The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1913-06-06
She Took to the
Road
By BERTHA L. TOMLINS

kill one another brings greater grief
than when they fight foreigner.
Gertrude Milbank, the daughter of
country gentleman of Devonshire.
found herself at the time Cromwell be-
came ruler of England under the title
of lord protector-her father and two
brothers having been killed fighting for
their king-an orphan and without any
one to lean upon. Her fathers estate
had been forfeited, and she had no
means Of sustenance. Reared in lux
ury she was brought face to face with
want.
In that age two professions were
practiced by gentlemen, one Of which
is now obsolete, while the other has
been relegated to the criminal classes.
These were highway robbery and pi-
racy. The highwayman was popular
character, while Morgan. the most
brutally bloodthirsty of pirates, died in
England unpublished for his many
crimes. At the end of the war that
lost Charles l. his kingdom and his head
many of the young officers who had
fought for him being impoverished
took to the road for living. Gertrude
Milbank, bitter against the Roundheads
who had beheaded her king killed her
father and brothers and robbed her Of
her patrimony, having heard Of these
cases Of ex-soldiers turning highway
men, determined to initiate their ex-
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 curls over her broad
white lace collar. booted and spurred,
mounted on horse she had ridden
constantly since she was a little girl,
take purse. Having waited for some
time behind a clump Of trees for the
passage Of a victim she at 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, riding into the road,
called upon the coachman to stop. He
obeyed. and Gertrude; putting a pistol
In through the window Of the coach.
called out In somewhat tremulous
tones:
"YOur money or your life!'
a.
ments, then a mans voice said: 81 have
but few pounds in my pocket to
which you are welcome. sir. But
wear a ring Of considerable value
which you will be able to turn into
money"
''Such liberality." replied Gertrude.
could not come from an accursed
Roundhead. You must be loyal sub
ject 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. 81
would not save my property under
false pretenses; support the protec-
tor"
Such action was a surprise to Ger
trude, who could not understand why
the man should give her information
unasked and with it property he might
have saved. While she hesitated her
victim got out wallet, took q ring
from his finger and handed both to
her. She accepted them mechanically.
her mind being diverted by the mans
strange action.
You need not take the trouble to
raise money from the ring" he added.
at Is an heirloom. and prefer to re-
deem it"
II shall not make myself known by
calling upon you to 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, resuming
the journey. AS the carriage drove
away the man within called out. Il
will call 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 on her horse paralyzed. 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 had persuaded him
to espouse the cause Of the parliament.
The son had 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 on its very threshold Of any
desire to follow the career of a high
wayman and. riding back to the cot
tage she had come from. she Invested
| herself of male attire and resumed her
wonted garments.
The next morning she was meditat-
! 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 house.
Il have come to redeem my ring,