Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-11-26
QUITA'S
KIDNAPPING.
After the Battle She Welded the
Man She Loved.
BY IzoLA L. FORESTER.

name, according to the baptismal rec
ords In the little white mission church
Mt San Junipero. Over at Happy Chance
we called her Quita.
Some way she seemed to belong more
to Happy Chance than she did to San
Junipero, with Its soft toned bells and
the solitude of clustered gardens. She
was tall and slim and sunburned, with
lips like the heart of rose and dark,
shadowy eyes that looked sidelong at
one and made the earth seem an excel
lent place to live In.
Before Happy Chance Ind opened up
as a silver mining center the shack Of
old Tom Terrier had held its own up
on the mountain side and dominated
the whole valley. No one knew when
1t had been built Terrier had drifted
from camp to camp down through Col
orado and crosswise through the Sier-
ras until Mexico was the limit and he
found Happy Chance. 1t was a bit Of
the wilderness that had escaped for
tune seekers and railroad surveyors,
and he held 1t for his own and be-
lieved that some day he would be sill
yer king.
In earnest of that belief he had built
the shack and married Dolores Ruiz,
daughter of the old Mexican who
claimed the valley by prior right. The
result was success in way. There
were no signs Of silver, but there was
Quita.
When the strike did come, fifteen
years later. both Ferrier and the Mex
lean lay in the deep sleep up among
the pines on the hills. and from the
lone shack Quita and her mother look
ed down on the valley and saw the cho-
sen of the lord of Mammon sweep
away their Canaan and its wealth. But
they were wise, being women, and
showed no fight, and Happy Chance as
a law abiding community reviewed
their case and admitted them to a share
In the profits of their own property
and shook hands with itself over its
generosity.
The summer after the strike Larry
Carroll alighted in camp, and we en-
tertained him unawares, not seeing any
wings. We had heard of Larry before.
He was gentlemanly boy with
good record behind him Of ways of
honor. He was miner, but he never
fame to new camp and laze around
for few weeks until he found claim
that suited him. He paid In cash. and
the camp would see him no more until
one day he would come back with
some poor innocent of capitalist he
had corralled, and the claim would
change hands, and Larry would ride
on in triumph thousands to the good.
1t showed depth Of intuitive wis
dom that the world respected, and
Happy Chance welcomed him; also he
had winning way with women. He
was gay hearted and debonair and
masterful, with eyes of Irish blue and
hair like water spaniel, chestnut
curled. He never wooed with words.
only with his eyes. They were suffi-
cient. You cannot make out a case
against a man on the score Of tender
eyes. So Larry rode scot free over a
highway of signing hearts until he
struck Happy Chance and Quita.
There was a dance at Dorrity's the
night he came, and he rambled In.
Quita was dancing. and as he stood in
the doorway. watching she whirled by
him ON big Sim Rawdon's arm, and
the cluster of scarlet mountain flowers
she wore In her hair fell at Larry's
feet. Sim went back for them. They
were In the breast pocket of Larry's
shirt and the two went outdoors to
settle the argument for possession.
while Quita perched herself on a win
dow sill and smiled contentedly.
It was the beginning of state of
affairs which Happy Chance resented.
Rawdon owned the biggest claim In
camp. and II we ever grew to be city
we intended making him mayor or
chief Of police or something interest
ing. In the dream of the future Qufta
had shared his honors in our minds.
She belonged to Happy Chance. It
was right that she should have the
best article In its marriage market.
and neither Sim nor Quita had object
ed up to date. But with the coming
of Larry there was change. We car
ried Sim home from the dance with a
bullet in his shoulder, and Larry went
back and finished the waltz with
Quita.
The next day Sim went to the shack
with a bandaged shoulder and spoke
up like a man. knowing that public
bentluenC was WITH MIN. Wnen ne
rame back he invited us all to the we'd
ding. and Larry tipped his chair far
Their back on the shady stoop of the
Silver Star and whistled softly.
The wedding was set for the follow
Ing Saturday. and Sim rode every day
to the shack and came back with a
smile on his lips and spray of scarlet
flowers from the vine that grew on
Quitn's hillside. But Saturday at |
sunset. when he rode after his bride.
he came back without smile or fiow-
ers and told his story to the crowd |
that waited In the Silver Star. Quita
was gone. Old Dolores said she had
been carried Off by the devil with the
Irish eyes to the mountains, and Sim
asked for company.
We were willing to go. She was n
home product. and we didn't propose
having any stray blue eyed maverick
come out of the north and steal her
away.
Up through the valley we rode that
night, forded the Yarba just below