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(T),e EXPR
at Was
How Charles Motley
Saved From Selling the
jline Too Soon.
I The iour horse wagon called by
fconinion consent a stage which ran
between Bokov’s and Logtown was
brawling up the long grade which
around the summit .,
fcork'crswcd to
It pilot lvnob. order that It was good necessary prepa ra- to
do this in a
Itory start might be had for the sue
deeding rattling plunge down the
other corkscrew road which led to
Logtown. side of Black Pete, the
By the of
driver, sat an eastern importation
the genus drummer, Pete rolled his
tobacco into his check, snapped a
flv off the ear of his leader and said:
“No, sir; I don’t git no pay fer
fightin, and I don’t do no fightin fer
the company. H ary galoot asks stops fer
this hver stage and perlitely
the cash box, he’s a-gwine ter git it.
’Tain’t no use noway ter fight them
fellers. They always liev the drap
on ye.” said the drummer, ..
“But,” were
yon ever robbed on this route?”
; “Waal, but I’ve seed fellers
no; I’ve thought
loafin round here ez
mought do it some time or other.”
“And if they did stop you you
would give them the express box
and drive on, eh ?”
“You bet! If the express company
wants ter pertect the box, they
must send a messenger along with
it.” slowly to
The stage crawled up
the top of the hill, and Black Pete
settled his foot firmly on the brake
strap, and with a “Scat ’em, boys!”
the sweating horses started to inves¬
tigate the mysteries of the almost
invisible road below them on a keen
gallop. Round and round the rapidly
va¬
rying road the stage and passengers
whirled, sometimes losing sight of
the horses around the sharp outward turns
and again slewing sharply
toward the dangerous edge of the
canyon which yawned below them.
The sun was down, and the moon
was painting weird shadows on the
powdered dust of the grade.
It was just the time for the im¬
agination to picture scenes of vio¬
lence, robbery and blood. Sudden¬
ly the chaparral hushes by the road¬
side slightly parted, and a long,
shining, black object was waved
over them toward the stage. A
light shadowy figure rose in the and moon¬ from
among the bushes,
behind a black veil, which smother¬
ed the voice somewhat, came the
hoarse command:
"Stop, Black stop!” pushed his
foot heavily Pete hurriedly brake,
down upon the
reached clown into the bottom of
the stage, pulled out the express
box and threw it into the road, mut¬
tering:
"Cuss ye, take it!”
The restless horses immediately
plunged away into the shadows of
the forest.
“Wa-was that a highwayman?”
gasped the drumme 1
We are getting Bigger and Bigger,
• Cheaper and Cheaper,
Even Dav.
We have catered for the cash alone and our prices have brought it to us. Fast selling
goods and popular prices, make quick profits the best profits. We appreciate your help.
RUSK & CLOTFELTER.
TWO STORES:
1 ) i'y- Goods a.nd Notions. Fancy Groceries,
CONYERS* UTHON 1 A.
“In course it w & s,” answered Pete.
(C Didn't ye see r~*~ he shootin iron?
Thar goes a cool thousan’ dollars,
as I knows now. Ye bet the boys’ll
be out arter him tonight. I shouldn’t
wonder if that war old Bart him
self. He’s a cool one, he is. lie al
ways shoots his mouth otf in some
poetry. He leaves it in the box
when he gets through with it.
Didn’t ye notice how level he held
that tluir shootin iron right toward
me ?”
The lights of Logtown now glis
toned below them, and a few turns
of the corkscrew road brought the
stage up to the hotel porch, where
it stopped with a loud '‘Whoa!”
from Pete.
Not many minutes ehvrmd before
the prophecy of Pete v realized,
for as soon as the storv of the bold
robbery of Wells & Fargo’s box was
related n dozen or so ready miners
volunteered to search the woods for
the road agent. After half an hour’s
swearing and drinking over the mat
ter they saddled their horses and
started for the scene of the robbery.
*«.***•
It was a little, cramped up, belter
skelter mining town among the si¬
erras. One need not rise early in
Scar’s Hole to see the sun rise, for
lie will not see it if he does. Old
Sol is never visible there until 10 in
the morning. The rough, pictur
esque cabins, looking for all the
world like dilapidated dice thrown
at random from the box, were built
deep down in a hole between the sur
rounding peaks, and yet they actual
]y had a telephone connecting them
with the outside world.
Thc denizens of Scar’s Hole were
not given to an indulgence in busi
ness communications with the great
commercial centers, but their tede
phone was the means of preventing
many of the inhabitants from
spending V the ,, remainder • . of j, their ,, . ear
ly days at the their msnne inborn asylum detestation
of _Sucl. any man ivns ivho to lowed any
suits which dul not require active
labor with his hands and such
was their ohivainc devotion to the
fa.r sex that the management of
their part of die telephone was giv
on to a young lady ot the name of
1-ranees (goldsmith.
On the afternoon of June 29 ,
3880 , Miss Frank, as she was usually
called, sat in the little telephone
office ~ waiting ... for , the.nightly .. . . crowd a
of man y gossipers to conic to it.
The little rocking chair m which she
sat went bumping to and fro noisily
and nervously upon the pine floor,
and the tmy slippered foot with beat a
nervous tattoo in unison it.
“It s too bad, she cried, for Char
lie to work down m that old hole in
the ground all winter and then sell
out for a paltry thousand. And he s
doing it just so he can be married
this summer.” And a pretty little
ware of blood swept over the sweet
neck and face. “He shan’t do it
Charlie don’t know anything about
a mine, and he might have a little
bonanza and not know it. Just hear
the dear simpleton!”
M.y Precious Frank—Bonn 13 negotiating with
me tor my claim, and he offers me ? 1,003 cash.
I have not yet accepted it, but 1 have about made
up my mind that 1 had better do so. You know
i£ 1 had that much cash 1 could have the face to
ask you to hasten that long hoped for happy day.
For your sake, darling, I believe it will lie the
best for me to take this offer. If J do. you may
look for me down early next week. Forever yours,
Charles motley.
“Hello, Frank!” shouted a smoth
ered voice close to her ear. “Are
• WEEKLY - BANNER.
you there yet ?”
Frances jumped to her feet and
raj1 to the telephone.
“Dear me, 1 left the receiver hang
down, and they could not ring
the belli” "
She put it to her car and shouted
hack through the transmitter:
“Yes, I’m 'sere. Y.'hnt is i it ?”
“Don’t you forge! to semi that
thousand up on the stage tonight to
Logtown. Tom ,- r.vs there’s at
least $10,000 in sight. Motley is a
Bchoolmarm and don’t know it.
Don’t forget now. (ioodbv.”
Frank’s pretty eyes and mouth
spread wider and wider as those
words came out of the wonderful
little instrument.
“For goodness’ sake, who is lie
talking to? Oh. y-e-s! Why, it
must be to Frank Downey,*the ex¬
press agent at Bokey. They’ve been
talking together, and Downey
stopped an switched my end on.
Motley is schoolmarm, is he?
There’s $10,000 ^ in sight, and Char¬
]i e doesn’t know it, and the money
is £ oil1 S «P there on the stage from
Bokey tonight. Oh, dear, what
shall I do? I’ll go up there. 1 will.
It’s only eight miles, and it’s 20
from Bokey. It’s 5 o’clock, and the
stage gets there at 9 .”
Frank was a California girl,
there were no perils to her on the
eight mile trail to Logtown, and
there had been the slur cast upon
Charlie’s keenness and the eager de
sire to save that “$10,000 in sight’
f° r him would have been sufficient
incentives to induce her to dare
them, though she knew they await
ed her. Running over to the post
office, she hurriedly engaged the
young clerk to take care of the ill¬
strument tor her and, dashing back
f° her room, soon appeared, ready
f° r the eight mile walk to Logtown.
The sun was yet very hot, al
though » almost down behind
, rail w rt anJ
- Frank ,[ pushed shc on. Mt inut
; t ], cr3clf bcn s
t 1 tcd to sit down
, ,
, <c , j; >a a sc , 100 lmarm. is
thouMnd doIlilre in sight, and
, k it> cll? Well,
, „ k it ond have aU the
discovery too. There now!”
t , p> up> ,l 0 ,-„, down, around
around wound the mountain
a nd Frank wound with it until,
ed, dustv, breathless, hoarse and
> tIie f
/ ° sa „, ,, oun
.„ liwa in thc som bcr
J . belo , y her 'reached
Jugt flS she the roadside
d was about to pus h through
ch / ral w h ic h here reached
he shou ]ders, she heard the
blftl<r sta g ec oach coming around
ben £ ctose (o bcr . With the despair- with
^ r ^ olve to g0 j n a t least
° jf gbe coul( i not before it
1} gta ^ „ c
ghe l g ed her pa rasol through
busb es an( j waved it to the
, " tb at the same time,
f Qm be r excitement:
“Stop, \’ stop!” ! astonishment and dis
B ^ t 0 bci
ma instea q 0 f stopping, the dri ver
reached down into the boot and,
V'til ... < «p n ca vo ’ take it f ” tU r 0 W a
heavy bo.X lilto .- v tllO TOaCl ailti, ■ Ul. , U
• - • fouj'-jfl.hand into a TUn, dlS
a .
appeared Frank CIOWH 1110 CTOUChed Call} Oil. down into
Poor
the chaparral , : in n Upcnnir GCSpair.
“Oh, dear! I ha veil t walked
there, and I’ve lost the stage, and
poor Charlie— Oh, dear me!”
The spirit of a genuine California
girl is not easily overcame with de
spa i r , and Frank was a genuine Cal
ifornia girl, and she was hot to be
beaten until she was. She got up,
pulled her black veil tighter started ovet
lier moist face and bravely
on again to Logton n, It was not
far, and not a half hour elapsed be¬
fore she saw the lights of th le
camp scattered around in the
yon below her.
Breathless and panting, she hur¬
ried on to the tavern. A great
of men were excitedly swearing and
threatening on the porch. Some
were in the street cinching saddles
on to their horses, and in
midst stood Black l-de, *.. 1 .
driver.
“Don’t I know?” he was angrily
shouting. “1 toll ye ’twar only a
mile hack, and the cuss shoved his
shootin iron right under my nose.
Why didn't I run for it? Thar
two of ’em thar as sure as fightin.”
Pretty soon, with a yell and
whoop, 20 men galloped up the road
with a suggestive looking saddles. rope
gling from one of the
Poor Frank hastened to
Charlie. She found him sitting
consolately on the back porch. world
“Why, Frank, what in the
are you doing here?”
“Oh, Charlie, have you sold
mine yet? Am I too late?”
“Too laic for what? Cold
No, and I don’t believe I can. That
man Bonn sent the money up by ex¬
press, and a road agent got away
with the stage tonight, and the mon¬
ey went with it. 1 don’t believe
risk another thousand on a
out mine.”
“Oh, goodie!” cried Frank,
got here in time! Road
That is too rich! Oh, dear, I shall
die!” Frank’s voice ended in
high squeak of laughter.
“Frank, what is the matter ?
do you know about the road
Frank was holding her sides
despair of stopping her
ble laughter. There wasn’t
“Road agent! stopped
road agent at all. I
stage to get on, and the driver
a box at mo.”
“What does this mean,
Tell me. What were you doing
the road at this time of night
all alone?”
It took a long time to get the
ry out, but she did, while
stood with his mouth open
enough to represent his plaj r ed
claim with $10,000 in sight. told
No sooner had Frank her
ry than, lie caught her in his
with a wild shout.
“You little darling, you
have every cent of it!”
About two hours afterward a
of disconsolate, disgusted horsemen
selected their way up to the
with a “suggestive saddles” rope and
from one of the a
containing $1,000.
It is sufficient to relate that Char¬
lie. did nqt sell his “$10,000 in
sight,” but, on the contrary, re¬
ceived a much larger sum — suffi¬
cient, in fact, to make him a hap¬
pier man financially and matrimo¬
nially. When enough of the story
had been told in the barroom to ac¬
count for the stopping of the stage,
Black Pete had to provide for a
smile all around, with a continuen
do.
Watch the Wbekby-Bannkr.
Co, It . tfSnd, Regiment
O. S. A,
This famous Regiment, will hold
its annual reunion at liichard^oii’i?
store in this coun'y, on Thursday
Aug. 8. This is Capt. Joseph Al¬
berts old Com] any, and was made
up < f good fighting material from
the section surrounding the spot
where this re-union is to he held.
The occasion is expected to be
one of the most pleasant of the
kind this Companv 1 ms ever en
j ;yed. A general invitation is ex¬
tended to the people to attend and
all who will are requested to bring
MARRIED.
The marriage of Mr. Arthur
Peek and Miss Ora Dempsey, oc¬
curred in this city last Sunday’,
Esquire A. M. Helms officiating.
Both of these youm*' people re¬
side in Sheffield, are well connect¬
ed and popular in their communi¬
ties.
We have not learned their reason
for coming into town to get mar¬
ried, but suppose they were prompt
ed by a desire to surprise their
families and friends and to defeat
preparation and much ceremony,
The Weekt.v-Bannkh extends
hearty congratulations and best
wishes.
Death.
The death of the little son of Mr
and Mrs. W. A. Smith occurred at
their home on upper Decatur street
last Wednesday. The little boy
died of Scarlet fever, All of the
children of the family liadthodis
ease but the case of this little one*
was more severe than t he others
and he was unable to withstand the
ravages of the disease. 0
The interment occurred at the
Almand burying ground Thursday
morning.
The bereaved family have the
sympathy of many good friends.
--- -
1
4c Ft/ uy' 0 CEoMiA
$2 //&
above ilM Agricultural
SEA. m College
,0 Main Sun OihG.
RcX
iX\J
H m ! : dL
A
DAHi ONEGA, GA.
A colic -eeducati n in On reach« Man’s f all. A.iq
Normal ami Business courses. cli
Hood laboratories; healthful, invigorating moral arul
itjitc; military discipline; poor! in the.
relipious influences. Cln-apest board
Stat. : ; abundance of country board produce; in dormitories expenses
from $75 to families. $150 a ye Special >r; license for
or private course
teachers; full faculty of nine; aU under the
control of the University. A college The prepay* insti¬
Atorv class. Co-education of sexes.
tution founded specially for students of limited
means, bend for catalogue to the President, A-M.
* o S. Stbwart,