Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-02-14
A Woman Bandit


,,,,n,h her of women, one ui HhoAh Was
a. terrible as any of them. She was
Suzanne. a girl of twenty, very beauti-
-, and one of the bravest and most
,,ittless of the band. The Spanish
icons hunted them down ut last and
i.,lled nearly all of them. Suzanne,
dlsdaining fight. continued to load and
are expecting every moment TO be
shot down. She was overpowered and
world have been executed had 1t not
hoon for the admiration OF the officer
commanding the troops, Captain Migu-
al Mendoza. He spared her life and
took her to Madrid. where she was
lodged in jail.
Centain Mendoza visited the girl In
,rlaon and endeavored to lead her
from her evil ways. telling her that one
so brave and so beautiful should lock
higher than the profession OF robber.
sbe listened to him. now looking at
him with her fiery eyes. then down In
evident penitence as he pictured the
yickedness of her life.
Cantain Mendoza soon came to be-
Hove that he had rescued one who had
known nothing but a bandits life, but
In whose breast beat naturally loving
heart He had no power to Hibernate
Suzanne and despafred OF enlisting
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 aud when she had been
forgotten help Der 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 bad belonged. Pointing
to her benefactor. she said:
Put that fool out of the way"
In Mendoza there flashed sudden
tempest, and. drawing his sword. the
only weapon he possessed. he drove
the three into a ravine, where he lost
them. for he could not follow on ac-
count of 'he wounds they had given
him. He was found by peasant AMI
carried down the mountain.
When Mendoza returned TO Ma1-li
ii was not known that he had assisted
Suzanne TO escape. He asked and IT,
ceived permission to take troops to the
Toledo range and clear 1t of bandits.
track She had gathered about her n
band, at whose head she had placed
herself, and made them scoufse.
Mendoza met them and drove them -
a defile where they ensconced them
selves behind a rocky barricade, bat
the soldiers got behind them and pick
ed OF 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
fred at him, but at the moment a 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. IL was duel OF one
human soul against another. weapons
of good against those OF evil For
time 1t seemed as If the battle would
be drawn. At last the woman's glance
began to weaken. trembled. and her
eyes dropped. Then Mendoza. pointing.
said one word;
Go"
The girl stood for a moment, again
raising her eyes as II to learn II she
was sent away to death. but there WAS
no death in her captor's eyes. Then
she understood. Turning. without a
word either OF thanks or reproach, she
walked away and In few minutes
was lost behind the trees.
A year passed. One night Mendoza
was walking In Madrid when ear.
rage was suddenly driven up 10 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 he felt that they We're slowly
ascending. In time the carriage stopped.
the door was thrown open, and Men
doza was ordered TO alight His first
glance told him that he was on noun
tain side, and a moment later his eye3
rested on the figure of woman whom
he knew at once TO be Suzanne.
Once more" she said, ''you are in
my power"
so I see."
Get into the coach"
Mendoza got In. thinking he would
De taken to execution.
Drive the gentleman home" said
Suzanne to the coachman.
She turned away without a 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 sequel to the story but