The Maid and the Highwayman.

Evening Star, Issue 7411, 5 January 1888, Page 4

The Maid and the Highwayman.

It was a giddy, gushing girl from New York, with an amplitude of bang and a scarceness of vocabulary, which showed at once her romantic tendencies. She was travelling in a stage-coach in one of the sparsely settled regions of the country. "Oh!" she said to her mother, "I do wonder whether we are going to make this whole trip without even the sign of an adventure. Wouldn't it be horrid ?" Her mother informed her that she didn't have much common sense, but the gill didn't seem to mind it in the least. In the course of the next hour, however, the coach stopped suddenly and the muzzle of a pistol was shoved through the door. " Sorry to trouble you, ladies," said the man whose head followed the pistol, " but if you've got any valibles, them's what we want, an' we're a little pressed for time." " Oh, mamma, at last we have found a real highwayman," said the girl, with a delighted little shriek. " You're a real live robber, aren't you ?" " Well, I reckon that's what I'm called.''

"And you tell people to hold up their hands, and say ' your money or your life' to them, don't you ?'' " I hev done so, miss. But I ain't got no timo tor talk. I'll hev ter ask "

"How lovely. Just como right and sit here beside me."

" Ye see, miss, I'm here on business, an' I'll trouble you " " No, you won't trouble us at all. Just come in ; we won't hurt you. I just dote on robbers."

The highwayman had dropped hi 3 pistol and was beginning to look apprehensive. " Do you have to go away and rob somebody ?'' she inquired naively. " I hope you will not run away, because I am just beginning to get acquainted with you. I always said I would hug the first real robber I "

But the stage-door 6lammcd shut aDd the highwaymau had fled. ' Merchant Traveller.'