The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1907-03-29
|OnlyaRo1nance
BY kuefia 6Z'0f
| Copyright. 1909. by NJ. N. Cunningham

do, to DO some SketcnIng. A party OF
New York and Boston people were do
ing the camping out act in great shape.
Miss Gussie was the daughter Of Colo
mel Robertson, who was one of the
party, and she was an artist of no
mean ability. There was but one draw
back to her complete happiness. Young
Harry Caswell of Boston had imagined
for Il year past that lie was very much
in love with her. She didn't have any
such feeling for him. She doubted if
she ever would have. but she had join
ed the campers 10 have time to think it
mucn in evidence.
1t was 10 o'clock when Miss Gussie
fastened her pony to wild plum tree
at the head Of Il gulch two miles from
camp and made her way down It and
| alongside a brawling creek until the
wall on her right rose up full hun
bred 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. 1t 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 sudden and startling Interrupt
ton.
While Miss Gussie was hitching her
| bronchO to the plum tree and descend
ing the gorge man about thirty years
old, neither good nor bad looking. but
possessed of fighting jaw, was rout-
ed out Of his camp on the mountain
trail 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
| defiance, and, taking cover. he stood
them off for half an hour, wounding
two and being himself grazed by a
bullet. Then. as the survivors began
to work around to his rear, the man
mounted his broncho and fed down
the trail at full speed. The three un-
wounded men pursued him. firing
whenever the curving trail brought
him into sight. The girl in the gorge
heard the shooting and shouting, but
could not locate the sounds. In her
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 Of
ty feet down. Thence they DETECTED
into the top of second tree, thirty
feet lower, and as she gazed with wide
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 moment she had dragged him out
of the creek. and as he came to he
stared at her in stupid surprise. Sit
ting up after a moment, he dreamily
asked:
Did l come over the cliff there?"
you did, was the answer, land
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 trailY'
$50 the sheriff was after youT" she
Queried as she stepped back a pace.
':Yes, but give me a chance to tell
my side of the story. ! had a claim
up on the mountain, and a hound Of a
man jumped 1t. tried to shoot him
out. That's the game in these parts,
aud there's nothing criminal about 1t.
Don't be afraid Of me. You belong to
some camping out party. suppose?"
YES. and will ride back and get
help for YOU"
Don't do it. If you'll help me a bit
I can get along here all right. Help
me over against the wall. Thanks.
Now, then, I'll want blanket and
some food, and l shall depend on you
You have the soul Of all artist and
therefore plenty of romance. We will
stop at romance. 1t will be an incident
for you to think Of, and it will save ME
making long explanations to the sher-
If. Shall it be as | say or will you
leave me to make dinner for the first
bear that comes along? Don't take too
much trouble. and keep thinking what
a romantic incident 1t Is. No love, no
matrimony-just romance
There was something In the reckless
nature Of the man that appealed to
Miss Gussie. She doubted that he had
told her the truth about himself. but
he was temporarily helpless. and she
sympathized with him. She gave him
her MONDAY lunch and rode away to
camp, returning with blanket and
1urther provisions. She suggested the
camp again. but the man made light Of
MS shaking UP and declared he was
0olng very we'll. Give him three or
-FOUR days and he would be ready to 60
his way.
neh the girl left the gorge on this
OCCASION it was understood that she
was not to return next day. but early
neAt morning she stole bottle of lini
.nent from the medicine chest. bribed
tne COOK to put up luncheon for two
sno rode away for further sketching.
She round the stranger stiff and lame
'o' more talkative than the day before.