Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-04-09

Mallory saw it go with fortitude, but
noting a piece OF legal paper, he said:
Say, old man. you don't want that
marriage license, do you?"
The rebber handled it as II it were
hot--as If he had burned his fingers
on some such document once before,
and he stuffed it back in MalIory's
pocket. Il should say not. Keep it.
Turn round"
Meanwhile the other felon turned
M another beautiful pile OF bills in
Or. Temples pocket. Not so worse
for q parson," he grinned. you must
be one OF them Fifth avenue sky
shaffures."
And now Mrs. Temples gentle eyes
and voice filled with tears again: "Oh,
don't take that. That's the money for
his vacation---after thirty long yearB.
Please don't take that
Her appeals seemed always to find
the tender spot OF this robbers heart,
for he besitated and called out:
Shall we overlook the parsons wad,
podner?''
Take 1t, and shut up, you molly"
coddle," was the answer ne got, and
the vacation funds joined the old gew.
gaws.
And now everybody had been
robbed but Marjorie. She happened to
be at the center Of the line. and both
men reached her at the same time:
Il seen her first" the first one
shouted
You did not" the other roared.
Il tell you ] did"
Il tell You ! did" They glared
threateningIy at each other, and their
revolvers seemed to meet, like two
game cocks, beak to beak.
The porter voiced the general hope,
when he sighed: ION. Lawd. il they'd
only shoot each other"
This brought the rivals to their evil
senses. and they swept the line with
those terrifying muzzles and that
housekeeping yeip: Hands up"
Bill said: You take the east side OF
her, and I'll take the west
"All right"
And they began to snatch away her
side.combs, the little gold chain at
her throat. the ieweled pin that Nal
lory had given her as the first token
OF his love.
The young soldier had foreseen this.
He had foreseen the wild rage that
would unseat his reason when he saw
the dirty hands Of thieves laid rudely
on the sacred body OF his beloved.
But his understanding had drilled
him to govern his impulses, 10 play
the coward when there was no hope
Of successful battle, and 10 strike only
when the moment was ripe with per-
feet opportunity.
He had kept telling himself thas
when the finger. Of one OF these men
touched so much as Marjorie's hem.
he would be forced to fling himself
on the profane lntscreant. And he
fept telling himself that the moment
ne did this. the other man would
calmly blow hole through him. and
drop him at Marjorie's feet, while the
other passengers shrank away in ter
ror.
He told himself that. while 1t might
be a fine impulse 10 leap to. her de-
Tense. it was fool impulse to leap
off 4 precipice and leave Marjorie
alone among strangers, with a dead
man and a scandal. as the only re-
wards for his impulse. He vowed that
he would hold himself III check, and
let the robbers take everything. leaV.
ing him only the name Of: coward,
provided they left him also the power
to defend Marjorie better at another
time.
And now that he saw the, clumsy
handed thugs rifiing his sweethearts
jewelry, he felt all that he had, fore
seen. and his head fought almost In
vain against the white fire OF his
heart. Between them he trembled
like leaf. and the sweat globed on
his forehead.
The worst OF it was the shiver1ng
terror of Marjorie. and the pitiful eyes
she turned on him. But he clenched
his teeth and waited. thinking fierce
~. watching, like lowering eagle. q
chance to swoop.
But the robbers kept glancing this
way and that. and one motion would
mean death. They themselves were
so overwrought with their own ordeal
and its immediate conclusion, that
they would have killed anybody Nal
loty shifted his foot cautiously, and
Instantly gun was jabbed into his
stomach, with a snarl: Don't you
move"
Who's moving?" Mallory answered,
with a poor imitation OF careless
laugh.
Ard now the man called Bill had
reached Marjorie's right hand. he
chortled: "Golly. look at the sinners"
But Jake, who had chosen Mar
jorie's left hand. roared:
.Soy ,o,, chootnd All T paf Ia this