Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-06

As the only business had to do was to
draw money, | was ready. While in the
bank getting my coin old Williams came
in and also made out a draft | was
little curious as to the amount, and no.
ticed that the clerk counted out Just
$452.
At O'Clock we left San Luis, taking
extra horses to see us over the hill
There We're now four passengers, old
WILLIAMS. a well known landowner in
Santa Barbara, a whisky drummer and
myself. As the weather was cold, we
all got inside the coach. BY the time
we got to San Miguel it was quite dark,
and as we approached the Nacimiento
river, about an hour afterward | no.
ticed that old Williams trepidation.
which had been noticeable for some time
past, became more apparent than ever.
As the horses FLASHED out of the stream
on the farther bank, | remarked that the
old man had retired into the farthest
Icorner of the coach, had muffied his head
in travelling rug and was snoring
heavily.
As soon as we gained firm ground the
driver whipped up and the stage bowled
past the approach to old Williams house
at lively pace. Not, however. before a
female figure, in whom by the coach Ian
tern / recognized Mrs Williams. had
looked into the stage and detected her
Irecreant spouse, muffled as he was. in
the corner.
Il saw We, Si,'' she shouted after us.
as we bowled aiong; .ye can't fool me.
u thought ye'd Try to play me, YOU old
whep, but wait a bit" the rest of her
Ispeech was lost in the distance.
From the Nacimiento Crossing to the
Plieto ranch is some ten miles, and here
the northbound stage in these days al
ways stopped to change horses and let
the passengers eat supper.
Half an hour afterward we resumed our
journey. We began to get iiveiier under
the influence of the good cheer. The
colonel from Santa Barbara was partic-
ularly entertaining The drummer's best
samples circulated freely, and even old
Williams joined in the general exhlara-
ton, when, all of sudden, the coach
drew up with jerk which nearly threw
us out of our seats, and the familiar muz-
zle of a >iczzsisaesBarreled shotgun was
thrust III at the window
Never mind THROWN down the box,
jim" shouted a voice which | fancied |
had heard before; that amt what Pm
after. Come, pile out on the road you
galoots inside. an be quick about it.
Wake up, old man," continued the voice,
ironically, evidently addressing old Will
liams, who had shrunk back into his cor
ner dead with terror.
We obeyed the injunction with alacrity.
People always do under such circum-
stances. But who shall depict our aston
ishment when we saw that this daring
road agent who had stopped us was a
woman and still more to my surprise |
saw it was neither more nor less than
Mrs Williams.
Hold up yer hands, gents" said our
captor. quietly; faint you I'm after; it's
you, We good for nothin' nncompoop,
she continued, addressing her husband. as
she covered him with the shotgun. Jest
shell out that money ye got today at the
bank-all-every cent OF it."
i With trembling hand old Williams
drew from his breast an old leather
pocketbook, and handed it to his spouse,
who opened it and glanced at the con-
tents, still keeping the gun leyeled in our
direction.
CHANGING at her old husband, she
said slowly, after a careful scrutiny:
81 thought so! ye're $4S short. Hain't We
got no more?f
Not a cent, Marthy," returned the
! terror stricken man, "as Gods my wit
ness
well, We kin borrow it off some OF
them gents They know ye're good for
! it," returned his obdurate spouse.
The whole situation was so ludicrous
that we other three passengers and the
driver burst into roar OF laughter.
Immediately reached for my purse, but
the colonel was before me, and with a
low bow and benignant smile rendered
his. The woman accepted it with the
utmost gravity, and took from it two
twenties. five, and three dollars in sill
YER
: This" she said solemnly, as she re-
, turned the purse, lis loan to the old
man. Never fear. He'll pay. I'll make
him. Now. ST." she continued. turning
to her husband. you'll find my boss
; tethered over thar. Git on his back an
90 to San Luis for more money. I'm
goin' to Frisco in this yer stage. if them
gents has no objections. I'll meet you VI
, thar
We. CALAMITY, simultaneously and
unanimously assured her we had none
Two minutes afterward we were bowling
along merrily again as if nothing haC
happened. MIS-. NiIIiduiS was tHe non, oi
rather the lioness, of that trip. She had
of course, mounted on horseback after
the stage passed the ranch, with the in
/, tention of overtaking US while we were
taking supper at the Pleito, which she
did. with the above result.
None of us, think, ever gave the bust
/ ness away, not even the colonel though
he reished the joke hugely. Few PEG
! pe care to confess that they have beer
stood up by wom~.t-San Francisco
: Argonaut,