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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1905)
. . , , JI' I' I'f' f' Mrs. Sawkins and the Bandit By WILLIAM CHESTER ESTABROOK ICoprrlilhtl90tIH' lIally Story Pub Co. ) ' 4 ' t On the afternoon delivery or an , . ' October day. the postman handed Mrs. Sarah Sawlns ] a letter ] with an Ari- zona postmar ) ; : "Its from Jane Kllbr , I mow ] , she ' said , and opening it , read : " and 1 "Dear Cousin Sarah-Kent : have been wondering of late what had , , become of you. \Vo haven't had more - , " than hair n dozen letters from you since your henry's death and I'm sure " you''e forgotten to answer my ] ast , . -t ill" ( I'm going to put a return address on j " I this so I'll know if you got it. If you are alive and as well as we hope you are , why can't you come down and spend the winter with us ? It's pretty "wild and woolly" In this part of the I . . but I'm ' would en- , l- ' territory , sure you joy it immensely if j 'ou're willing to put up with the inconveniences Ever- thing's as "picturesque" as the railroad folders trim . and there's scads of fun down here , Sarah , that never gets into ' print. L ' 'Vo'ro still up at our mine , peg- I glng away. \Ve'ro working ten or twelve greasers now , Jut I've plenty help and won't need to look after anything - thing except to mate ] you have a good time. Kent's going to establish a lit- tle stage line betwon here and CochiU , the station , so wo can get down occa- r sian ally and see the train , if nothing more. \Vo hope to have it going by ) the first of the month. "By the way , do you know Sister Lavina's Willie ? He's a runty , stoOpy boy , with bad lungs-wo thought wo'd be doing him a favor to have him come " " - , down and drive stage for us. It will keep him in the open , and I guess he won't hurt the other fellow in a case j . these holp-ups down \ . \ ' of hold-up. Truly , - l here are awfully exaggerated. But 1 if you are caught , keep your hands ; up and you're as safe as though you 4 were back In Yonkers. I've written " that to some of our friends as a joke "Now , Sarah , do arrange to come. Can't you be here by the first ? It would tickle us to death to have you then for Cousin Alec's wife and her ' . II I II , f 1 t ' I I . J 1 "tI' , . + Surveyed her ample proportions. . } f .Ii two daughters and an old.mald school teacher cousin of Kent's are to ho here at that time. \Ve ship our are over the P. & L. and Kent says he can get you transpor- tation Immediately if you will let us lmow. Honestly and truly now I shall expect a letter telling me that you will be here by the first. "Yours as ever "JANE KILBY. " "P. S.-Kent says since 'OU'VO been a widow now three long years , you might be interested to know that Mr. 1'u11lver Billings of San Francisco , will be here about the first to see about taking an option on our mine. He's a very wealthy widower and Kent thinks by having you on the ground you might ho able to land the sale for us , If nothing esc , lIo's such a tease , isn't he-I mean Kent. "J K , " "P. S-Kent sends lode and asks ] if you'ro as fat 3S ever. " A look of romantic interest touched Mrs. Sawlelns' face at the first post- script , but It was succeeded by u resentful - sentful flush at the second. She smoothed the letter back into the envelope . velope , and going to the hall glass surveyed as much of her ample proportions - portions as the mirror would accom- modate. "It I keep gainIng at this rate much longer ] , " she soliloquized , "there won't bo any use to think of Mr. Dulllver Tillings or anybody else " It may have been the result of her soliloquy that hurried Mrs. Sawkins to accept her cousin's very kind Invita- tion , for hurry she did , even to the ex- tent of goIng down town to mall her answer. About a fortnight later she received the following short scrawl from Jane Kilby : ! "Dear Cousln-So : hurried ; delighted - C'd to know you're coming ; have heard from the others-will all be here Kent sends transportation , which gives you pent ] time to get here by the first-am so busy. "Hastily yours , "JANE. " "P S-Kent has just come in to tell me he must have double our pres- ent force to get the mine In proper shape for Billings' inspection. Maybe I shall be too busy to meet you at the station-tell the others the reason If I'm not there. I'll have Willie explain but he's so nervous and hashful. Two of my squaws threaten to leave and if they do It will be impossible for me to come the thirty miles to Cochltl. . . " " "J "P. S-An hour later. The squaws have lett. Will trust you to Willie- and the Lord. " At eleven o'cloch : of November the first , the westbound flyer took the siding . ing at Cochitl to walt for the east- hOllnd local , which was seven minutes late. From one Pullman there step- ped the generous figure of 1\Irs. Sarah Sawldns , while from a car further to the rear there alighted a party of four , consisting of a nervous little lady with her two young daughters , and a tall , slender stern.faced woman who wore glasses and carried a camera strapped to a huge volume entitled "Tho Philosophy - losoph of the Estufa , and Its Racial Significancy Among the Tribes of the Southwest. " Doth Mrs. Sawldns and the party intuitively made their way to a three seated , canvas-topped carriage , presided . ed over by a dangling youth of 18 , whose natural attitude seemed to be n sort of compromise between a stupor and a scare. He was capable , how- ever , of telling the arrIvals that he was their Cousin Willie and that he was to drive them immediately to the Kllb"s , thirty miles away. There followed mutual introductions - tlons and many expressions of disappointment - pointment that the prospective guests had not known of each others' pres- enco on the train. At last they were all comfortably seated except Mrs Sawklns , and the stage left Cochitl. The sudden accessIon of femininity intensified the timid element in Cou- sin \Vlllio's mal\Oup to such an extent that he promptly forgot the eastbound local , for which he had been told so explicitly to walt. The road was very steep and the team exceedingly slow. They had just got beyond the confines of the camp when at a sudden turn a voice above them called out : "Stop ! Hold Up ! " Cousin Willie was the first occupant of the stage to nct. His hands flew skyward with such force that they threatened to go through the canvas top. The others , even to the smallest girl , hastily followed his example. There came to them another command . mand , delivered In a breathless , half- articulate ] voice. Only one word of it was at all intelligible and that was "down. " "He wants us to get out , I think , " ventured Mrs. Sawkins , uncertainly. At the suggestion they all scrambled from their seats (0 the road where they stood , It forlorn group with up ' stretched arms. Thus ! : ! they waited the appearance of the bandit , their hearts heating like hammers , their minds confused by this rude Initiation Into the custom ! : ! of territorial life. Suddenly , there was a downpourlng of pebbles ! : ! and I boulders , 11. smothered exclamation , . and the next Instant a man was In't- : ! clpltated at their very feet in a most undignified heap. It wm then that Saruh Sawldns hall . her InsplrutiQu. Like 1\ flash , her duty to herself , to her hlIQICRY rl'aUres , to the preservation of the law ] , was revealed - 'ealed to her. She sprung forward with marvelous quickness ] for one so large and sat upon the prostrate form , fully , freely ] and without reserve. The man groaned , twitched as much as he was able to twitch , and then lay quiet except for an occasional convul- sive attempt at breathng. ] "Come ! " cried Mrs Sawdns ] , excitedly - citellly to her astonished reatlves. ] "Don't you see I've got him ? Come ! I" But Fate had never thrown Mrs Sawldns much among her relatives. She did not mow ] how deeply ground- ell is the Instinct of selfpreservatlon In those loved ones who arc bound to us by the strong ties of Idnshlp. She realized it , however , when they start- ed down the road , ed ] by their Cousin Willie , who sped as an arrow shot from the bow. For a moment she gazed after them In astonishment and hid lgnatlon. A futile struggle ] beneath her brought her mind back ] to her prisoner. She bent slightly lu order to see around her generous curves , and looker - cd the bandit full In his upturned face " \Vhy-I t's an old man ! " she gasped Involuntarll There was a sudden kicking out of hIs half-Imprisoned legs as if he felt the Indignity of her remark. He sub- sided Immediately he was compelled to turn his attention to procuring enough air to breathe. What Mrs. Sawldns saw was a very much tousled and mussed face of a man of perhaps fifty 'ears. His white side whiskers were plentifully besprinkled - sprinkled with the dust and earth that had accompanied his sensational entrance - trance on the scene. His glasses had slipped almost to the point of his nose , gIving his round face a most comical touch. His wide blue eyes held a look of fixed and immutable perplexity. His mouth was screwed ? askew as if to keep back the pain of the weight I he was sustaining. Sarah Sawldns was naturally a kind woman and her heart softened a trifle at sight of him. He made another ef- fort to move and his lips worked tremulously. "If you want to talk I'll raise a bIt , " she said , not undndl ] ' . Ho nodded feebly. "I'm a gentleman , " he , began , "and I protest against such- " Mrs. Sawldns settled her weight upon him again with decision. I "You shan't talk that way to me , " I , she said coldly. "Il's bad enough to hold up a stage and scare people to death , without trying tQ fib out of It. " "Dut , madam , " he begged feebly. "Keep still , " she commanded , letting herself relax ] to the fullest , "Don't add falsehood to your list of crimes. " There was silence for a moment and a strange expression settled over the face of the prIsoner. "I'd like to leave a statement of some sort , " ho moaned , feebly. ' A startled look came to Mrs. Saw- Idns' e'es. She put her palms on the ground and shifted some of her weight to them. "The fall Injured you ? " she asked a trine more gentI "That was mere play , " he sighed. She looked ] down at him wIth growing . ing misgiving. Isis face was certainly ] not the lardened one of the crIminal. But then , had she not read times with- out number that the flower of our manhood had been known to engage In such nefarious business ? No for once she would not permit the softness . ness of her heart to conflict wIth her plain duty. "If 'ou'ro still hero when it's all 1 1 1i i . a.- I over , " he groaned , "I'm going to ask yell to get word to my friend , Kilby , who will probably look aCter-what's left of mo atul- " 1\1rs Sawldns flirted spasmodically to one side amid burst Into'tenrs 1'00 hand rose slowly and with much dllllculty. With a weak ] pretense at brushing his clothes , he wallwd stlmy over to U rock and ant clown. "If 'ou'li control yourself madam , " he said , " 1'11 explain II1Y presence here and then I shall expect your expuna- ] tl < ) \ \ , which Is certainly duo lI1e. " lie waited patiently for her sobs to cense und began : "My name is Hllllngs-Tull1ver DII- lings or San Fl'I\nclsco I am down here at the Invitation of Mr. Kilby to look at life mine. I arrived just ali . - - - = . - . : = . li ( / t - _ _ _ - - - - - - "Why-It's an old man I" moment ago on the eastbound train. I found the stage for Kilby's had already ] - ready left , hut that hy rnnning downtime the trail I could probably overtake It. I called to the driver to stop. He did , and I asked him to walt till I got down. In coming over that wall I slipped. You know the rest almost -but not quite as well rS I. Now , " und the twinkle in his blue eyes antici- pated the slang , "It's np to you. " When she had finished , they both laughed. It was not the half.hearted laughter that is used to cover an om harassing situation. It began with tremendous - mendous vigor nUll died out of sheer exhaustion. "If you can manage the team , I think wo'd better be going , " she final- ly suggested. "We may pick U11 some of the other guests between here and KlIb's. " s . w * . Three months later 1\11' Kent Kilhy and wIfe took a 10ngcherIshel1 trip east. " ' and Tull will keep "I guess youand everything going till wo get back , " ho said to 1\1rs. Sarah Dllllngs at start- ing. ing.And And Mrs. Billings glanced at her husband and fetched a blush which , for a woman of her experience , was rather a success. Change of MInd. The terrible child had reached the conclusion , after days of anxious thought , that the Ideal occupation In life was that of a motorman , fancr- free , debonair , regardless of things generally and not controlled except by the ding-ding ot the conductor's bell. This thought was born of the summer time nUll winter and boreal blasts were not In the kid's mind at all. On Sundaylie was walking with his father along Broadway and the cold wind was piercing through his heavy topcoat to his tiny marrows. "Sar , dad , " he broke out , 1'\0 been thinking. " "What about ? " he was aslwd. "Tho motorman business. I was thinking , as Emerson would say , 'it's on the bum. ' Guess I'll be n conductor when J grow up.-Brood ] gage. ] .
