Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-10-17
In Pursuit of
Nancy Lee a
By JANE OSBORN


GLEASON DREW had left his car
~ Al the garage In Pine Tree and
had taken instead an old horse named
Mag Now he rode on through the
pine woods, following paths so mar
row and ST. seldom trod that some
times the old mare turned an inquir-
ing ear back to Gleason wondering
whether he really wanted her to fol-
low such lonely route.
The rider felt sure that he was pur.
suing the right course, even though
his Immediate route might not bring
success. Somewhere in these dark
woods the lone hOrsewoman was sure
ly to he found. The others who had
come before him, Clark. Baldwin and
the rest, had hoped to succeed by
securing around in motor cars, keep
Ing only to the main highways or to
sandy roads through the woods. They
had all seen her at one time or anoth-
er but always she had disappeared
and they were pOwerless to pursue
her. But Gleason. on horseback, could
follow anywhere. u 1r
So 1t pleased Gleason much when,
after he had been riding through the
woods for no more than an hour, he
heard the crunchlng of pine needles
not very far off and then saw the
form of slender black horse and
woman rider through the trees not
many hundred feet away. But despite
the valiant cooperation of his old
mare, the girl soon outrode him.
This mysterious woman rider Of the
pines had been the subject of occa-
sional newspaper items for a couple
Of years. BY the natives of the vi.
cinlty she was said to possess some
magic cure for snake bite. 1t was
even said that she had nests of snakes
in her cabin and that she let them
sleep on her bed. But not one of the
natives or visitors in that section had
ever discovered the place of her
abode, nor had any of them ever come
close enough to her to see her fea-
lures plainly.
Surely the true account of the mys-
FERROUS woman rider of the pines
would make good story for the
Morning BugIe.
Riding through the woods all his
waking hours for two days he came
three or four times upon the rider in
the distance. Late the second after
noon he spied her only thirty feet
away In few minutes Gleason was
riding by the girls side, and in anoth-
er he was standing before her holding
her horses bride with that of old
Mag.
"May talk with you litte?" he
said. The lone rider proved to be
both young and pretty-not at all the
sort of person one would suspect of
cOnsorting with rattlesnakes.
He told her quite frankly what his
motive was in coming, and of the
wasted effort of the other men to
meet her.
"Yes, remember Them" said the
girl. at was really funny how fright
ened one Of them was when he saw
nae the first time. think if | hadn't
run away from him he would have
run away from me-"
She had much that was interesting
to tell him Of the pine woods There
was cave that had been used by
Revolutionary deserters. she told him,
and she strongly suspected that II was
now used ny bOotleggers She would
lead the way, II he wished. That
would make good story. she thought.
Meantime Clemson found his COM
paniOh quite the most attractive girl
he had ever met, and he did his best
to make her find his companionshlp
agreeable.
"NOw." he said after he had secured
the basis for remarkable story about
this cave where he and his guide had
found hidden bootlegger's stores
snow. tell me about yourself. What
Is your cure for snake bite?"
The girl blushed guiltily and then
laughed.
II suppose ought not to have done
1t. I'm not the real Lone HOrsewOm-
IN. That WIS poor creature named
Betsy they called her Daft Betsy.
don't know how much that they said
about Ter was true Well. got in
tereslpd In the stories about her and
| searched her out and made friends
with her and found out that she was
half sick and didn't have enough to
cal and really needed to he taken care
of. So found place for her in an
Industrial home In the city. She's
getting along nicely now ana Is learn
Ing rug weaving. After that | used
to ride through the woods whenever I
came dawn this way, and the first
thing knew the natives thought I
was the Lone IlOrsewOman. They ran
when they saw me. II was such fun
and love to ride then the re.
p0rtcrs started coming down and I
liked 10 lead them chase. But you'll
forgive me wont you?"
"Thrrc's nothing 10 forgive" laughed
Gleason I'm lose my bet. but I'm
really sind you don't make pets Of rat.
tlpsnrkts. because ! very much hope
that yni. una | will be friends Tell
me who YOU really areI"
"OlI. I'm Nancy Lee. guess you
know my father. lie owns the Bugle,
| think But yonll please not tell him
how you mel me-
Aud II WIS moi until the eve Of their
marriage six months later that Glea-
son brew and Nuncy told Mr.. Lee the
story Of their meeting