Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-10-18
CONCITA.
She Was Very Ingenious,
Besides Being Fas.
cinatIng
BY EBERT FARNSWORTH

4 good many years ago when | was
n young man | went out west TO seek
my fortune and brought up in Colorado
Springs The place had then just
emerged from show place for seen
cry. being called the Garden OF the
Gods. into II small town, and John
Quackenbos had established banking
house which has long since passed out
OF existence. One evening Mr. Quack
cnbos said 70 me quite lurriedly:
billy. i've got TO have $1,000 In
Denver before 3 o'clock tomorrow to
meet note coming due You must
take it over. Get up early in the
morning and 20 on horseback Here's
the money 50. loo. Tie note is $1,000.
The difference you can use for ex.
penscs."
The next morning ut 3 o'clock |
mounted Tom. the best horse in the
stable. and. putting revolver In my
boot leg | always carried It there when
mounted started To ride some seventy
miles in twelve hours. OF course I
didn't expect Tom to do it all count
ed on getting a relay ut the house Of
Mexican who lived midway between
Colorado Springs aud Denver There
were TWO reasons why didn't go by
stagccoach In the first place. the
coach didn't start az an hour to get one
ftasr
hours: in the second IL was much
more liable TO he held up by road
agents than single wayfarcr for a
coach load of travellers would afford
better plumber than one man. who. IL
he had anything of value on his per
son. would prefer journeying in com
pany than alone.
Tom took me thirty.tive miles IN
five hours. nj the end Of which time
reached the place Of Antonio Sanchez,
better known 10y the name of
"Toney's." rode up To the door OF
the house. ana Toney himself came
out to receive ME. | asked If he could
let me have horse 10 take me to Den
yer, ana he said he could. | told him
to put my saddle on the animal at
once because | must get to Denver by
3 o'clock. He said didn't need seven
hours 10 do the distance and | had bet
ter stop for n meal. | concluded 10
spend an hour with him. and he told
his wife to get up good breakfast.
There were in the house Toncy. his
wife and their daughter. girl OF eight
cen or nineteen. and man who had
stopped with them overnight. Who
he was or where he was going | did
not know. Indeed. did not remark
him especially. Concita. the girl. look
ed very pretty in the Mexican costume.
which her father and mother wore rs
well MS herself The young woman's
eyes We're very dark and her lashes. rs
Is usual with Spanish women. very
long. She had a way Of sweeping them
up and down when looking at me that
was quite fascinating.
spent the hour az Toneys. rs | in
tended. and ate good breakfast,
which needed. for had started with
out even n cup of coffee. Then
mounted Toncy's horse. telling Toney
that the horse would rest overnight
IN Denver and would lie back with
him ut the house for q noon dinner
the next day. making the rest OF the
distance to Colorado Springs on my
own horse. In the doorway Toney's
wife ana daughter stood 10 bid me
goodhy. Concita swinging her eyes and
lashcs about under my admiring gaze
IN u way rs she doubtless knew. that
was fascinating IN the extreme
rode away. pulling NJ my pipe.
which tasted delicious after my meal
had plenty Of time To make the jour
ncy. though the latter part Of II would
he the hardest ON the horse. and II he
should 20 lame would be IN serious
danger of not reaching Denver In time
to take NJ the note ANY failure In
this respect would be disastrous 10 Mr.
Quackcnbos Why. he did not explain
Ia me. Al he said WAS that II the note
were protested he would he ruined
hadn't been gone more than half
an hour from Toney's when. stopping
10 let my horse drink NJ little run
mel. ! heard u faint sound Of q looping
horse from the southwark Having
so much money about me. felt an
instructive dread and turned 20 see
who was coming The country was nil
open about me. having been cons ago
the bottom Of an ocean. and could
see In every direction The conner was
woman and though she was more
than mile away. owing to the rarity
Of the atmosphere. ! saw that she was
Concta II occurred 90 me that she
was coming for some purpose. so ]
waited til she came up
"Oh. schor." she said as soon as she
could catch her breath. for she had
been riding rapidly. Won will he rob
bed
"Rohhed," | exclaimed aghast ~
have S3.Oo0 with me-"
"nid YOU see the man who was nj
orr place: Well. soon after you had