The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-12-19
HOW HER READY WIT AND COUR.
AGE BEAT OFF A ROBBER.
A christmas STORY of 177e.

A Christmas Story of 1875.
On a brisk, breezy day, the day be-
fore Christmas, 1916, Mistress Betty
Reddywitte mounted her buckskin-
den in front of her mothers house In
Boston.
Mistress Betty. although she was
scarcely more than a child, was we'll
grown for her age and good to look
upon.
She was as brave as any lion-or
PRAYER than some l have seen. Never
was she known to take. fright or de-
sert a companion. When Selectman
Pettigrew's terrier went mad and at
tackled her companion. Peggy Brooks,
IN Marlborough street, Betty beat the
dog off with her umbrella and kept the
brute off until assistance arrived.
Betty Reddywitte galloped merrily
and soon was in the country road out
side Of town. Then, suddenly, she
came upon q strange sight.
A great yeilow-bodied post-chaise
containing a lady and a little girl was
drawn up at the side of the road.
Confronting the inmate with q long
barrelled pistol was a horseman in a
red cloak with a black nalf-mask on
his face.
Betty did not need to look twice to
recognize all the objects that went to
make up the tableau-the yellow post
chaise, h lady and the child, it's in
mates, and the black driver. She knew
them all.
She had set out from Boston to meet
her mother on the way from Milton,
and this was the meeting.
Nor did she fail to recognize the
highwayman in spite of his black mask.
But she would not for the world nave
let him know it.
For an instant the girl was seized
with AT uncomfortable trembling. She
closed her eyes. feeling sick n faint.
Then she had an inspiration. A plan
whose very simplicity promised posi-
BILE success. came to her.
Hastily pulling her hood around her
face, she began screaming. The high
wayman, seeing what looked to him
like a country girl who had lost her
wits from fright. sternly bade her be
silent.
"oh, sir" she cried, don't kill me.
I ha' but a fl pun note to buy u Christ
mas goose"
win you be siient?' asked the OBJ
Der, cursing her. "or will l have to
quiet you with . tap on the head with
the butt of a pistol? Don't move till
1 tell you to-"
Betty ceased m scream, but began
to weep. Extracting 4 paper from a
bag fastened to TIER waist she held it
out to the h~ighwnyman.
With one eye ea his helpless and
unresisting victims In the chaise, he
urned half aroune toward Betty who,
whimpering. still held her hood tight
ly gathered around her face. H. made
q rude snach at the bit OF paper she
offered Tim. A brisk breeze. however,
that was blowing. and OF which Mis-
tresS Betty had already taken note,
twltched the thing out before his fin
gers could close upon it and sent it
across the road into 4 blackberry bush.
On the spur OF the moment the high
wayman d~i1uounted. He threatened his
~ ntfr-aS .yi.I, 4 r. - ~t l1atl, e 49,.
moved and crossed the road.
Betty instantly whispered to the ne
gro outrider 10 ash his horses. AT the
same time h caught the bride of the
hlghWaymans mare anu laid her whip
without mercy both upon the startled
creature n upon her own faithful
BuckSkin.
The mex monsent the robber saw the
whole cavaicade sweeping along the
o "a toward Boston at breakneck speed.
Scarcely u all returned safely to
the ReddywittesS Eambrel-roofed house
on Paddock.s Mail, when Cousin Bene-
dict arrived with a laIiientable story
of how his horse had been taken from
him by the American, military authori-
ties because his services were needed
In the army.
Mistress Getty addressed the Young
man:
Cousin Benedict. mother, as you
know, buried five hundred pounds in
the hill side under the peal tree in the
back garden. because the state of the
country is SO disturbed that she was
afraid to put it into a bank"
You're going to tell NE the money
ha disappeared" said Cousin Benedict.
Wen, l know nothing about it."
Why. how hasty you are, Cousin
Benedict" replied Betty. Il was GO
ing to tell you that mother is thinking
of putting the other half OF her money,
five hundred pounds more. in the same
place. What think you. Cousin Bene-
dicf?"
so" he said as a relieved e1pres-