The Colorado statesman., 1920-04-24
SPARED FAIR SEX
0Idtime knights of the Road"
Not Always Stern.
Even Notorious Freebooters Have
Been Known to Suecumb to
Feminine Wiles-CaptaIn Kidd
Among the Number.

Highwaymen. If ancient ballads and
traditions concerning famous knights
of the road" may be believed. have
often been polite to ladies; but pirates,
rarely. Nevertheless. the late Eliza
beth Christophers Hobson. In her de-
lightful "Recollections of Happy
Life" relates an instance of a polite
pirate who not only spared one OF her
ancestresses from molesfation but
made her a valuable present. To be
sure. the lady In the case, who was
Mrs. John Lion Gardiner of Gardiner's
Island, made the first polite advances.
and the pirate. who was uone other
than the notorious Capt. Kidd himself.
merely reciprocated in kind.
The owner of the island was absent
when Kidd landed upon It. and Mrs.
Gardiner, terrified but keeping her wits
| about her, invited the formidable free
booter to dinner In the hope of placat-
Ing him. He accepted. and she so
wisely and WILLY fed or charmed him.
or both. that he later sent to her two
rich gifts. both of which are still pre-
served by her descendants: the kidd
pitcher" now strengthened by silver
band bearing an Inscription recording
Its history, and the kidd blanket" a
piece of superb embroidery two yards
long, In crimson, green and gold. When
the pitcher was presented. IL was full
OF rare East Indian sweetmeats; the
blanket is sometimes called the kidd
altar CLOTH" since II was presumably
stolen from South American or Mexi-
can church In some piratical raid.
Among the most famous names In
the reprehensibe but picturesque roll
of British highwaymen is TINT of
Claude Duval. who along with his
French name. possessed a dash of
French politeness. AT least toward the
fair and easily frightened sex. He is
reputed on various occasions to have
spared pretty ladies their rings or
lockets, If they begged him winningly
enough. or had the art, which one not
able belle OF his era prOfessed such
useful one To woman. of "being able
to Weep knowingly. and that without
Streaking OF Cheeks. of Redning of
Nose. hut soc onely that Crate Teares
of Pure Crstall Slide softely from Lids
to Chime. Like as Dew Droppes upon
Rose" His most notable concession
to feminine charm was not. however.
complete surrender: II was bar
gain. The lovely lady with whom II
was made was prOmsed immunity for
all her rich jewels. If she would but
descend from the coach and forthwith
dance coranto on the heath, with the
gallant and graceful Claude for her
partner-a condition with which she
readily complied.
A knight of the road" of less note
than Duval-indeed. quite minor
modest figure In the annals of crime
nevertheless figured magnanimously In
an old. brOad-sheet ballad. in which he
| assisted. instead of despoiling. a lady
In distress She was. the story re-
lates. the poor but beautiful widow of
a riotous young noheman just killed
In duel. Although of gentle blood.
she was beneath him In rank. and the
match had been secret. When the
coach was held up she was on her way
to seek out her husbands parents and
ask their forgiveness and protection
for herself and her baby hoy. All she
! had to prove her case was her wedding
ring and her certificate of marriage
penned and signed in miniature and
carried in locket round her neck.
! When these two precious trinkets were
demanded at the point of pistol. she
was in despair; hut The robber. hear
ing her story. was moved to pity.
| He gave her back her small gold ring.
He put Il her finger on.
| Says. Yours and mine and yours again.
Though hardly Il was won
| He gave her hack her golden iocket:
Says. Now think well OF me-"
| And gold and rubie- al her pocket
| 20 thanks. kind sir''' says she.
| II the grateful pockering Of such
dubious gold and rubies by an innocent
and lovely heroine In distress seems
somewhat strange. the reader must re-
member thai broad-sheet bailnds of the
road are concerned only with glorfica-
tiOn of their bighwaymen heroes con-
sistency, conscience and the heroines
themselves are alike uninportnnf and
ncidental.-Youth's Companion.
Not Dead Ones.