The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-26
THE EVENING STORY


OF new ork ana Boston people were
doing the camping out act in great
shape. Miss Gussie was the daughter
| of Colonel Robertson, who was one of
the party. and she was an artist of no
mean ability. There was but one
| drawback to her complete Happiness
Young Harry Caswell, of Boston, had
| imagined for a year past that he was
very much in love with her She
didn't have any such feeling for him.
She doubted if she ever would have,
have time to think it over. and had ar
rived to find him very much in evil
| dence.
1t was ten o'clock when Miss Gussie
fastened her pony to wild plum tree
at the head of Eulch two miles from
| camp and made her way down it and
alongside a Drawing creek until the
wall on her right rose up full hun
dred feet in massive ruggedness. Then
she found a comfortable seat on rock
and began to sketch the grim wall and
the half dozen trees whose roots had
found foothold thereon. It was a
quiet, solemn place. even with the
brawling of the creek in her ears. and
the girl worked for an hour, forgetful
almost of where she was. Then there
came a sudden and startling Interrupt
ton.
While Miss Gussie was hitehing her
bronco to the plum tree and decend-
! ing the gorge a man about thirty years
old, neither good nor bad looking, but
possessed of a fighting jaw, was routed
out of his camp on the mountain tran
above her ten miles away. Five men,
all mounted, came upon him as he was
saddling up and called upon him to
surrender. He yelled back in de-
fance and taking cover, he stood
them off for half an hour wounding
two and being himself grazed by
/ bullet Then, as the survivors began
to work around to his rear. the man
mounted his bronco and fed down the
l trail a NIL TIn
wounded men pursued him. firing
whenever the curving trail brought
him into sight. The girl in the gorge
heard the shooting and shouting, but
alarm she rose to her feet and was
looking up and down. seeking to make
! out the situation. when man and
horse came over the top of the cliff
above her and crashed into a tree fifty
feet down. Thence they DETECTED into
the top of a second tree. thirty feet
lower, and as she gazed with wide
open eyes the two bodies brought UP
in the creek almost at her feet. She
heard the shouts of men and the clat-
ter of horses hoofs above. but both
soon passed out of hearing
The girl sprang from the rock and
bent over the bodies in the creek. The
horse was dead, but the rider lived. In
a moment she had dragged him out of
the creek, end as he came to he stared
at her in stupid surprise. Sitting up
after a moment, he dreamily asked:
did I come over the cliff there?"
you did," was the answer, "and
your horse lies dead in the creek. Those
trees broke your fall
Much obliged to the trees. Did the
sheriff's party keep on down the trail"
so the sheriff was after your" she
queried. as she stepped back a pace
Yes, but give me a chance to tell
my side of the story. 1 had claim
up on the mountain and hound of
man jumped it. 7 tried to shoot
| III
parts, and there's nothing criminal
about 1t. Don't be afraid of me- You
belong to some camping-out party. 1
SUPPOSE"
Yes. and I will ride back and get
help for YOU
Don't do it. If you'll help me
bit can get along here all right. Help
me over against the wall Thanks
Now then, I'll want a blanket and
some food, and I shall depend on you
You have the soul of an artist, and
therefore plenty Of romance. We will
stop at romance. 1t will be an incl
dent for you to think of, and it VIII
save me making long explanations to
the sheriff. Shall it be as 1 say, or
will you leave me to make a dinner for
the flrst bear that comes along? Don't
take too much trouble, and keep think
ing what romantic incident it is. No
love-no matrimony-just romance"
There was something in the reclx-
less nature of the man that appealed
to Miss Gussie. She doubted that he
had told her the truth about him
self, but he was temporarily helm
less and she sympathfzed with him.
She gave him her monday lunch and
rode away to camp, returning with
blanket and further provisions. She
suggested the camp again, but the
man made light of his shaking up
and declared he was doing very we'll
Give him three or four days and he
would be ready to go his way.
When the girl left the gorge on this
occasion 1t was understood that she
was not to return next day but ca rlv
next morning she stole a bottle of Iini-
ment from the medicine CHI est. bribed
the cook to put up a luncheon for two
and rode away for further sketching
She found the stranger stiff and lame
but more laxative than the day before
On this occasion she saw more romance
in the affair. He was fairly good
looking man. He was a victim of in
Justice He had passed through
great peril. He was what she had al
ways hungered to behold-a hero.
Miss Gussie fingered for an hour and
then left the things she had brought,
taking her departure to reappear next
day and the next and the next. In
brief, her visits were made daily for
the next seven days, and each day she
saw that her bad man was making an
improvement. On the last day she
found him waiting at the plum trees
He had furnished himself up as best
he could and looked more presentable.
His lameness was about gone, and the
saddle from his horse was on the
ground beside him
My dear young lady" he began, cit
goes without saying that my gratitude
is unbounded- Did promise not to
make you a proposal of marriage?"
II don't remember" prevaricated
the girl, as a red flush crossed her
face
4 think I did, and I will stick to my
promise. 1t was to be romance and
nothing beyond. no love-no matri-
mony=just romance. I might make
an exception in your case, however"
please don't. That is=what are
you doing with my saddle?"
IL Ia -