The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-08
OLIVES
OUTLAW.
BY TAYLOR WHITE.
Copyrighted. 1903. by Associated
Literary Press.

AS business getter the outlaw was
a huge success. No shore resort with
an authentic sea serpent ever enjoyed
such popularity, and the stages that
met the trains from the east numbered
back over the twenty mile trail loaded
to capacity with women who openly
avowed their timidity and men who
tried more or less successfully to CON
ceal theirs.
Almost every afternoon the porch
was crowded to witness the departure
of the sheriff and his posse, and al
most as regularly some of the guests
came hurrying back to the hotel to
tell how they had been held up and
stripped of their valuables with an
expedition that excelled the speed of
the man back of the marble counter
In the rotunda. The latter kept the
books and each day set down OPP
posite each account a sum that would
have obtained board and lodgings for
week at hotel not cursed-or blessed
by bandit.
Approaching the fact that much of
his booty was keepsakes and heir
looms, the bandit was always ready to
trade back his plumber for the more
convenient specie, and as the landlord
insisted upon making good all losses
there were no complaints. Indeed the
guests rather enjoyed being held up.
1t gave them something to talk about
when their visit was over. Many of
the visitors by oft repeated telling so
embroidered the accounts of their in
dividual holdups that the tales would
have offered good material for mag
azines. But 1t was not until Olive
Marchand came that the real sensa-
ton was sprung
Until then the outlaws taeiturnity
had been his most pronounced char
acteristic but when the slip Of a girl
came rushing down the path from the
springs to tell how Black Pete had
not only held her up, but had de
tanned her in conversation for more
than an hour, every woman in the
hotel turned envious. The following
by the springs were dotted with wo-
men waiting to be captured and talked
to that they might share Miss Mar
chand's prestige.
Possibly 1t was for this reason that
Miss Marchand, walking down the val
ley instead of toward the springs, was
confronted by a 1.-THE figure above
whose square cut chin appeared
mask of black velvet that lent deeper
brilliance to glittering gray eye.
''I'm glad to see you this afternoon"
was the greeting. Il rather thought /
should find you here. The woods are
too crowded above, and so came down
this way. trust that you suffered no
i'll effects from the shock of our meet
ing yesterday"
81 rather enjoyed it." admitted Olive
frankly. Il really think that the other
women are envious"
Pete smiled at recollection of the
goOdly company he had passed on his
way down the trail. There was no
question about 1t. He motioned her to
q seat on the fallen trunk of a tree
and sat down beside her.
The girl was an eager questioner, and
presently he was Keeling off stories of
adventure with a dash that brought
the glow of excitement to Miss
Marchand's eyes. To make it still
more thrilling, there was a crashing
sound among the trees, and without a
word the outlaw swung himself up
into tall pine just as the sheriff and
his posse came tearing along.
They paused long enough to warn
the girl that Black Pete was supposed
to be somewhere in her vicinity and
that it would be well for her to return
to the hotel by the trail instead of
through the woods; then they hurried
on, and Pete swung himself down
from his perch.
This Is the easiest experience ever
had" he declared laughingly. "The
sheriff trusts to numbers and hard rid
ing, with the result that / have plenty
Of time to disappear when l hear him
coming"
1T must be terrible to feel that you
are hunted thing" unused Olive, with
a little shudder.
That's the joyous part" declared
the outlaw. IL am not hunted when
the pursuit is in the hands Of the
sheriff. But let's forget the sheriff
he added. 1--WE told you all about my
self Now, turn about is fair play"
at would seem so tame after what
FOL oh lr1f
she was soon deep in her subject, and
II was not until the afternoon shadows
heightened that at last she recalled |
herself and hurried up the trail toward
the hotel, where half hundred disap-
pointed women were already gathered |
upon the porch.
There WAS not exactly an arrange
ment to meet the following afternoon.
but Black Pete had said that he would
be over on ''the branch" and she found
him there In the late afternoon. This
time he had removed his mask, dis
closing face In which there was no
hint of the depravity with which he
was credited 1t was an honest manly
face, with frank, gray eyes and tan
gle Of crisp yellow curls above a
smooth white brow With the mask
of, only two ass swung on his hips !
suggested the bad man, and while
they talked Olive forgot that she was
In company of a man who was out |
iawed by society and upon whose head
there was an increasingly heavy price
dead or alive" as the bills Of reward
read.
Pete escorted her nearly to the hotel
by short cut, and not until she came
upon the hotel piazza and heard them
discussing the holdup of that morning |
did she realize again that this was the
man with whom she had been spend
ing the afternoon.
Then followed weeks of indecision. |
Sometimes Olive would declare to her |
self that she would never see Black
Pete again. At such times she hated |
herself for having given her love to
breaker Of the law, but love had been
given, and love is powerful above the
law Her periods of revulsion were !
sure to be followed by penitential !
moods, when she was glad to pass
through the leafy aisles of the forest
to their tryst.
The guests of the hotel profited by
the absorption of the bandit, for days |
passed when no holdup was recorded,
and the attendance began to fall off.
Olive was glad that the depredations !
were less plentiful, for these were
largely responsible for her moments of |
self accusation. Finally. after one of
his most brilliant feats, she at last de- !
cided to go where she might try to for
get that she had ever loved him.
With eyes heavy with unshed tears
she made her way to the little cave