The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-16
ONE GIRLS PLUCK
She Out-GeneraIed a Robber and
Saved Her Fathers
Position.
By Il. NJ. EGRERI-

Iouho tue Uenu INTO the distance Men
zies crouched under the lee OF the
bank and looked cautiously around
him. His clothes were ragged. his
shoes displayed liberal space of I'M.
Clad ankle: also. he was hungry
Hard Luck" Menzies. he was called
among his fellow yeggs. Hobo BY
trade. thief as side line. his sobri.
quet had hitherto always justified it.
sell. Where others OF his kind re.
celved generous meal he would fall
foul ola bulldog; and he hardly ever
stole ride but he was spotted and
thrown into the cinder.strewu road
bed.
This time. however. fate seemed to
have been kind to him. He had laid
his plans well. He had ridden from
Uniondale upon freight and leaped
on at the precalculated place without
detection. He knew that Old Man
keyes. The station agent. was hurry.
Ing west upon the night train that
ran by Rowland junction, that his
daughter took charge during his rare
absences. and that there must be two
thousand dollars, all told. in the tiny
wayside station which stood alone in
the center Of q vast plain of swamp.
lots.
The night was moonless and this
favored him; the chances of capture
were almost infinitesimal. Once the
money was his he would strike for
Cniondale along the pike which par.
alleied the railroad, and, the five
miles completed, what easier than to
conceal himself and his hoard among
the floating mining population of that
little Pennsylvania town?
After while he rose cautiously
from behind the shelter of the bank
and. crouching low toward the damp
ground. approached the shanty. A
single electric light burned within.
Against this he could see the profile
Ol a woman seated at a typewriter;
he heard as he drew nearer the tap,
tap OF the keys At her left hand
was a telegraph board; at her right
telephone. His first object, then,
must be to withdraw her attention
from those two convenient instru.
ments. before he could venture to
lay hands upon the comfortable piles
OF greenbacks which a sure instinct
told him lay neatly folded within the
drawer OF her desk. Five hundred
there must be; that and the reg.
istered mall Uniondale transmitted
much money to Russia and Bohe-
mia--woud give him that two thou
sand which he had set as the min.
imum of his aspirations. And the
mail had arrived only a half hour be-
fore; there it lay, the bags still
sealed. Certainly his weeks OF plan
ming would not be ineffective.
All at once his eyes fell upon some
thing that set his heart humping ex.
ultantly. It was q revolver, doubtless
the girls fathers, which he had left
with her for protection in case any.
body should choose that night Of all
others on which to make his attempt.
But she had placed II at her back,
on small table-and Just within
reach Of his hand II he could gain
the window sill. With the dexterity
born Of long practice Menzies hoisted
himself upon the sill and, reaching
In carefully, grasped the weapon BY
the muzzle and drew it toward him.
After that all that he needed would
be to make his entrance so swiftly
that the girl would not have time to
lift the telephone receiver. He bal
anced himself aud prepared to spring.
At that moment the girl suddenly
rose, and MenAes, still holding the
weapon. crouched back behind the
jutting portion of the window frame:
In this position he was invisible ex-
cept In case she should come TO the
window. The girl took down the re-
ceiver. Menzies prepared for fight
at her first words. Then. rs he re.
membered that she had made no
movement toward the revolver. his
courage revived.
Besides, even II she gave the alarm.
II was three miles to the nearest sta.
ton. Crosstown. and he could surely
escape, even though this would mean
an inconvenient detour through the
soggy marshes.
"Hello!" she called "Crosstovnf
is that you. Harry Yes. this ia me-
Father had to meet the superinten.
dent at Rowland Junction this eve.
ming and I'm in charge No: vhy
should I be afraid! He left me His
revolver" Menzles heard her laugh
softly. Then. You're at the telephone
tonight7" she continued. of course
| will II need anybody, but who's
going to break in this evening OF al,
nights In the year,"
A few more words and she hun,
up the receiver. Turning to resume
her seat. the girl came face to face
with Menzies, now In the room ana
covering her with the revolver
Sorry to scare you miss" he mi.
unteered. but I'm no, going to harm
you. want that money in thar th.,.
drawer-likewise the registered mail /.
He grinned with the satisfaction of
work well done. for the eirl. terrif.A
first uttered stifled cry and then
sank into her chair. half faintine
staring up at him with look q, All