The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-07-15
A TIMID
GIRL
BY JOHN B. OVERAKER

man virtues they would have called
her Modesty. Timidity would have
also described her. for she appeared to
be afraid of her shadow. She was n
| typewriter in my private bank out in
the western town of Il. My institu-
ton was a small one. and ! required
but n small force There was one
teller. who paid and received; also a
bookkeeper. n boy and my typewriter.
One day II party Of robbers rode into
an adjoining town. pulled up nj the
bank. shot the cashier dead. empticd
the loose currency into bags and gal
loped away. all within seven minutes.
| Their leader was known 70 be a des-
perate youngstcr called Kid Malone,
scarcely twenty-five years old.
| When Kid Malone n 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.
II occurred to me that ! had better he
taking measures 10 prepare for an at
tack on my own institution. | called
my little force together for consuta-
ton. The cashier proposed that re-
volver be so fixed in the door of my
private office that could fire it imme-
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 il came Nellies 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 Il number
of propositions. none of which seemed
to be practical. she gathered her wits
and surprised us all by "A very sensible
proposition.
These preparations TO fight desperate
men brighten me. 1t seems TO me that
they should rather he met by article.
| Until this scare is over how would 1t
do to conceal the cash in something
that could he easily removed? l know
you'll think it ridiculous, but | have
an idea that | think could work my
self If ! could only keep enough cour
| age How would II do to have baby
carriage standing near the back door
with lot of little pillows and ban-
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 | can
shrek, run to the baby carriage and
wheel 1t away"
That's an idea worth considering"
said l.
| The more | thought about Nellie's
| plan the more | 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
| 1t and kept there till after 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. Nellic's
machine was within few feet of the
passage. and in case of trouble il
would 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 flight to wheel away the treas
! ure.
We kept up our precaution for three
days. and since 1t was quite incon-
venient in doing business / was about
10 abandon it. but Nellie said she had
dreamed that Kid Malone had appear
ed and somehow had got away with a
lot of money. ] am ashamed to con-
fess that | was Influenced 10y this
dream, which decided me TO keep up
our precaution for another day.
About IL o'clock the next morning
clatter of horses hoofs was heard
coming down the street. Nellie heard
II 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. ! heard the riding party
stop before the bank ana sat still. in
tending to submit 10 n robbery of what
few bills there were on the counters.
The teller crouched down below his
J window, the bookkeepcr ducked under
his desk, and, as 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 II all meant when
Bob came in and cried.
"Stung"
lie had been running and was out
OF breath. When he recovered he said
that Nellie had gone from the back
around 10 the front door. where one or
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-
ried out TO the street. where 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
n man whom they recognized for Kid
Malone
] 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.
tunotely we kept only enough cash In
the bank to get on with. the rest being