Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-09-19
MISS
MAVERICK
By ALAN r. TEWkEsBuRY


mines. and opened bank. The coun-
try round about was pretty lawlcss.
but Spotswood was, for d mining town.
very respectable place There was
n church. a real court OF law, and but
few citizens went armed. found il
difficult to get clerks. for the young
men who came there from civilized To-
calities preferred to engage in mining
to working on salary.
One day comely young woman
about twentyseven years Old came
into the bank and asked for position
She said that she had graduated ut
business college in the east. where she
had got n few ideas about the banking
business. ! engaged her Mt once and
was glad TO get her. She took right
hold and seemed to learn the methods
by intuition Very soon she was valu.
able on the books and as Il paying or
receiving teller, though 1t was difficult
to get her to occupy the windows.
Why never could tell.
My wife used to come into the bank
occasionally, and the first time she saw
Miss Maverick. my woman OF all work.
she took a great dislike to her Won
en- are apt to be jealous of any other
woman. especially II good looking. that
their husbands are thrown into close
relations with. Therefore paid no at
tention to my wife's dislike | have
made 1t rule OF my business life to
keep personal control OF the funds com.
mitted to my care. There was no ne
ccSsity for making any new ones per
not admit Of her ever getting away
with cent From the moment the
vaults were opened and the cash
brought out TIL 1t was locked mp again
| was in the bank and where | could
oversee every part of It.
| asked my wife why she distrusted
Miss Maverick and she said that ev
cry time the two came near cnch other
my Wife felt repulsion that was al
most painful Without better reason
than this ! refused to harbor any sus-
picion against my clerk.
Send her away" said my wife
Are you jealous of her? If YOU are
you must subdue your jealousy. for
Miss Maverick Of all my employees is
the most valuable"
VERY well; you'n see"
"See WHAT
THAT I'm right"
Nothing more was said about the
matter. and bore myself so discrcetly
that | believed my wife had concluded
after all there was no danger OF my
running away with her rival Bust
ness was increasing all the while. for
Of gold, and | was engaged all day
and often at night.
One day at noon. when all the clerks
except myself and Miss Maverick had
gone to dinner. | was sitting on my
perch In the bank resting and scan
at her desk working. Suddenly the
stiffness was broken by click. To
persons living on the frontier click
means n great deal 1t certainly did
to me. sitting as | was In bank with
no protection except woman With
receiving tcller's window | saw man
covering me with II revolver
Just sit quietly where you are and
you won't get hurt" he said Man.
proceed"
The last two words were spoken TO
\(iSu NIarn,.inl, ,.rh, No,
seat and, taking satchel from the
drawer OF her desk. went into the pay
Ing teller'S cage and sCraped the funds
there into the bag; then. going to the
receivers cage, she did the same thing.
/ wondered why / was not ordered
to put up my hands, but 1t was plain
that Miss Maverick had taken care Of
any weapons | had been used to keep
ing handy. Indeed. from the first II
was plain to me that she had applied
for work In order to advise a pal as
to the easiest way TO rob the bank.
Ing to me. she said: The next time
woman tells you anything she IL
sure OF without a reason believe her.
If she gives reason you may know
that she IL wrong. Good morning"
She walked out of the Enclosure and
disappeared The man said to me:
stay where you are for ten minutes.
A confederate of mine has bead on
you and will XIII you II you move or
give an alarm" Then he turned and
went out
didn't believe the story about the
confederate watching me. so the mo
ment he was out OF sight | sprang
from my seat. NJ the moment | heard
shot outside Running out. there
was the man who had robbed me ~.
ing on the sidewalk with n bullet IN
him. Miss Maverick was bending
over him. weeping \ posse came
from different points. where they bad
been watching, aud gathered abosi
the robber
IL turned out that my wife. since
she could not influence me. had given
the sheriff her suspicious 81 my clerk
The latter had been shadpwed. aud II
was learned that she was the wife Of
the most notorious desperate IN that
region 4 note arranging the details
% the robbery had been opened aud
passed on without the parties knowing