The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-04-03
She Took to the
Road
Bv BERTHA L. TOSiLINS.

than when they !ight foreigner.
Gertrude Milbank. the daughter of
q country -:nntlenlan IF IhronSnire.
found herself III the time Cromwell be-
came ruler Of England under the title
OF lord prptectur-h her father and Two
brothers having tten Killed lighting for
their king-an orphan and without any
une 10 lean upon Her fathers estate
/ nad been forfeited. and she had no
means of SilsteuHnce. Reared il hiS--
ury she Was brought face to face with
&ant.
In that age TWO professions were
practiced by gentlemen. one os which
is now obsolete. while the other has
been Fele%ated TO the criminal classes
| These were highway robbery and pi-
racy. The highwayman WIS popular
character, while Morgan, the most
'~,,tc,r- .h,o-Ath;-r+- ct ,;,.afcs dind in
England unWInished for his many
crimes 81 the end Of the war that
lost Charles 1 his kingdom and his head
many of The young officers who had
fought for him being impoverished
took 70 the road for Il living. Gertrude
Milbank. bitter against the isoundheadS
who had beheaded her king. killed her
father and brothers aud robbed her of
her patrimony, having heard Of these
cases Of ex-sois.iers turning highway
men. determined to initiate their en-
ample She stood five feet eight inches
and was a marvel of beauty and state
Illness The former did not serve her
| purpose. for while on the road she
was masked, but the latter helped her
to maintain the appearance Of man.
Having attired herself in the male
! costume Of the period. her own black
| hair falling in curiS over her broad
| white lace collar. booted and srurred.
| mounted on a horse she had ridden
| constantly since she was a little girl.
! she sailed forth one starlight night to
| take purse. Having waited for some
| time behind q cump of trees for the
| passage of victim she ut last heard
! the sounds of wheels. Her courage
! was ooZing out of her finger ends. but
. she stopped it by recalling the wrongs
| of her family and. ridin. into the road.
| called upon the cuachman to stop He
; oheyed. and Gertrude. putting pistol
| in through the window of the coach.
called out in somewhat tremulous
| tones:
Your money or your life!"
| There was no reply for few mo
ments. then q mans voice said: Il have
! but few pounds in my pocket. to
| which you are welcome. sir. But ]
| wear ring Of considerable value
! which you will he able to t;:rn :ntc
| money"
Such liberaity," replied Gertrude,
| could not come from an accurSed
! Roundhead You must be a loyal sub.
iect of our king across the water: there
fore shall let you pass without trib-
! ute. for will take nothing from one
OF the kings party"
| Gertrude was about to whirl her
horses head around when the man in
the coach stopped her.
You are mistaken" he said. ~
would not save my property under
false preienses; | support the protec
. tor
Such action was a surprise to Ger
trude who could not understand why
the man should give her information
unasked ana with il property he might
have saved. While she heSitated her
from his finger and handed both to
her. She accepted them mechanically
ter mind being diverted by the mans
strange action.
"ion need not take the trouble to
raise money from the ring" he added
1T is an heirloom. and | prefer to re-
deem it
Il shall not make myself known by
calling upon YOU 10 do SO" replied Ger
trUde. Rather keep it,"
Drive on was the only reply. and
this was addressed to the cOachman
who whipped up his horses. resuning
the Journey. AS the carriage drove
away the man Within called out. Il
will cali upon you when | wish to re-
deem the ring. Miss Milbank. and will
give you thrice what you can get for it
| elsewhere
As the coach rolled away Gertrude
sat OH her horse paraIyzed The man
till he spoke the last words disguised
his voice and she had not recognized
! it. She had robbed one to whom when
/ the war broke out she was engaged.
but whose father bad persuaded him
| TO eSpouse the cause of the parlia ment.
The son mad refused to listen to Ger
| trude,s efforts to retain his loyalty for
the king. and when he broke with his
! king she forced him TO break with her.
| The recognition was quite enough to
cure her OIL its very threshold of any
desire TO follow the career of a high
wayman and. riding back to the cot
fage she had come from. she Invested
herself of male attire and resumed her
wonted garments
The next morning she was medftat-
ing hiding herself from the man she
had robbed and wondering how she
could return his property before doing
SO. when he rode up to her door. dis
| mounted and entered the h0lse
II have come to redeem my ring.
| Gertrude" he said
/ Taking it from her finger. she hand
ed it to him without word but in
1 tending to refuse his offer of money.
| Instead of handing her gold he took
. her hand and niacod tho ring on hs,r