The wageworker., 1910-04-29
f + '&E4s*SF%$f'*1
! N His IT.
! Typewriter
I She Wa. Fair and Innocent and
Very Bright.
BY KINGSBURY WEIGH
+ Copyright, 1910. by American Press
+ Association.
BY KINGSBURY WEIGH


having saved some money and inherit
ed a little more, l concluded to go
west and start a bank of my own. l
chose Nevada and opened up in a min
ing town where had no competition.
1t was when the business was in
creasing and was thinking of taking
on more help that a young woman
came to me one day asking for posi-
ton as stenographer and typewriter.
My unanswered letters were accumu
lating, and it occurred to me that
had better save time in this way rath-
er than employ men whom 1 would
have to. intrust with the handling of
money. The young woman said she
had just come from the east to find
employment and would begin for a
small salary. She was rather too good
looking to suit me. l was afraid of
passing every day in region where
women were scarce, especially pretty
ones, with her, but by cutting off a
couple of hours day on my letters ]
would be enabled to hold on to the
me, and 1 engaged her.
Imogen Bradley looked to be about
twenty years old. Her face would
have made good model for picture
of Madonna. From the first she took
an interest in my business, posting me
if she saw anything going wrong and
assisting me to right it. The only
thing l couldn't get her to do was to
handle any cash. She said that she
was not used to money matters and if
she should make a mistake l would
blame her and that would break her
heart.
What feared when 1 employed her
came to pass. l was cooped up from
morning till night with a pretty young
woman who in my eyes grew prettier
every day. One evening after banking
hours while 1 was debating to her she
made a bad blunder, and l gently
chided her. Tears came into those
"heaven's windows" of hers. The
temptation was more than l could
bear. l kissed them away.
The next two or three days l spent
ruing my folly. l didn't want wife,
and if / felt inclined that way my
mind was bent on girl in the east
whom l thought some day 1 might
marry. 1 didn't know what to do to
rectify my rash act. The consequence
was that did nothing. l simply let
matters drift, though l controlled my
self sufficiently to refrain from any
further kisses. l looked for her to re-
proach me either for having kissed her
or for not continuing to kiss her. but
she made no reference to the first kiss
and didn't indicate that she would like
another. Indeed, she seemed to me to
possess that innocence to be found
especially in girl lowering between
childhood and womanhOod.
1t was about this time that Handy
Andy" noted desperado. was ter
rorizing the surrounding country. He
worked alone. but did not fear to un-
dertake what was usually undertaken
by half dozen men. He had robbed
an express car single handed and got
away with the plunder. The passen-
gers Of half a dozen stages at different
times had handed him their valuabl
He had tackled bank located in the
center of town Of 5000 inhabitants,
though in this case the only thing he
took away with him was bullet in
the leg When 1 was informed Of this
robbery 1 naturally began to feel So
licitous for my own funds. True. we
had weapons, but bank robbers don't
usually wait for people to use them
was no hand to tackle them myself
and with two young boys and a girl
for support in case Mr.. Handy Andy
should drop in and ask for the loose
cash lying about my bank l didn't fee
very secure.
The day the news came of the bank
robbery have mentioned we-myself
my typewriter and my two clerks
were talking over the matter of de
fense in case the robber should come
down upon u.s. One of the boys sug
gested that gun be fixed on a swive
at the paying teller's window and one
at the receiving teller's window sc
that it could be fired by electricity by
pressing button on the floor with the
foot. This was. of course, ridiculous
Who was to aim the gun? Certainl!
not the man behind the window. fol
he would be covered. The other boy
who was thinking rather of his owl
safety than that of the funds. sug
gested that the back door that LEI
from the space behind the fixtures b.
always kept open. Miss Bradley
face wore a terrified expression whil'
we were discussing these expedielrts
and she put her hands to her ears tina
she might not hear them.
l playfully pulled her hands fror
| her ears and said to her:
You women are always frightene
when there is nothing to be frightene
at. but in presence of real danger yo
often astonish us men by your coo
ness. Besides, women often have be1
ter heads at hitting on devices tha
men. Come; tell me what you sugges
/ in case Handy Andy makes us a Wis
it."
81 don't like to think about it, an
I'm sure if he should come l woul