The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1913-06-26
A TIMID
GIRL
By IOHN B. OVERAKER

Nellie was her name, though II she
had been born in New England Wheh
they were naming children for the hui
man virtues they would have called
her Modesty Tiridity would have
also described her, for she appeared to
he afraid of her shadow. She was Il
TYPEWRITER in my private bank out IN
the western town of b. My institu-
tion was a small one, and | required
but a small force. There was one
teller who paid and received; also
bookkccpcr, Il boy and my typewriter
One day party of robbers rode Into
an adjoining town, pulled UP at the
bank. shot the cashier dead, cmpueu
the lacsc currency into bags and gal
loped away, all within seven minutes.
Their leader was known to be des-
perate youngster called Kid Malone
scarcely twenty-five years old.
When Kid Malone a few days later
rode into another town and robbed an
other bank with only one man to as
sist him and in less time than before,
it occurred to me that | had better be
taking measures to prepare for an at
tack on my own institution. l called
my little force together for consulta-
ton. The cashier proposed that re-
volver be SO fixed in the door OF my
private office that i could fire it immc-
diately on the appearance Of robber
and another be similarly fixed to his
window The bookkeeper should also
be armed. Bob the boy, said he In
tended to arm himself with hand
grenades When it came Nellie's turn
to make suggestions she said she
couldn't think of anything. In case a
robber came she would duck under her
typewriter table. But after number
of propositions none of which seemed
to be practical she gathered her wits
and surprised US all by very sensible
proposition.
"These preparations to fight desperate
men frighten me- 1t seems to me that
they should rather be met by art1hce
Until this scare is over how would it
do to conceal the cash in something
that could be easily removed? l know
You'll think 1t ridiculous, but l have
an idea that I think l could work my
self If could only keep enough cour
age. How would it do to have baby
carriage standing near the back door
with a lot Of little pillows and blan-
kets and quilts in it, just as though
there was a baby asleep, and under
the covering to keep the cash during
banking hours? Then if this Kid Ma
lone comes to rob the bank I can
shrek, run to the baby carriage and
wheel it away"
e''That's an idea worth considering"
said l.
The more l thought about Nellie's
plan the more 1 approved Of it. A
baby carriage was procured, and as
soon as the bank opened in the morn
ing the bulk of the funds was put in
it and kept there till after 3 o'clock,
when we closed the doors. The car
rage stood in a hallway, the opening;
to which was screened so as to conceal
the bank officials when they went to it
to put in or take out cash. Nellie's
machine was within few feet of the
passage, and in case Of trouble it
woul.1 be the most natural thing in
the world for her to take to flight
through the exit All feared was that
If we were attacked the girl would
be so frightened that she wouldn't stop
in her fight to wheel away the treas
ure
We kept up our precaution for three
days, and since it was quite 1ncon-
vanient in doing business / was about
to abandon it. but Nellie said she had
dreamed that Kid Malone had appear
ed and somehow had got away with a
lot Of money. I am ashamed to con
fess that l was Influenced by this
dream, which decided me to keep up
our precaution for another day.
About II O'clock the next morning
a clatter of horses hoofs was heard
coming down the street Nellie heard
| it and turned pale. She didn't wait for
robbers to reach the bank. She ran for
the baby carriage, and both she and it
disappeared. I heard the riding party
stop before the bank and sat still, in
tending to submit to a robbery Of what
few bills there were on the counters.
The teller crouched down below his
window, the bookkeeper ducked under
his desk, and, rs for Bob, he followed
Nellie out through the back door.
I waited every minute expecting to
see armed men come in through the
front door, but nobody came Then |
heard the horses without trot away. !
was wondering what it all meant when
Bob came in and cried:
"Ctung"
He had been running and was out
of breath. When he recovered he said
that Nellie had gone from the back
around to the front door. where one OF
the party of riders had helped her on to
a horse, while another had taken the
contents of the baby carriage under
his arm, and, mounting. the party had
ridden out of town
could not believe the story and hur.
r1ed out to the street, where l saw the
baby carriage standing on the side
walk. A crowd was gathering, several
Of whom assured me that they had
seen my typewriter riding away beside
a man whom they recognized for Kid
Malone.
I went back into the bank and told
my force to keep their mouths shut
was not entirely broken up by the
loss, though was badly crippled For
tunately we kept only enough cash in
ttfae bank to get on with. the rest being