Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-28
DAILY SHORT STORY.
A WOMAN BANDIT.
lOriginal-l

bandits were q terror to the country
below. They We're accompanied by 4
number of women. one of whom was
as terrible as any of them. She was
Suzanne, a girl of twenty, very beauti-
full and one of the braveSt and most
pitiless of the band. The Spanish
troops hunted them down at last and
killed nearly all of them. Suzanne,
.disdaining flight. continued to load and
fire. expecting every moment 10 be
shot down. She was overpowered and
would have been executed had it not
been for the admiration of the officer
commanding the troops. Captain Migu-
el Mendoza. He spared her life and
took her to Madrid, where she was
lodged in Jail.
Captain Mendoza visited the girl in
prison and endeavoTed to lead her
from her evil ways, telling her that one
50 brave and so beautiful should look
higher than the profession of robber.
She listened to him, now looking at
lin with her fiery eyes, then down in
eS.Iant penitence as he pictured the
wickedness of her life.
"aI ain Mendoza soon came TO be
Ieve that he had rescued one who had
known nothing but a bandits life. but
in whose breast beat a naturally loving
heart He had no power to liberate
Suzanne and deSpaired of enliStlng
sympathy for her on the part Of the
authorities, by whom she had mean
while been tried and condemned TO
death The night before she was to
have been executed he assisted her TO
escape and together they went To the
Toledo mountains, south of Madrid.
His intentions were to leave the girl
in hiding there and when she had been
forgotten help her to lead an honest
life under an assumed Identity.
He was doomed to bitter disap-
pointment. on reaching the mountains
Suzanne met two members of the band
TO which she had belonged. Pointing
to her benefactOr, she said:
Put that fool out of the way"
In Mendoza there flashed a sudden
tempest, and, drawing his sword, the
only weapon he possessed. he drove
the three into ravine, where he lost
them, for he could not follow on dc-
count of the wounds they had given
him He was found by peasant and
carried down the mountain.
When Mendoza returned TO Madrid
Il was not known that he had assisted
Suzanne to escape. He asked and re-
ceiyed permission 10 take troops to the
Toledo range and clear it Of bandits.
once there he soon got on Suzanne's
track She had gathered about her
band. at whose head she had placed
herself and made them a scOurge.
Mendoza met them and drove them TO
defile where they ensconced them
selves behind a rocky barricade, but
the soldiers got behind them and pick
ed off all, except Suzanne, whom Men
doza had ordered should not be harm
ed Mounting the rampant of rocks,
she kept on firing, doubtless expecting
to be shot, but no bullet touched her.
The soldiers closed in on her. Then
she saw the man she had duped com
ing to take her. Raising her gun. she
fired at him, but at the moment Il sol
der jumped down behind her. knocked
the weapon upward and disarmed her
Suzanne. held by two soldiers, met
the gaze of the man whose love, kind
ness. sacrifices. she had sought to re
turn by death. 1t was a duel of one
human soul against another, weapons
OF SOOu dBdllSl iuOSt- III CA ii. i OF Il
time il seemed as if the battle would
be drawn. At last the woman's glance
began 10 weaken, trembled, and her
eyes dropped. Then Mendoza, pointing.
said one word:
Go"
The girl stood for a moment. again
raising her eyes as if TO learn if she
was sent away to death, but there was
10 death in her captor's eyes. Then
she understood. Turning, without a
word either of thanks or reproach, she
walked away and IN Il few minutes
was lost behind the trees.
a year passed. One night Mendoza
was walking in Madrid when a car
riage was suddenly driven up TO the
curb. two men alighted. one threw a
cloak about the captains head and
both hurried him into the carriage. All
night Mendoza was driven, under
guard of the two men. and toward
morning lie felt that they were slowly
ascending. In time the carriage stopped.
the door was thrown open. and Men
ioZa was ordered TO alight His first
glance told him that he was on noun
tain side, and a moment later his eyes
rested on the figure Of Il woman whom
he knew at once TO be Suzanne
once more" she said, you are in
my power"
50 | see
Get into the coach"
Mendoza got in. thinking he would
be taken 10 execution.
Drive the gentleman home" said
Suzanne to the cOachman.
She turned away without look or
word. and the carriage was driven
down the mountain. Several men on
horseback rode behind till the carriage
reached the foot of the mountain, then
they turned and disappeared.
There is n sequel TO the story. but
the connection between the two Is not
well authenticated-that IS. the sequel
..-..L $1,000 60 T.