Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-08-26

! took the matter Uuuer consideration
and the next morning told her she
might go. suggested that she say to
! Mccormick that she was interested In
her fathers buying property and ASK
him to point out any that be knew
was for sale.
When Belle came back from her ride
she told me that her companion had
| made violent love to her, telling ker
| that it was a case of love at first sight
! that the moment he saw her he knew
they were made for each other. She
had responded so far as her indigna-
ton would permit and acknowledged
that she was very much pleased with
| him.
Several days passed. during which
was laying a plan for The Eers cap
ture. ! knew he was armed to the
teeth and, unless l could contrive to
get his arms away from him, | could
not take him without a fight On one
occasion a sheriff had got a drop on
him and called on him to throw up his
| hands. The Eel had obeyed, but had
swung his right arm up so vigorously
as to throw a derringer into his hand,
with which he had shot the sheriff.
must either kill the rascal or take him
alive. If I took him alive / proposed
| to effect the capture through the mach
nations of Delilah.
1t was well / had announced that
~ u I hof
Cormick had been courting another
girl in Hobson, and bait was needed
to draw him away from her. My funds
succeeded. Belle very soon informed
me that she had promised to marry
him-provided l gave my consent l
held an interview with the proposer,
in which 1 told him that Belle was the
apple Of my eye and / wouldn't give
her to any man who couldn't give
good account Of himself. But when he
came to his account of himself l ac-
cepted 1t without asking for references
and told him that / would give my
daughter the money had brought
with me for dowry and that l had
plenty more in Missouri, where l had
come from l asked him when he In
tended to be married, and he said the
sooner the better. l told him 1 would
talk with my daughter. but she might
do as she pleased in the premises.
l conferred with Belle, and it was
she who laid the plan we carried out
Having been already married to him.
he no Nh1aO%ianc 20 mo {r,or h i'm.
again. As his wife she could the more
easily enable me to land him, and she
did not see how she could do so except
as his wife. All possible suspicion Of
her or me would be averted by a mar
rage ceremony.
Mccormick being In a great hurry
for the ceremony, after pretending to
demur at the suddenness of the affair
/ consented that 1t should take place
at once. A justice Of the peace was
called In. and Belle, after embracing
me while wiped forced tears from
my eyes. stood up with the man be-
side whom she had once stood under
similar circumstances before, and the
| justice performed the ceremony.
AS soon as it was over / wiped away
some more tears, and, taking out the
packages Of blank paper, each faced
with bank bill, handed them to the
bride. She threw her arms around
me, then, tossing the packages on a
table, turned and embraced her hus-
band
1t was arranged that the pair were
to spend their honeymoon at the tavern,
and the landlord had prepared the best
chamber In the house for them. Belle
had arranged with me that l should
take position in the hall near the door
OF their room, and by signal she
would indicate that she had secured
the groom's arms. Then l was to en-
ter the chamber with a pistol In each
hand and make the capture. The sig
nal was to be a ft Of coughing on the
part Of the bride
The pair had been in the bridal room
for about fifteen minutes when l
heard the signal. l turned the knob
OF the door and threw it open. The
groom was standing near the door.
Belle was beside the bureau on which
lay two bulldog pistols, which she
was examining with feigned curiosity.
sprang between her and him, a re-
volver In each of my hands, and told
him that If he moved a finger he was
a dead man. Belle took up the bull
dogs and also leveled them at him.
"You don't know me, do your" she
said 6ercely. ''I'm Sarah Simpson.
We've been married before. The first
time l didn't know you. This time I
know you we'll This gentleman who
has been playing my father is the
sheriff of Union county. l saw you
come into this town to play some
more Of your games and laid a trap for
you. Reckon you won't marry any
more wives"
She burst into food of tears, while I
motioned the man to leave the room.
and marched him downstairs, with a
pistol pressed between his shoulders.
The landlords surprise was a sight to