora's pistol grazed his hair. Unde-
tered by the shot, he sprang from the
cart to go to his mates assistance, but
before he could reach the gun be had
put down while be was collecting the
gold Ingram had seized the wounded